Happy 4th of July!

I really enjoy decorating for holidays, yet I don't think I've ever decorated the house for the 4th of July.  Back when I taught year-round school, I decorated my classroom for July 4th, but never my home.  Time to change that!

The projects I used to do with my fifth graders do are far too difficult for Trevor, so I went to FamilyFun and searched through their 4th of July crafts.  I found a fun project called Fireworks Art, a take on the classic blowing-paint-through-a-straw genre.

I gathered paper, paint (red, blue, silver and gold), paint cups, eyedroppers, and straws.

To start, mix some water in with the paint until it is runny.  It took some trial and error to create the right consistency for the paint- too thick and it doesn't make a proper burst, too diluted and there's not enough color.

Use the eyedropper to put a drop of paint on the paper.  Hold the straw straight up, directly over the paint drop, and blow.  If the straw is perfectly vertical and directly over the paint, it will form a very cool fireworks shape.   

Unfortunately, Trevor could not manage to hold the straw vertically.  Even when it was lined up perfectly, he'd move it at the last second and end up with a shape that didn't really resemble fireworks.  He tried a bunch of times, but was somewhat frustrated.

I had more success, but I did flub a few.  It's not as easy as it sounds to keep the straw perfectly vertical and perfectly centered over the paint drop.  With the other paint-blowing crafts I've done, you blow the paint from the side (like creating tree branches), which is much easier. 

I mounted the finished art on blue and red cardstock and we hung them on our front door.  Instant holiday spirit!

Trevor's.

Mine.

 Happy 4th of July!