{Celebrate} Easy Handpainted Wrapping Paper

Independence Building Boredom Busters

In our house there are a few “bad” words that the kids are absolutely and completely forbidden to say, like “I hate,” “I can’t,” and “I’m bored.” But that doesn’t mean they don’t ever say say it - in other creative ways - or feel that way when we don’t have scheduled activities. How do […]

{Review} Amazon Prime Now

The joke around here is that our house could double as a shipping facility with all the packages continuously coming in and going out. But after heading back to work full-time, the freedom to shop in person just isn’t a luxury I enjoy anymore, so I am completely unapologetic about my dependency on online shopping and […]

Glue Resist Batik T-Shirts

If you thought DIY Batik Shirts were difficult to make - like I did before we tried this new activity - you are so wrong! Making Glue Resist Batik T-Shirts is actually super easy, super fun, and super cheap, especially if you already have glue and painting supplies handy. This is the perfect weekend activity you can […]

DIY Memory Box Display

We just returned from one of our summer vacations and oh how much we will miss the good times together. To capture our memories, one of the things we do is a bedtime ritual called, “Review the Holiday,” where we recount the highlights of our vacation. A hands-on way to cement our happy memories is with […]

Easy Homemade Play Town

Glitter, upcycling, and independent play: these are a few of my favorite things. When we received a box brimming with Glitter Glue, Painters Markers, School Glue and Glue Sticks from Elmer’s last weekend, I knew EXACTLY what we would do - get our craft on and create a homemade play town with items straight from […]

Top Ten Tips For Disneyland With Preschoolers

After our maiden voyage to Disneyland was such a magical success, we can’t wait to visit again. Short and sweet, here are our Top Ten Tips for Disneyland With Preschoolers. Don’t forget to check out our detailed post on Planning for Disneyland with Preschoolers, with tips on when to visit the park, what attractions not to […]

Planning for Disneyland with Preschoolers

Disneyland is truly the happiest place on Earth. I hadn’t visited the park since 1987, so I was excited to take the kids (4 and 5 years old) on their maiden voyage, but I had no idea how absolutely magical the experience would be. Watching the children’s hearts nearly explode with joy was the best part […]

Easy Kitchen Math: Counting By Tens

Keeping the kids occupied (meaning, not putting them in front of the TV and making sure they’re safe and not killing one another) while we prep dinner is sometimes challenging for us. A fun way to turn what can be a difficult time into an opportunity for learning is this simple Counting by Tens math […]

February 23, 2011 in All Posts, Celebrate, Play, Toddler Activities

Jane loves to paint, so we decided to create a specially designed, one-of-a-kind art piece for Hubby’s birthday wrapping paper. This is just as easy as the simplest homemade wrapping paper we made for my Valentine’s Day present to myself, but a little messier. And, the results are a lot splashier!

First, we headed to the easel and painted over our existing crayon drawings.

Then, we set Jane’s painting aside to dry.

Another masterpiece

Finally, we wrapped Hubby’s present and voila:

A gift beautifully wrapped in vibrant Matisse-like handpainted paper! Hubby kept the paper instead of throwing it out, so I know we had a hit.

We also made Hubby this handmade card and cardholder from specialty cardstock:

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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.