Have you ever dreamed of being able to breath under water? What little adventurer hasn't? I still wish I could explore the depths of the ocean to find my own treasure and make my own sea animal friends... I guess creating your own characters is as close as you're gonna get! That's fine with me because I love the way these guys turned out... Take a closer look in the shop!

Make all three of these toilet tube characters and perform a little summer time scenario in the sun! Hang streamers of tissue paper and string them together to create a little banner, see my example below. Also, download my FREE mermaid tube craft printable in the printables section of The Art Dream.

These characters make great little wind socks, perfect for hanging together as a banner or individually. Could you picture a ton of these hanging from the classroom ceiling to create an "under the sea" theme in your classroom? I sure can!

Download these toilet tube characters now in the shop!
​
​I've always been a big fan of fairytales especially some of the old original stories by Hans Christian Anderson, have you ever read one of them? They are very dark and twisted, very different from the Disney adaptations. The original stories didn't often end happily, they concluded with death and despair actually. When fairytales were changed for movies, their stories became more appropriate for children, although some dark issues remained the overall themes were made more light and happy. Whichever you prefer these stories are timeless but what do they teach our children?

I do think that it's important for our children to believe in "happy endings" after all, it's a parent's dream to have healthy, successful children. Happy endings in the modern sense that our children go to school, become educated, follow their dreams and live fulfilled lives. I know that having all of these things isn't always the case which is why the obstacles that the characters face is the important message not so much what happens in the end.

​ There's often a ton of problems characters in fairytales encounter and this is the important part that should be emphasized. Hate, fear, betrayal, loss, the coming of age and discovering yourself are the challenges a storybook character must overcome and it's here that the teaching and learning take place. Overcoming fears and taking a chance, working towards a "happy ending" is the goal and it's only when we mourn our losses, learn to forgive and conquer the beast that we find our happiness. No it's not about a princess in distress, no there isn't going to be a Prince to save her, these are metaphors and we can all replace these images with our own personal life trials.

So next time you read a fairytale remember to point out all of the situations that lead up to the "happy ending", persistence, bravery, kindness, respect, the power of love and friendship are all important qualities that have to be taught in order to reach the "happily ever after".

I believe that learning about these techniques sharpens our conceptual skills strengthening our abilities to visualize and construct complex problems and then executing them in the flesh. Problem solving is such an important skill to have, it's the foundation for decision making, hypothesizing and forming new ideas.

My students had made sculptures inspired by Oaxacan animal sculptures, felt foods and monsters, quilling illustrations and a lot more. Our awesome veteran art teacher Mr. Anderson did a whole ton of work with the kids, Picasso inspired self portraits, marbling with silhouettes, Naguchi inspired sculptures and so much more. Our art program is truly one of the best I've ever seen and I am so happy to have been a part of it this year.

It was so wonderful to see the amount of people who attended also, it's nice to know that the community cares about what their children are doing in school, and it's so good to know that people appreciate the hard work and dedication from the students and staff. As an artist I am deeply proud of my artwork and my goal is to give the students that same sense of accomplishment with their own work. It's sometimes a very difficult thing to achieve but I'll continue to inspire and encourage my students as best I can.

This group of laughing trees are great for background and setting, projects like this really add to the atmosphere of imaginary play. I always felt that the setting is just as important as the main characters in a story. The setting helps us to visualize the world the characters live in. Environments could play huge roles in obstacles our heroes face such as mountains, oceans, and forests to get lost in.

These trees are just a classic part of any fairytale and they pair nicely with my castle printable. Together they set the stage for a fantastic display and a whole ton of fun. Take a look at the gallery below of the trees with my castle craft.

These tree printables would also be great for constructing project displays or dioramas. Kid's projects could be made much simpler with standing printables that could be moved around or simply glued down. They would also be great on a mantle for a mini display at a themed birthday party!

My nephew even used them to embellish the setting around his train tracks, they looked fantastic around the station playset and placed all throughout the tracks.

Visit the shop and be sure to share your art making experience.

I just love the under the sea theme, don't you? It really personifies the summer season. I live on Long Island, the sea and beaches are what people here love the most. The island draws in visitors from all over to visit our beaches and enjoy the wildlife. The Atlantic surrounds us and only our wildest imaginations can take us on a journey to see what's down there in that vast ocean!

This whale craft project is great for kids looking to explore the wonders of the great sea. I used some pretty basic materials and a dessert cup I found in Target. You can find some pretty neat things in that dollar spot these days.

Visit hellowonderful.co for the full tutorial on how I made these two creatures.

Let me know how your whale making experience goes in the comments section.

I've added some more mythical creatures to the shop! Like the unicorn head, I've created a dragon head. There's so much inspiration these days for creatures like this such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and countless children's stories and shows. It's great to incarnate these characters in the flesh for some serious creative play. Craft a dragon head with your little believer, all you need is some colored tissue paper and maybe some small figurines for this dragon to annihilate everything around him!

Find this and many more printable crafts in the shop at The Art Dream!

I would love to hear about all the crafting fun you're having so be sure to tell me in the comments section!

Paper toys are such a clever way to play these days, kids and adults can experience the joy and excitement of creating their own projects that bring hours of fun. I'm pretty proud when I'm all done putting my creations together and you will be too when you're all done. There's a sense of accomplishment and feeling of success after completing an art project. Even something small as a paper tube project can make a big impact on your confidence. I am pretty stoked to share this village of 4 fairy houses, together they look great and multiply the level of play time, such a fun time!!! Find them in the shop for an instant download!

I've even given these houses names, pictured above from left to right is Posy Inn, Mushroom Hut, Vine Cottage and Mushroom Coop. They all have lots of details like bug friends, windows, flower roofs and chimneys! I've even designed special doorways and dormers for the roofs, these details add a great deal of excitement in my opinion.

I even happened to find these mini plastic fairy figurines in the Target dollar spot, I couldn't believe how perfect these were for hiding inside of the tubes! You could even paint these little figures for an extra art making experience. I would recommend a multi purpose paint for that, a paint that works on materials like glass and plastic, including wood and more common materials like paper.

Pictured above is the fairy house village with my tissue paper spring flowers, I think it all looks great together! Remember to add your own touches to this village. Fairy houses are pretty popular right now and there are many ways to approach this idea, whatever you choose, know that homemade projects like this are so much more special than the toys you buy in the store.

Find the fairy house village in the shop, and be sure to share your fairy house making fun!

Just added this charming little paper toilet tube castle to the shop! I had so much fun designing this castle, I think it came out so perfect. It really is a magical experience designing these toilet tube creations, they really do make me happy and it's so exciting to see the final product come to life. Download this DIY castle and bring the magic to your crafting table right away!

After you've made your castle, try adding your own special details. Maybe some foam stickers, glitter or sparkling gems. Add your initials to the banner on the center castle tower also!

Visit the shop to see more photos and how I've arranged the towers and wall in different ways to form a new look!

I just added this fun little space rocket toilet tube craft printable, take a look in the shop!

Wouldn't this be great for kids who are getting into the idea of learning about space? When I was finished putting mine together I was flying it around the house and making "rocket blast off" noises haha, I'm such a kid!

All you need is a toilet tube and some glue or I find a stapler to work even better! And of course the printable found in the shop!

Directions:

1. Cut out all of your pieces with a scissor of craft knife.
2. Wrap the body of the rocket around a tube and secure with glue or a stapler.
3. Score the wings and the tabs, fold them in and glue one tab on top of the other.
4. Round the blasters and use the tabs as a guide to overlap and glue together.
5. Glue them to the inside of the tube, you could even use hot glue for a speedier process.
6. Glue the wings to the sides of the tube.
7. Round the cone, overlap so that one color completely covers the other and secure.
8. Put some glue on the rim of the toilet tube and rest the cone inside.
9. Allow to dry and enjoy!