Crafting can be an amazing hobby for people of all ages. It enables you to release your creativity, create unique gifts for family and friends that are designed specifically for them, and it can also be a fun and interesting business opportunity.
Unfortunately, especially for us here in Africa, we think art and craft is an archaic thing that is best left to school drop-outs. But that’s not correct. In fact, in the west, people are building serious businesses out of simple crafts.
And besides money-making, crafting also does something even more powerful, it can help to bring families together and strengthen their bond with each other.
Let’s go over some simple craft projects that you can do as a family and can help to bring the family together.
Handprint Tree
There are several deviations to this project. However, the most preferred method is the one we will discuss. As the name implies, you are all going to create a tree by using your handprints. When finished, you will have a family-created art piece that you can display in your living room or family room wall for all of your friends to see. Or you can even sell it. Here is the list of materials you will need, as well as the steps to follow.
Materials
Medium sized canvas
Acrylic paints, colors can vary, but black or brown will be needed
Paintbrush
Paper Towels
Space large enough to accommodate the materials and all of the family members, the kitchen table would be perfect.
Directions
First, have the most artistic family member paint a tree on the canvas using the black or brown paint. Set it aside to dry thoroughly.
Once the canvas has dried, let each member of the family pick the color they want to use for their handprints.
Starting with the person with the largest hands, have them take their paint-covered hands, palm heels together and fingers outstretched, and press down on the canvas, towards the bottom of the tree.
Continue in this manner moving on to the next largest pair of hands in the family and work your way up the tree.
Let dry and, if desired, add details to the painting, such as family name, names of participating family members, or perhaps the year.
When you have finished, display your work of art anywhere you like for visitors to see.
Every time you, or anyone in the family, sees the creation you all did as a family, they will have a pleasant memory of the times you had creating it.
The Unique Family Portrait
A family portrait may not seem very fun for the younger members of your household, but this project is sure to be a hit. This portrait allows you and your family to be as creative and as silly as they want.
Materials
Large piece of paper or poster board
Permanent markers of various colors
Photograph of each person in your home
Scissors
A spare large picture frame.
Directions
Using the the markers, have each person draw an image of their own bodies on the paper or poster board. Make sure they do not draw a head on the figure. If you like, you can even add the family pet.
After that, have everyone cut their picture, just the heads, out of a picture. Then, have them glue the picture onto the bodies they have drawn for themselves.
You can then add details such as everyone’s name, the date, or even add drawing for a background.
Place the created family picture into the picture frame and proudly display your unique family creation for the world to see.
There are only a couple of craft ideas you can use that can help to bring the whole family together. With some imagination, the possibilities of other projects like creative hang tags you can complete as a family are endless. Who knows, you might even enjoy it so much it becomes a fully-fledged business.
About Author
I’m Annabelle Short, a seamstress who loves to make crafts with my kids. You can visit me here to learn more about me and my handmade creations.
