June's Good Day Columbus Summer Lovin'

Jared and I are excited to share an easy way to spruce up your yard or window box this summer on Monday's artsy segment of FOX 28 Good Day Columbus. I don't know about you, but pinwheels are  perfect reminder of summer and being a kid. I've never made my own, so below, I share with you my first attempt. And as an added bonus, you can use items you may already have lying around the house.

What you'll need:

• Pencil or stick for post
• Thumbtack or pipe cleaner/wire and button
• Maps, brown paper bags, or any paper.
• Large-eyed bead (one or two will do)
• The basics: scissors, pencil, and maybe a hole punch (if you're doing the pipe cleaner/button version)
• Optional: paint, markers, silk flowers, colored pencils, sequins, etc. to bling-out your pinwheel

I'll try a blog post as "speechless" as possible (although, I'm a talker). Comment if you have questions.

Cut a couple inches from the center.

Hole in the center, too.

Thread pipe cleaner in one button hole and through the next button hole to create a fastener. Then, thread through each hole and finally the center. 

As you can see, make sure there is plenty of room for the pinwheel to spin.

This gives space so pinwheel can really spin.

A washer behind the button and wire instead of pipe cleaner.

I used a heavy plastic bag for the white pinwheel and the bottom of a disposable pie tin.

This version uses a push pin and a pencil-top-eraser. No need to punch any holes. Just poke with the push pin and then partly enter horizontally into eraser.

 Cute, huh?

Birthday Cake Down! :)

Here's the entirety of Annie's Birthday party mishap at Children's Art Studio. 

We even got on to America's Funniest Home Videos with this one!

Up-cycled Vases for your Favorite Teacher

Our project for our next Good Day Columbus on channel Fox 28 appearance (May 14, 2012) features a fabulously easy and great DIY gift for anyone (and at any time of year).

Your kids can do it (with a little help from you) and your kids' TEACHERS will love it as a sweet end-of-the-year "thank you" gesture. It's also another up-cycling project (which I adore) and will hopefully clear out some clutter you may have in the catch-all drawer or kid's art supply bin. Here's the how-to.

What You'll Need:

• A clean soup can
• Rubber band(s)
• Old colored pencils or even regular pencils
• Ribbon (whatever you have lying around, but a medium width is best)
• Ruler
• Sharpie (thin one if you've got it)
• Paper, scissors, pencil, and glue
• OPTIONAL: Fresh picked (or bought) flowers or not so fresh flowers that will last forever :) and ANY other items you think you could put around a tin can

If kids are making these, be sure to cover the sharp edge of the tin can with some masking tape.

I started with one rubber band, but by the end, I added a few more for further stability. No glue necessary.

This can took about 35 colored pencils.

Here, we just made our own measuring tape. I mean, it clearly shouldn't be used for measuring. :)

 Looks legit!

Now, trace the bottom of your creation. Cut out the little circle and come up with a witty slogan to say thanks to your favorite teacher.

Or maybe it is supposed to be, "You have beautifully colored my year!"

Slap it on the bottom.

Add some flowers and, viola! Gorg.

My brain just kept creating...

Add mints to this little tin and write something like, "I am so lucky you were mint to be my teacher this year!"

Cool color crayons (on a smaller tin)

"Thanks for helping me become such a smartie-pants this year!"

Instead of ruined brushes going in the trash, save them. Your art teacher would dig a vase adorned with used brushes. Or at least, this art teacher would.

And so on. Have fun.