One of the things I LOVE best about childhood is the ability kids have for embracing individuality and having fun. The Youngest Diva gravitates towards bright colors, sparkles, jewels, ruffles, etc. She can put together an outfit that would make your eyes hurt and not only pull it off but bring it to life with her confidence. I truly love this about her and I hope it is something that she carries with her forever. Christie from Childhood 101 is one of those mama's that not only embraces that spirit of childhood but celebrates it. Today, she is here to share a fun DIY Craft for Kids - Decorating Your Own Tennis Shoes. This is the kind of activity that I know the Youngest Diva would be really excited about.
Here's Christie......
My five year old daughter has been eying a pair of brightly coloured sneakers at a local shoe store for a while now. Unfortunately, each time we have inquired, her size has been unavailable. To say she was excited when I suggested she could design and decorate her very own pair would be an understatement!
This project was a lot of fun and took a number of sessions over the course of about a week to complete. Now that they're done, I can't get her to take them off!
You will need:
- A pair of white canvas tennis shoes
- A set of fabric markers - we used Crayola's Bright Fabric Markers
- Small, decorative costume jewels (optional)
- Hot glue gun (optional)
1. Remove the shoe laces and adorn the shoes with your very own designs using the fabric markers. 2. Follow the manufacturer's directions to heat set the design. Our markers required putting the shoes in the tumble dryer for 30 minutes.
3. Glue jewels into place with hot glue. 4. Re-thread the shoe laces and you are good to go!
Do you know a young person who would enjoy designing and decorating their very own sneakers?
Christie Burnett is a qualified early childhood teacher and mum of two very busy, little girls who shares her parenting adventures and passion for play and early childhood education on her award winning blog, childhood101.com. Her first book Time to Create: Hands-On Explorations in Process Art for Young Children is now available internationally through all major online booksellers, including The Book Depository, Amazon and Fishpond.
