crayons | Paper Crafts Connection

Kim Hughes

Winter break is such a wonderful time to sit down and create art with your adorable children.

Coloring books and crayons are a low-cost bundle of fun, and I’d like to show you a couple of ways to use them to their utmost potential.

Even if you don’t have school-aged children/grandchildren, you can still enjoy this timeless craft and share your little works of art with your loved ones. Color and embrace your inner child!

You can cut out images from your coloring book pages and use them as accents. Many times words are included and can be used as a sentiment.

This is a wonderful, quick gift idea. Mat your page and create a door hanger for a child’s room. Or create a “welcome sign” for someone’s front door.

Here’s some coloring book tips:

It’s best to use clear glue when adhering coloring book pages to your project (I used Ranger’s Glossy Accents). You need to be careful that the adhesive doesn’t show through since the paper is so delicately thin.
When cutting out images from coloring book pages, be careful and take your time. Most scissors will glide through the paper with so much ease that you could easily ruin your image. It’s like cutting tissue paper, so cut with caution.
There are many free coloring pages available on the web. Just do a simple search for “free coloring book pages” and you can print them out as many times as you wish. You can also print them onto patterned paper and paper piece.
You can scan a coloring book page and print it so that it won’t have the other image on the opposite side. Plus, you can print onto a heavy weight paper for easier cutting.
Frame your child’s art and give it as a gift.
Coloring Pages from Crayola is where you will find fun activities, as well as coloring pages that you can enjoy with your kids.
Use a light box and trace the image for a hand-drawn look.
Print a bunch of coloring book images, bind the pages together and give them as a gift along with some crayons and markers.

Here’s some ideas of what you can do to jazz up your coloring book images:

use paint, colored pencils, markers or crayons
add glitter
stamp a pattern on them and then cut them out
pop them up to add dimension
apply ribbon stiffener to the paper and make barrettes or magnets
add brads to the center of paper flowers

Enjoy the magic of coloring with your kids. I’m sure that it will be a rewarding experience for all of you!

Happy Holidays!

Kim Hughes,
Paper Crafts Go-to Gal

P.S. As my gift to you, I’d like to give away three of my Holiday Cards & More, Volume 4 designs to one lucky winner! Leave a comment telling me your favorite color in the crayon box. All comments must be received by midnight (MDT) on Saturday, Dec. 26.