Fall Art projects

We've been busy with a few little art projects this fall and thought I would share some of them with you.

1) Painting Pine Cones

This by far was the most surprisingly entertaining one of the bit.  We used actual pine cones that the girls found outside and then I gave them some paints to decorate however they wanted.  I had no idea Big K would get so into it and end up sitting there for over a half hour working on hers!

Little K started out strong but eventually ended up painting her entire arm instead which is what often happens.  Fine with me!

Big K's turned out beautiful (well Little K's did too but I didn't have much to work with) and it is one of my fall decorations out in my kitchen now! 

2) Apple Stamping

Cut an apple in half. Stuck a stick into it for holding and used red, yellow and green paints to make fun designs.  Her stick didn't work the best and ended up breaking off inside the apple so we just went with holding the apple which worked just fine too.  This girl LOVES her crafts!

3)  Apple Trees

Get yourself a paper plate and some green paint and get to town on painting that thing.  Then they can use their tiny fingers to make little apples on their apple tree! =)

4) Leaf Spin Art

This one I don't truly consider an art project, since the machine is actually doing all the work but you could be creative in the way you make yours if you don't have a spin art (place the leaf cut outs in a box and roll a marble around in paint on them. Same effect).  When we were done, we made a garland out of them for our back door.  

5)  "Knuckle" Pumpkins

Saw this idea on Pinterest.  You paint your kiddos knuckles orange, then press them down and they will look like tiny little pumpkins!  I then let Big K draw what she thought vines and leaves look like.  I'm all about letting the child create the art however they want rather than telling them what to do or even drawing it in for them.  This can be done on occasion but try to make your children's art "free art" as often as possible!  Helps build their imaginations! Note: I did add a few of the leaves at the end of the project once she was all done with what she wanted because she asked me too =)  She also decided to finish her art off with how she believed you spell pumpkin.  Apparently it's  "plysiehg." =)