Making Ornaments with a Preschooler – A Painting Success

by Tara Ziegmont

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This project didn’t make my Ornaments to Make With a Preschooler post. In fact, I almost didn’t write about it at all.

Because it’s embarassingly simple.

Really.

Embarrassing.

It’s a three minute project.

I decided to post it anyway because sometimes we need three minute projects.

For our sanity.

Or to satisfy the I want to make a prooooooojeeeeeeeeeect whining.

Wait, that’s still for our sanity.

That kind of whining never happens at my house.

{ahem}

Here’s how this one came to pass.

Last weekend, I noticed a ribbon organizer in the Joanne Fabric ad that was on sale for one day only for $8 (normally $26). I needed a ribbon organizer.

Needed.

I have rolls and rolls of plain white ribbon because I buy some every time I’m at the store. I need some organization.

I did what any self respecting bed-ridden pregnant woman would do. I begged my husband to go buy the ribbon organizer for me.

Knowing that his very happiness depended on my acquiring a ribbon organizer, Joe trudged to the fabric store.

Because it was Thanksgiving weekend, scads of things were on sale. Since he was already there, I had him pick up little wooden Christmas ornaments for Grace to paint (on sale for 49 cents each!) and some sparkly dot painters, too.

Grace has been on a painting kick for a month or two. She’ll paint anything.

Even herself.

These ornaments are small and uncomplicated – perfect for working on while Momma supervises from the couch.

painted ornaments

Painted Christmas Ornaments

Materials

  • painting ornamentsPre-made wooden ornaments
  • Paint – our low mess choice was scented, shimmery dot paints (they’re the last one on the page; I’m not sure whether they’re available online or not)

Instructions

  1. Give your child an ornament and a dot painter on a plastic or other paintable surface.
  2. Allow child to paint.
  3. Done!

A note about crafting with a preschooler

Every single ornament we’ve done has been a lesson in patience and letting Grace own her crafty project.

This one was no different.

A blue and orange Christmas tree. A yellow-faced angel with a blue hand. An all-orange gingerbread man.

She’s happy with them. I want to support her creative vision.

So I feign excitement and paint my own project with her markers. (That’s the rainbow snowflake, though I’m not sure I should have admitted it.)

Happily submitted to Things I Love Thursday

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© 2010 – 2012, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

1 Cathy @ NurtureStore December 2, 2010 at 8:36 pm

I agree it’s so important to give children the space to do their own thing – that’s them expresing their creativity. In years to come we’ll love the orange Christmas trees. We do lots and lots of crafts over at NurtureStore and I try to have them as child-led as possible. Even if we’re making something in particular I always try to include some aspect that lets them free-style. And your rainbow snowflake is lovely too x

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