It’s Screen-Free Week 2018, and today I’m sharing how to make something beautiful. Get off those screens and do some creative crafting with your kids!

When I was a kid, I loved crafting. It was a fun, exciting way for me to share my creative side that didn’t involve painting or drawing – the two art modes that eluded me the most.

I dabbled quite a bit in the creative arts: the piano was a constant companion and I scribbled through the pages of several notebooks. But there was something about making a necklace or a bracelet or fashioning a flower out of ribbon that fulfilled me.

I had created something concrete. I felt accomplished, satisfied, and proud.

Flashforward to the birth of my daughter. I assumed that, because she was a girl, she would enjoy the occasional craft project with me.

Nope.

She would draw or paint for hours, but make a bracelet or a necklace? No way, lady. She had zero interest in that.

Still, I want to create an appreciation for handicrafts. It’s excellent for fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and who knows? Maybe down the road, it might open up an opportunity to make a living. It has for a number of people I know, including my friend Jill from Pink Salt Riot. I was able to catch up with Jill recently and chat about how she turned her hobby not just into a passion, but into a successful business of love and light. 

How did you find your way to Catholic artisanship?  

The hand of God! Really it was the marriage of my talents and dire need. I found myself unable to find satisfying work but with the need to bring in income. My businesses were born!

Describe your work/life balance. How do you attend to your vocation as a wife and mother while pursuing your passion at the same time?

It’s hard for sure. I have strict nap and bedtimes so that I am able to do 90% of my job while the kids are unconscious. We will see how that goes as they get older!

What’s your philosophy on screen time? Does it have potential benefits, or is it something you try to avoid altogether?

We have a one-hour daytime limit for kids, but on sunny days we often forget about the TV altogether. I definitely think the right programs have benefits – LeapFrog taught my 3-year-old to read through phonics!

How do you share your passion with your children? What do your children think about what you do?

We love to make things together! I am definitely counting down the days until they are a bit more ready for more complex crafts!

Make Something Beautiful: Creative Crafting For Kids

While Jill is a successful artisan in her own right, she loves to share her ideas and teach others to do the same. Jill was kind enough to share this beautiful succulent craft with me and the kiddos. They are great fun and pretty easy!

Egg Carton Succulent Supplies

• Egg carton: the recycled paper kind
• Scissors
• Hot glue
• Green paint

1. Start by cutting apart your egg carton. Cut the lid away from the bottom of the carton. Jill has a variety of succulent tutorials on the Pink Salt Riot blog, and some of them use the top of the egg carton. For this project, though, you’ll only need the bottom.

2. Cut apart each of the individual egg cups. This is what you will use to make this succulent!

3. Once you have separated all the egg cups, begin preparing the individual pieces. Cut each egg cup so you have four triangles from the sides. They will be varying sizes, and that’s a good thing! Repeat with all 12 egg cups.

4. Keep ALL the pieces – this tutorial only uses the center pieces with 4 leaves. Additional tutorials show you how to use the triangles for other crafts.

5. Begin making the succulents. You will need at least 3 of the center pieces of the egg cups, but you can use more for a bigger “bloom.” Keep one whole, cut one in half, and cut all 4 leaves apart on the third one.

6. Begin assembling the succulent. Use the hot glue to glue the four single leaves into the center of the whole egg cup piece, layering the bottoms on top of each other and arranging them so that they fill in the spaces between the leaves of the main piece.

7. Once you’ve added the center leaves, hot glue the two halves to the outside to fill out the bloom. At this point, if you want a bigger bloom you can add as many half cups as you want to the outside to continue to fill it out. Make sure to distribute them evenly so the bloom looks natural.

8. Remember those triangles that you cut out of the egg cups? You’ll need a few right now! Pick out 2-3 of the triangles to finish the center of your succulent.

9. Pinch the bottom of each triangle together to make a tiny petal for the center. Use hot glue to add them to the center.

10. You’re done! Now to repeat for as many succulents as you’d like to make!

Curious to learn more about Jill and Pink Salt Riot? Check out her shop and visit her on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

If you liked this post, be sure to check out these other screen-free resources, and sign up for one of my newsletters:

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