Last night I spent a couple of hours trying to put together a clever, well-narrated, and inspirational slide show together to express on my blog how much freaking fun we had with this freaking glue batik project. (Tomorrow is “F***ing Friday”, so even at this late hour, it’s just “Freaking Thursday”.) Long story short, it didn’t work and you’re stuck with this.
Credit where due. Please visit That Artist Woman to see the the real deal tutorial on easy kid friendly batik. OH! Her latest post is batik for grown-ups. It’s pretty cool too.
So, here goes….
Step 1: Find a beautifully lash-ed, juice mustache-ed girl of six to agree to model and volunteer her family for a nutty mom project. Give everyone some gel school glue to make designs on some cheap old pillowcase. I put cardboard inside the pillowcase to prevent soak through issues, but then I got stuck to issues. That’s okay, because it all comes off; next time I’ll cover the cardboard or use a plastic cutting board or one of those rubber place mats or something. Anyway, let dry.
Step 2: Use watered-down acrylic paint and, you know, cover the dried glue designed fabric as you please. Initially I watered down with a 4:1 ratio of paint to water, but I think a 1:1 makes for more of a watercolor effect. My fear was dissolving the glue with the paint, but as it turns out I needn’t have worried. I thought I was genius for using the cracked ice tray as the whachamacallit for the paint. The cup of blue liquid is leftover Kool-aid from the yard sale Kool-aid stand and isn’t paint. The Cortaid was required after the yard sale too. I’m still bitchy – ITCHY. I totally meant itchy. Anyway, let dry.
Step 3: Once the glue and paint have dried, DUNK THAT PUPPY! That Artist Woman suggests using your tub and after taking her up on her advice, I totally concur. I wasn’t patient enough to let the glue slowly dissolve. I agitated it. My kids taught me the fine art of agitation, so I was really good at it. It’s better than picking scabs and popping zits! Oh, my so satisfying. Anyway, let dry and call maid service. WAIT! I am the maid! Grrr. I hate contingencies.
We agreed that the family member with the crappiest day gets to sleep with the pillowcase. My sincere hope is that the kids will adore having the pillowcase in their bed and so won’t come into mine. I’m tired of knees and elbows in my back and up my nose. But he’s my husband and I knew that went with the territory. The kids have their own beds and should use them.
That is so cool. And so simple. And really sort of obvious. Why haven’t I heard about this before? Now I’m thinking of how I could use this new knowledge…
And why are you ‘Mom’ and Jesse is ‘Jesse’?
Naomi
Mom-a-tron,
Looks like everyone had a great time and it turned out pretty cool. Wax paper works well to keep the glue from seeping on other layers. Stay tuned I plan to do a new blue glue idea every month. Thanks for including my link on your post.
gail
Naomi – that project has 3 YO miniNaomis written all over it. And yes, the kids and I had a good laugh at “Jesse’s” expense. Later I may have him “babysit”. 😉
Gail – we did have a great time and even better, we bonded as a family. We didn’t have to buy a thing for the project either, because it was all around the house. Thank you again.
How is it that we have been friends for seven years, and I’m just recently learning of your artistic side?
Can you come up with a creative, kid implemented (yet standardized) design idea for my Brownie troop t-shirts? Then make a slide show so that I’ll be understand how to implement it? Thanks yo! Robyn
Robyn, Robyn, Robyn. It’s always about you, isn’t it, yo? All you had to do is ask. I have a great idear for your Gurrrlies. Lipsticked bulldoged paper freezer stenciled tie-dyed batik pta not baking cookies bake sale Hanna Montana glittered bedazzled and star spangled – uh, what was it you asked?
Anyway, the next thing you gonna dye had better be my roots! You shouldn’t run away from garage sales so quickly.
HOW COOL!! What a fun MOM you are:) And patient, I might add;)
Hey wait! That was my suggestion to Parrish for raising money…(the kool-aid stand). Although he needs to step up the marketing efforts – $4.75 a weekend is going to leave him mighty short of his goal.
Joe, he’s also getting $1 per week for his eggs from the neighbor. AND he agreed to another chore – poop patrol twice a month at $2 a pop. He can make another $1 per week for going to church. If he could manage to lose another tooth or two….
I like the pink, Bloggy Twin;)