Super budget arty idea!! This one will cost you nothing!

Last week we talked about how fabulous the old humble cardboard box is – they are so versatile and sturdy – and perfect for a gazillion crafty projects. We all generally have a couple boxes lying around (except, it seems, when we are ready to move out of our house #irony)- they are a cheap ever-ready resource.  Slight problem however – they do lack colour!

One idea that ticks the ‘limited budget’ box, and the ‘colour’ box too, are collecting and using paint swatches in your art projects. Next time you are at your local hardware shop, grab a few (or a dozen) from the paint section – they are free, and have every colour there is – from Lemon Fizz to Sugar Pop.

You can use these swatches to explore the joy of colour –  have fun with tints and shades, complimentary colours, monochrome colour etc etc. A great way to also harness and perfect those scissor skills – cut up your colours into a range of shapes/ letters/ symbols, and use in your next collage project. Watch how they will make your ideas pop, and finish off your projects with a nice snap of colour.

A project we love to do with our RAW Art lessons is cutting up the swatches into geometric shapes only – squares/ rectangles/ triangles. Working on a square base card, find out the centre point by folding your card into quarters, or by measuring and marking with a ruler. Glue one shape in the centre, and work in a symmetrical fashion from there – like a mandala design. Then layer up from there with some smaller shapes. Results are fabulous – and kids will not only learn about colour – but they will be exploring pattern, symmetry, balance, contrast.

This is one of the cheapest art ideas you will ever come across!!

Give it a go with your kids – time to inject some seriously fun colour into our art!