Valentine love.

Hi, I'm Courtney ~ a Military Wife, Art Teacher, and Momma to a sweet blue~eyed little boy who's generous with his kisses and loves Mickey Mouse.  I share everyday art projects and creativity for children and families, along with my stories of love, faith, and motherhood on Once Upon a Canvas.  I dream of fresh boxes of Prismacolors, textured paper, and of one day having my own art studio where I can teach art to little ones on paint~stained tables all day long.

This projects teaches:

Mixing Colors 

Beginner's Watercolor Painting

Crayon Resist Watercolor Technique 

This project encourages:

Exploration & Learning Through Play

Development of Fine Motor Skills 
 

Recommended for ages 12+ months.
 

Crayon Resist is the perfect introduction to watercolor for little ones.

It's a simple, laid~back kind of painting activity that will encourage your young artist to play while they learn to manipulate color with water ~ without the added pressure of having to "stay in the lines".

When applied to paper before painting, waxy white crayons resist watercolor, leaving behind a fun element of surprise and magic for your little one to reveal with their paintbrush.

What You'll Need:
+ Watercolor Paper (not 100% necessary, but textured paper works best for this project)
+ A Ruler
+ A Pencil
+ White Crayons
+ Watercolors
+ Paintbrushes
+ A Cup of Water 

What You'll Do:
+ Help your child divide their paper into four equal quadrants with the ruler and pencil.
+ In each quadrant, encourage them to get creative, and guide them to draw their own cover designs for their cards in white crayon (if they're still a bit too young to do this part on their own, you may do the first two steps for them ahead of time).
+ Show them how to wet their paintbrush, dip it in their favorite colors, and brush the paint onto the paper, revealing their white crayon drawings ~ just like magic!
+ Repeat this ^ step over and over, again, until their Valentine Cards are ready to go.
+ First hang the paper to dry, then carefully cut the cards apart with a pair of scissors.
+ Seal them in an envelope (with a kiss, of course ;-)), and send them off to your sweethearts!

My almost~two year old ^ had a blast painting his own set of cards.

It seemed to be an interesting enough activity to hold his attention, and quick enough that he was able to complete the project in one sitting (which, to be honest, is pretty rare :-)).

Even the littlest kiddos who are just old enough to dip their brush in paint are able to do this project with an adult's guidance, which is why it's a perfect technique for your children to try out to create beautiful, unique and memorable handmade Valentine Cards that your loved ones will be sure to cherish.

Go ahead.  Impress The Grandparents ;-)