Creating an Eco-Friendly "Arty Party" For Children

With just a few, simple supplies and a little planning, you can create an "Arty Party" that will be a smash hit. Not only will your young guests participate in saving the planet, they'll have a blast doing it, and will walk away from the party with a hangable work of art. Forging a bond with your children and their friends though joint art-making is one of the best gifts you can give to a child. Art making is unmatched in its capacity for providing a ready avenue for self-expression and is a wonderful way to connect. Plus, it's a whole lot of fun! For parties with younger children, choosing easy, high-success projects for your Arty Party will build confidence. Confident children are more successful in school, and in life. What more could one ask from a fun, inexpensive summer party activity? One great, easy project for joint art-making is “crayon art”. It is simple, inexpensive, “green” (you can recycle all those old, stubby crayons no longer useful for coloring), and results in a frameable piece of art on completion. When you send out invitations for your Arty Party, be sure to include a request for children to bring all of their old, used crayons, but don't give away the surprise! You'll want to have plenty of your own crayons on hand, as well, in case any of your guests forgets to bring their own. Below you'll find a list what you will need for each of your Arty Party guests to create their own works of art:
  • A stretched canvas – you can find these at a local arts and crafts shop.
  • Crayons – broken crayons are fine (you’re going to shred them).
  • Waxed paper
  • Iron
  • Cheese grater
Steps to completing crayon art:
  1. Shred crayons. Remove the wrappings from your crayons (soaking them in water first will make this process easier). Using your cheese grater, shred the crayons into small flakes. Be sure to keep your colors separated. Although the grating itself should be completed by an adult, children can participate by gathering the shavings and separating them into individual, disposable cups.
  2. Sprinkle crayon flakes. After you’ve decided on a pattern, sprinkle your crayon flakes liberally over your canvas. You may want to draw on the canvas lightly in pencil first if you’d like to create a certain pattern. Alternatively, for a more abstract look, sprinkle the flakes at random. Experiment with different levels of flake distribution – you may prefer a lighter scattering or one that is more saturated and color intense.
  3. Place waxed paper. Cover the entire canvas with the crayon flakes with waxed paper. It is very important that the waxed side is facing the canvas, and not the iron.
  4. Iron. Set your iron on low and avoid the “steam” setting. Gently and slowly run your iron over your canvas until the crayon flakes have thoroughly melted and blended. Though the iron should only be handled by an adult, kids will enjoy watching the colors ooze and melt and blend.
  5. Remove waxed paper. Peel up an edge of the wax paper and slowly remove it from the canvas. Underneath, you’ll find your completed work of art.
You may want to set up a "museum" of the kids' artwork for parents to enjoy when they come pick up their kids from the Arty Party. Kids can serve as "curators", walking parents through the museum, or can stand by their own works of art and discuss them with the admiring patrons. For more great ideas on creating memorable childrens party themes, contact us.
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