Twig Frame: A Natural Art Project for Kids

Marion Abrams and Hilary Emerson Lay

Head outside to collect some twigs, then turn them into a rustic frame for your artwork with this simple kids’ craft project.

Nature has been an inspiration to artists ever since people began making art. You can make some fantastic art using objects found right in your backyard — like twigs that you can glue together to make a picture frame.

Photo © Andrew Greto Photography, excerpted from *Art Sparks*

It’s fun to walk outside and find things from nature that inspire you. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you do:

Take your time and look around so you don’t miss anything.

Be respectful of rules and of other living creatures. Make sure you have permission to take things if you are in someone else’s yard or a public space. Try not to disturb (and definitely don’t take) anything that seems like an animal relies on it or lives in it — like an active bird’s nest or a chrysalis.

Clean off what you find, if necessary, before you turn it into art.

Twig Frame

Use this rustic frame for any small drawing or painting you make. Sticks for this project can be smooth or bumpy.

What You’ll Need

Paintbrush
Piece of cardboard the size of the drawing you’re framing
White glue
Drawing to frame
4 sticks
Low-temperature hot glue gun
Piece of twine or string

Step 1. Use the paintbrush to cover the cardboard in white glue. Press your drawing onto the cardboard and set it aside to dry.

Step 2. Have a grown-up cut the sticks so that they match the four sides of your drawing.

Step 3. Use the hot glue gun to glue the sticks around the edges of your drawing and to attach the two ends of the twine to the back of the frame, near the top.

Art Sparks

by Marion Abrams

by Hilary Emerson Lay

Every kid can be an artist with this book as their guide! Using basic art supplies — from paint, markers, paper, and glue to household finds like cardboard boxes and fabric scraps — children aged 6 and up learn that as long as they can imagine it, they can create it. Curated by two art educators with decades of experience, this rich collection of 53 arts and crafts activities offers up a ton of freeform fun, from Doodlemonsters and Painted Animal Rocks to Paper Bead Jewelry and Nature Weaving. Projects vary in difficulty so there’s something for a wide range of ages and abilities, and many can be completed in under an hour. Each project featured in the book has been kid-made (and kid-approved!), and colorful photos of the finished pieces will ignite a creative spark that inspires budding makers to express their imagination, humor, and individuality through art.

$16.95

$22.95 CAD

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Marion Abrams

About the Author

Marion Abrams founded the Summer Art Barn in Hatfield, Massachusetts, in 1989. She has a BFA in art education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has taught art in a variety of public and private schools for over 45 years. Abrams teaches art workshops at local libraries and schools, and volunteers at senior centers and the local food bank. Learn more about her and the Summer Art Barn at http://www.summerartbarn.com.

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Hilary Emerson Lay

About the Author

Hilary Emerson Lay has a BFA from Emerson College in writing, literature, and publishing, with a concentration in children’s writing and illustration. Lay managed The Spirit of ’76 Bookstore in Marblehead, Massachusetts for ten years. She is a working artist, the founder of Bubo Arts Collective, and the assistant director of the Summer Art Barn. Her artwork can be found online at http://www.hilaryemersonlay.com.

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