[.uk] Making Crafts from Your Kids' Art (ISBN 1579906737)

Fun and functional ways to display your kids artwork:
Like me, you probably have overflowing boxes of artwork that your kids have proudly brought home from school that you can't bear to throw away. Valerie Van Arsdale Schrader to the rescue with her book MAKING CRAFTS FROM YOUR KIDS ART. From easy to difficult, there is something here for everyone of every crafting level to try. The directions are step-by-step with accompanying photos to show you the original child's art as compared to the finished display product. Some of the projects included are: cup & saucer printed with artwork, a magnetic message board, postcards, a canvas bag print, wrapping paper, tin frame, silk pillow, and even floor throws and wainscoting! Be forewarned that for many of the more involved projects you will need computer access, drills, heavy-duty cutting equipment like hacksaws, and for one, even an electric glass grinder! Fortunately, most of the cuter projects only require photocopies and transfer paper to work.

Useful ideas for recycling art:
Like most mothers I have art put away that is gradually fading / disintegrating and this book provides ideas of ways to reuse the motifs from the art in more permanent ways. To be honest, as the previous reviewer said, some of the projects do require a lot of tools etc (and more time and space to make than I currently have), but the less complex projects are wonderful. It also has a useful section at the beginning about ways to display art a couple of which we are now looking at using at our pre-school. I bought this book after borrowing and reborrowing our library's copy. I know I will use many of the simpler ideas out of it both for us and for presents for the extended family (love me, love my kids' art *g*).