Give a "Bouquet" That Lasts For Years!

Thinking of Mother’s Day? Of course, for many of us this holiday means bouquets of fragrant flowers. Here’s a bouquet that your child can give to Mom that will last years and years: a special, rainbow-colored bunch of flowers painted onto a plain kitchen apron. This activity works fine for one child, but is even better when the whole family joins in. With a little help, even very small children will enjoy it, and the activity will help them boost those crucial hand-eye coordination skills in the process!

You Will Need:

• Plain canvas barbecue apron (available at most craft stores) in white or in a color that Mom especially loves
• Small jars of acrylic fabric paint in rainbow colors, including leaf green
• Fabric marking pen in a color that shows up on your apron
• Paint brushes

What to Do:

1. Start by setting up a work surface in an area fairly close to a sink, and not near any fine linen that you can’t bear to part with.  All ingredients are non-toxic, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be making a mess during this project!
2. To make this apron, you and your child will use rainbow-colored thumbprints to make a “bouquet” design. To get started, have your child pick one color for the centers of your flowers. Gently paint one thumb (a grown-up thumb works best for this part), and make 7-8 flower “centers” on the top bib of the apron, spaced at least 2” apart to leave room for thumbprint “petals.”
3. Have your child make a “thumbs up” sign with her dominant hand, and then gently paint a color of her choosing onto her thumbtip. Help her press 5-6 thumbprints around one center, “re-loading” with paint as she goes, to create a flower. 
4. Have her repeat the process with different colors to create a full “thumbprint” bouquet. Even better, invite the whole family to help. Years later, it’s always fun to remember whose thumbs did what!
5. Beneath your flowers, use a pencil to trace a set of curved stem lines and a little flowerpot onto the front “bib” of the apron, and then set your child to work, to paint them on following the traced lines. 
6. Finally, use your pencil to write the words “Thanks, Mom!”  or "We Love You, Mom!" with the number of this year, beneath your flowers.  Again, your child can trace the letters with a paintbrush.
7. When you’re done painting, be sure to put your apron on a clean, flat surface so that it can dry undisturbed.  When it is completely dry, invite your young artists to use the fabric marking pens to sign their work. You can be sure that Mom will wear their love and appreciation and artistic prowess with pride, for many years to come!