Nautical Art Projects for Kids
Planning fun arts and crafts projects is a great way to entertain children without resorting to television or video games. Allowing kids to use their hands and art supplies to create is a relatively inexpensive and easy way to keep them mentally and socially engaged while having a wonderful time together. Beach and nautical theme projects are easy and fun ones that many kids would enjoy, and they don't require a lot of fancy supplies.
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Sailboats
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For this project, you'll need card stock or heavy construction paper, toothpicks, fabric scraps, glue and other odds and ends. You can outline a sailboat or ship on the paper and have the kids cut out fabric in the shape of sails. Brown corduroy would be good for the hull of a ship, or you can use Popsicle sticks to form the shape of a boat. Use toothpicks for masts and rigging and yarn for ropes. Add cotton balls for "clouds" in the sky and shiny blue fabric for the ocean. Make fish out of colored paper clips.
Nautical Lamp Shades
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If you are redecorating a bedroom with a nautical theme or have plain navy blue lampshades that need some pizazz, allow the kids to decorate them by gluing on items such as nautical themed buttons. Craft stores that sell doll house miniatures may also carry tiny beach or nautical themed items that would work. You can find pewter pendants to hang from thin ribbon glued to the lamp shades. This is a fun way to put an art project on permanent display.
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Nautical T-Shirt Applique
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A useful and fun nautical art project is an applique T-shirt. You'll need a plain T-shirt, an applique template or clip art download, fabric, fusible web, an iron and scissors. Print out the clip art or template the size you want for the shirt. Simply cut out the fabric and fusible web, attach, iron together, then iron the design onto the shirt. Use ribbons, buttons, bows and other embellishments to your taste.
Compass and Constellations
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In times gone by, sailors used a compass and the stars to determine their position. You can make a compass with a sewing needle, a small bar magnet, a piece of cork and a small glass of water with instructions from the MadSci Network website. You can download free star and constellation charts, then use silver and gold glitter to trace the stars and constellations. You can also trace the constellations onto dark fabric.
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