Guest Picks: Your Kids' Arts and Crafts That Can Double as Decor
Isn't it possible for both kids and adults to win the art war? To let your child be proud their work is displayed without feeling that your home needs to be a shrine to, um, amateur art? Here are some products that might produce something in between. — Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie
This may win the award for most awesome thing to display. It's the Japanese art of diorama in kit form. There are a few designs available.
Your family as peg people? I need this kit for myself. Seriously.
A paint-by-number with a bohemian flair, er, French countryside flair? I'm not sure of the style exactly, but it's unique and darling.
I love the vintage feel of this raccoon pillow. I'm pretty sure I'd buy it if I saw it in a home decor shop, let alone if my kid made it.
Here's some modern art that actually is modern art, not just named so charmingly because of the liberties your child takes. All kids have to do is color in these masterpieces.
I can't necessarily speak to the quality of art produced, but this gadget is just about the coolest thing I've seen today. It's a little bouncy robot with markers attached to the feet. Wind it up and let it do the art for you. I imagine it's the sort of thing that kids would find hilarious the first time, but possibly not the tenth. I probably won't buy it, but it's still a very cool idea.
Matisse, Van Gogh, Monet — there are plenty of these Master Kitz to choose from, and I'm sure the finished product will be just like the real thing hanging on your wall. Make sure to buy a gilded frame.
Finally, a plant even I couldn't kill! Assemble your own very awesome plants from cardboard. I want these.
I'm loving these adorable art sets from Mon Petit Art, but I'm finding them a bit hard to come by. They are sold out of many stores. I hope they become much more available soon.
Kid-proof wall art? Maybe. The kit comes with everything you need to create this flower and bee canvas. And there are other designs to choose from too.
I'm not entirely sure what this is, but I'm guessing it's a grander version of those cheap scratch Valentine's cards my daughter gave out this year — the ones wherein the child uses a bamboo tool to scratch out very cool designs. I'm giving this one points for interesting materials.
Make your own candles! I've never seen a craft kit like this. Children roll their own beeswax to craft candles. This site has a few different sets available.
My daughter and I have been planning on making a fairy garden for weeks now. This clay figure set will be perfect for getting us started.
For older children, this oil pastel workshop kit is designed by a French pastelist, and the results are just stunning. I would absolutely hang any of these creations on the most visible part of my wall.
How clever is this? Children collect treasures from nature and weave them into a loom to create their own natural display.
Part of me thinks a cardboard chair would not fit in my decor at all. Another part of me thinks, "Wow, my kid can build and decorate her own chair."
Build 20 fun and colorful paper animals with this kit. I'd so display these on my mantel.
Drawing, collages, printmaking, painting, mixed media — I just added this to my "to buy" list. I think it would be fun to do with my daughter. Plus, I saw a picture of a kid making prints with celery.
I don't know how I would incorporate round, knitted circles into my home decor, but I'd sure like to try.
Live by the shore? Or a lake? Are boats any part of your current decorating scheme? If so, have the kids build their own boats.
I'm not a fan of fake flowers as decor; they just look fake. But fake flowers your kids make that aren't really trying to trick anyone into thinking they are real? I can get on board. These look cool.
I peeked inside, and this is a clever book to help make the best use of doodles.
I'm so sending this to my preteen niece in summer camp so she can decorate her cabin.Next: How to Curate Kids' Art
These sets are so intricate and beautiful. The artist uses stickers, a gold pen and 10 brush pens to fill in the details.
Q