This has to be one of my favorite parties for this little girl – who is no longer little. She loves to craft and create so we decided on an art party this year. She invited her 3 dearest friends which made this party manageable. Once you go outside of the circle of best friends it’s hard to keep the number below 10! I’d suggest keeping the numbers small unless you’re one of those crazy moms. (I’ve don’t that and it was crazy!)
APRONS
First on the agenda - APRONS - so they can ART without fear. Well, let’s be honest, kids always create without fear; this was to save any parental fear and … clothing. These no-sew aprons were made by cutting some white t-shirts. I used adult large. I probably would have used round necklines but I already had these v-neck T’s. We did Sharpie Tie-Dye, which is awesome and easy. The girls could have spent a lot of time filling the entire thing with color but we just did a few and turned them into flowers so we could continue with the ARTing.
Tie rubber bands around the tops of jars. Draw a design with colored sharpie within the circle. Then with a dropper, saturate the area with rubbing alcohol and watch the colors spread. Throw them in the dryer then add stems and leaves when completely dried. It was a pretty quick dry time. Below is the inspiration for cutting out the aprons - done beforehand.
CANVAS PROJECTS
It was fun to teach the kids to notice brush strokes, patterns, etc. I found examples of art online and pulled them up on the TV (enlarged) so they could see an example and then create their own. These mixed medium suns were fun and allowed for lots of personalizing.
This table cloth is about to meet it’s match.
*Make sure you get something you can toss when the fun is done.
Next is my example. I tried it out before the party so I would know how to best help them.
I really wanted the girls to paint something amazing. When they saw the example they were excited and doubtful. We broke it up and did a few parts at a time. I drew an outline on the canvas for them so they would have some confidence that it would turn out similar to the original. While parts were drying we opened presents and had treats. They were always excited to return to the project and loved the finished pieces.
PARTY FAVORS
I don’t do big goody bags at parties but I usually send a little Thank You treat. At this party it was a small frame with a picture of the girls from the party. I took a picture with their aprons and then printed them while they worked on other projects. If time would have permitted they could have painted their frames, I also had buttons and beads for gluing – as it was, the party had been going for 3 1/2 hours and I was a little done. They didn’t even know there were other options and they enjoyed decorating their frames. It was a backup project. If the other projects went quicker than planned we could have done more with this.
At the end of it all the girls went home with 4 projects and they were thrilled with each one!
FOOD
I don’t do fondant and I wasn’t in the mood for too much creativity when it came to the food – I like easy but unique… introducing Art-in-a-Jar. These colorful cupcakes in a jar were awesome. The girls loved eating down to another color. Since the cupcake was in a jar I decided to serve everything in a jar. They had a jar with ice cream and another jar of milk.
I think the girls could have spent another hour creating but we already went overtime. In fact, I’d suggest giving a start time only for the party. It’s just easier to finish when they finish all their art projects.
Tips
#1 - Plan ahead! Like a month ahead, if only to watch sales and use coupons at craft stores.
#2 - Use coupons. An art party can add up quickly. If money is an issue, you can save a lot with the great store coupons, Joann’s and Michael’s for my neck of the woods.
#3 - Scour your own art/craft stash. I found the wooden frames in a box of craft things. I also had most of the paint colors and brushes already along with scrapbook paper, nick-nacks for the frames, etc. The small canvases were another item I had around with a print on them. I painted them white for repurposing. The shirts for the aprons was also something I happened to have from my HB’s business trip. The materials I had around the house definitely helped me decide what kind of projects we would do. But splurging for the big canvases was totally worth it.
#4 - Have a “filler” project. Kids seem to work at different speeds. You’ll also find that something needs to dry and it’s time for a filler.
#5 - Don’t be afraid to expect them to do their best. I really pushed a few of them to “straighten their lines” and such. These were not a rush-through-school-project. Some kids took their time, some were naturally good at art and others, well, others needed more guidance. I wanted their best effort so they would be proud of the outcome and they were.
#6 - Don't put an end time on your invite unless you feel confident in the time alloted.
Invitations
I usually print invites as a photo. Its quick and cheap. No envelopes, nothing fancy - but it looks fun!
Materials: If you don't want to run around to a bunch of craft stores to try and save with sales and coupons, these are the products I would get without breaking the bank.
6"x6" Canvas - This set comes with 6. HERE
A good alternative to the wooden frames are these paper frames - ideal for decorating at a fraction of the cost.
I love canvas boards. We use them alot at our house. 9"x12" is our preferred size. HERE
Sharpies in lots of colors.
91% Rubbing Alcohol fur best results
adult sized white t-shirts. If you can find them cheap, great. This is the best deal I have seen.
12 oz Tall Jars - These really made for such a unique dessert. After this party I purchased this jar lids & Straws.
Paint Pallet Tray - I bought these for this party and we have used them a lot since then. Remember - crafty creative child in this house. (their design has changed slightly since I bought mine).
Your other supplies are going to be: paint brushes, acrylic paints, rubber bands and cups or jars for the aprons. scrapbook paper, scissors, glue and puffy paint - if you want to go there. A white cake mix with neon food coloring, frosting and sprinkles.
*The links above are affiliated links. I could earn a small referral commission if you choose to purchase with these links. I hope we like the same things :)
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