Materials
- Small, adult-size sweatshirts, one for each child
- several pieces of sturdy cardboard
- fabric paints
- sponges and small paintbrushes
- fabric scissors
- fabric glue
What to do
1. Ask each child to bring in a small, adult-size sweatshirt.
2. Insert a piece of sturdy cardboard inside the shirts.
3. Encourage the children to use fabric paints, sponges, and brushes to make designs on the front of the shirt. Make sure the children include their name somewhere on the shirt.
4. If the children want to put handprints on their shirts, offer assistance as needed.
5. Let the shirts dry and remove the cardboard.
6. Use fabric scissors to cut the back of the shirt in half (adult only). This creates an opening in the back. Also, cut off the sleeves of the shirt.
7. Cut two 6" fabric strips from the leftover sleeves. Attach one strip to each side of the back opening using fabric glue. These become the tie to keep the apron on the child.
8. Let the children use their own art aprons when they are painting at the easel or at the tables. They can also use these wonderful creations for any messy activity. The fabric paints are washable, so cleanup is as simple as throwing the shirts into the washing machine.
-Virbinia Jean Herrod, Columbia, SC
