Nature’s Paintbrushes

Whenever I mix up a new household concoction I am reminded of my Grandmother Rose. Molded during the Great Depression she abhorred waste. I recall one day being at her house when she found a twenty-five cent stamp on the floor and called everyone to the room in a panic asking to whom it belonged. I also loved the old pantyhose that hung in the bathroom to collect small pieces of left over soap. Nothing went to waste in her house. Our modern culture is so obsessed with throwing away and always having what is new. The Artful Parent recently posted about a wonderful idea for an art project with children: Nature Paintbrushes. The process of going out into the forest behind our house and finding sticks and plant material with which to make our nature brushes absolutely delighted my children. They really got into the process. It was so refreshing to be able to start a brand new project without leaving the house to pick up supplies. I even partook and enjoyed the painting; the long moss brush was my favorite. Although our brushes did not turn out as picture perfect as the ones from the Artful Parent, we still enjoyed the project just as much if not more. My grandmother would have loved this idea.