box lid art – make a painting in the lid of a box

We’re sprucing up the playroom here, so over the next few weeks we’ll be focusing on individual and group works of arts to hang on our walls.  As most of you know, I like to keep our crafts and activities easy and affordable, so we’ll be using inexpensive canvases from around the house to create our masterpieces on.  I’m super-stoked about our upcoming projects, and excited to show you the box lid art that the hooligans created today.

Our playroom is simple and furnished with all kinds of cast off goodies from around our home, and with thrift shop finds that I’ve accumulated over the years.  Until last year, my daycare didn’t have a dedicated space in our home; when we were inside, but last year, I converted our seldom-used spare room and storage area into a rockin’ space for the daycare, and an area for all of our crafting and supplies.  You can read about the awesome makeover, and see all the pics here and here. 

We spend a lot of time playing and crafting in this room in the winter time, and I think having some hooligan-made art on the walls will look great!

How we did it:

For today’s project, we used box lids that I’d saved from Christmas time.  Box lids make a great canvas for a child’s art because the edges of the lids serve as a frame for whatever is created in the lid.

Box lid art is easy!

I set out several jars of tempera paint, and gave the hooligans no directions other than to try and keep each paintbrush with the jar of paint that I’d popped it into so the colours wouldn’t get too muddy.  When we use powdered tempera paints, I’ve recently started mixing them in mason jars.  They’re small enough that they can be held in a child’s hand, they’re heavy enough that they don’t easily tip, and I can pop the lids on and store any leftover paint for next time.

I’m always amazed when I watch these very little people get creative.  Even at these young ages, each child has his or her own distinct style.

One had a specific image in mind that she wanted to paint.

Another painted very deliberately, being selective about which colours he chose and how he applied them.Others layered colour upon colour, mixing and blending until they were satisfied that they’d gotten it just right.

When they were finished, we placed their paintings by the fire to dry, and when we checked on them after lunch the hooligans were thrilled with their masterpieces!  Just look at these proud, little faces.

I think these are going to look fantastic gracing the walls of our playroom!

Stay tuned to see what else the hooligans will create!