When the weather is so gorgeous out, my favorite projects are those that combine art with spending time outdoors. Whether it’s something that can be completed outdoors or something that requires found materials from outside, count me in.

Today’s project falls in the latter category. Painting sticks is a fast, simple, and fun craft… and is a unique, pretty decoration for any room.

So for painted sticks, all you’ll need are… surprise… paint and sticks! A quick trip to the backyard or local park is all you need to get started. On the other hand, some people actually collect neat-looking sticks (for many years, I saved one with a weird eye hole from a hike when I was eight years old). If you already have a good handful of sticks you’d like something to do with, now’s the time to use them! If you don’t have any, just go for a walk and grab some! Look for various lengths and widths and avoid those that are too tiny or brittle to work with.

 Photo: Ginette Lapalme

Once you’ve got your sticks, wipe off any excess dirt with a cloth or damp paper towel (you don’t have to be too thorough). Depending on the look you’re aiming for, you could even sand your sticks down with sandpaper for a smoother surface. Personally, I like the rustic aesthetic. Let your sticks be bumpy—the charm of this project lies in the imperfections.

Now it’s time to start painting! Grab some paintbrushes and acrylic paint and decorate your sticks however you like. You can make your designs as intricate or simple as you choose. You could paint the whole stick or only a part of it. Use tons of bright colors or adhere to a limited color scheme. Have fun trying ideas out.

 Photo: Scandinavian Deko

Once your beautiful new creations have dried, one great way to show them off is to display them in a vase. It’s a bright, unexpected twist where one would normally expect to see flowers. You could also simply lay them on a shelf or mount them on a canvas to hang up.

What do you like to do your painting on? Do you tend to stick to canvas and paper or do you branch out sometimes? Have you tried other natural surfaces like wood or rock?

 Photo: Uploaded by

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was visit the “duck pond” with my uncle. We’d bring a loaf of bread to this big pond by a playground and feed the ducks and watch them swim around. I was fascinated with all the ducks swimming around, from the gorgeous green-headed mallards to the brand new baby ducklings trailing their mothers. Watching them always meant that warm days were ahead, and so were many afternoons spent at the playground and duck pond.

These little pebble ducks are a perfect project for my four-year-old self and anyone ready to welcome the next batch of baby ducks and warm spring days ahead.

First, take advantage of these warm, lovely days by going for a walk to collect some pebbles or small rocks. When you get inside, give them a good scrubbing in some warm soapy water. Once they’re totally dry, you’re ready to paint! Grab some acrylic paint and create your little duckies. You can use whatever colors you like, but one classic combination is a white mama duck and yellow babies. For younger children working on this, or a just more minimalist look to your project, paint each rock a solid color so it acts as the whole body (like in the first picture). If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can draw a complete duck on each rock, as seen in the second picture. Once the paint has dried, go back in and add the face details with markers (black eyes and an orange beak).

Photo: Inner Child Fun

Photo: Babble

How cute is these little guys? And they don’t even need breadcrumbs! The ducks are truly adorable, but you can choose any animal you like! This project is extremely versatile and just waiting for your creativity to take over!

Do you have any childhood memories that automatically remind you of spring? Other than ducks, what animals would you try with this project?

Today I was looking out the window at the beautiful trees and the leaves changing color and somehow started thinking about making a “family tree.”

Fall Family Tree

This craft is so easy to make, a great way to bond with the family, and is cute to have around the house as fall decor!

To make, simply go out with your little ones and explore nature! Ask your kids to find various sizes and different types of leaves. The freshly fallen, flatter leaves work best! Also find a fallen branch with no leaves on it (or remove the leaves). I used a branch about 2 feet tall that had various sprigs coming off of it.

Once you have gathered your supplies from outdoors, it’s time to make some leaf rubbings! To do this you will need several pieces of white paper, crayons (with the labels removed) and scissors.

Lay the leaves face down on a piece of paper on a table or hard surface.

Cover with another piece of paper. Rub across the paper covering the leaf by holding the crayon sideways.

You can make your leaf rubbings more colorful (giving it more texture) by rubbing over the same leaf twice using two different colors.

Make several different leaves making sure to have at least enough for the members of your family and a few extra for decoration. Cut out the leaves.

Write down the names of the members of your family; one name per leaf.

Tape the leaves onto the branch.

Place in a vase and display for your family and visitors!