F is for first day of school, feathers and fun! Before your little one leaves the nest, decorate a picture frame together to hold a special photo taken of your child on the first day of school.
What You’ll Need:
- feathers (use craft feathers or make your own from fabric or paper)
- a clean, round lid from a jar or other container (either plastic or metal)
- paper, pencil, and scissors
- glue
- a magnet (adhesive-backed magnet optional)
- a photograph of your child from his or her first day of school
Directions:
The many fabulously feathered creatures created by Dr. Seuss are great inspiration for this craft. Before you get started, read together and take a look at the Fiffer-feffer-feff in Dr. Seuss’s ABC or the Beft in Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!.
Explain to your child that together you will transform a lid into a picture frame! First, make a template by tracing your lid on a piece of paper. You’ll use this template later to cut out your child’s photograph so it will fit inside the lid.
Then let imaginations and feathers fly! Have your child come up with a design to decorate the outer edge of the lid using feathers. You might ask your child to imagine his or her head is the lid and to think about what kind of plumage best suits his or her face. Or suggest making a feathery pattern using your child’s school colors. Work together to glue the feathers in place. Attach or glue the magnet to the outside of the lid jar. Let everything dry thoroughly.
Cut out the template you made earlier. Lay the template on the front of a photo of your child’s face, centering it to fit your lid. Trace around the template and cut out the picture. If the lid is very deep, you may want to also cut a piece of cardboard or Styrofoam to back the photo before fitting it into the lid and gluing it in place.
Hang the magnet on your refrigerator or some other prominent place so that family and friends can admire your child’s creative work!