El Día del Padre / Father’s Day is coming up this June 17 and I’ve been a little stumped at what creative gift Sofía will give her Papi. Recently I read an article about how people who received gifts in fancy wrapping tended to like the gifts considerably more than people who received the same gift but not wrapped as nicely. I think this is super-true and certainly applies to children’s art as well. I think any piece of art, well framed or mounted, makes more of a difference than merely giving a piece of construction paper with gems and glitter (or screws and bolts) glued on!
It has been a while since Sofía has given her framed art to Papi as a present, and so we put on our Thinking Sombreros and thus, Toolbox Treasure Art was born!
Get ready to make your own personalized Toolbox Treasure Art! Gather up your toolbox extras, some glue, a permanent marcador and a framed canvas. (The framed canvas is by far the most expensive item in this activity.
The first two steps I recommend doing are things that I learned after our project was complete. First, I recommend assisting your Little Picasso to creatively craft a visual “frame” on the canvas with something. We used plastic cord ties, but I think that colored electrical or painter’s tape would work well also.
In step 2, decide where the byline and Felicidades will be written so that it will be seen amongst the treasures that will soon be glued on.
Next, place all the treasures from the tool box in a container. I used a veggie tray container not only for easy access for Sofía’s little manos, but for its aesthetic properties as well! Add another dimension to your craft by reviewing the material names en Español! (Planning ahead of time is really important for this step because, for example, some of the items I used, I didn’t know the name of in any language!)
Providing glue nearby, (I like to place the glue right on a small paper plate.) allow your Angelito to choose whichever tool box treasure she or he wishes to glue on the canvas. And Mamás….resist the urge to direct your Angelito as to where to put the treasures on the canvass. Everything doesn’t need to be perfect, straight, in-line, or balanced. Once your glue has dried, you may have to secure a few things here and there with a hot glue gun or more liquid glue.
The end result is a fabuloso piece of art that your Little Picasso will be so proud to give to Papi and Papi will be sure to show off and proudly display!
Aaaw this is a cute alternative to making macaroni art