This fall I had the chance to take part in a really neat project: an advent calendar auction that serves as a fundraiser for children’s charity Great Ormond Street Hospital. This DIY art kit is my contribution to the auction and I thought I’d share it here in case you need an easy DIY gift idea this Christmas!
I was sent a small wooden box {just 7 centimeters square} and asked to decorate it and enclose something fun inside. This month the box will be auctioned off on eBay, along with other similar boxes that have been decorated by other bloggers, artists, and creative people. The goal of the auction is to raise £1500, enough to buy a portable heart monitor for the hospital. Isn’t that awesome? I couldn’t resist taking part in such a great cause!
I decided a mini art kit would make a fun and unique project. I randomly watercolored the top of the box and added the word “create” in bright yellow vinyl. If you’re making something similar as a gift, you could use a name or a monogram on the top of the box instead.
Because the box is so tiny, it was nearly impossible to find a small enough paint kit to attach to the inside. Instead, I popped watercolors out of a paint kit and hot glued them into the top of the box. Because they’re concave, they can be used without color getting everywhere, the same way they would be used in a paint kit.
I added a few tiny two-inch canvases to the bottom of the box, along with a small paintbrush.
It’s such a simple idea but I love the way it turned out. I’m thinking about making a few more as little gifts.
If you’d like to see other boxes and participate in the auction, be sure to follow the hashtag #PHWinterWorkshop on social media!
For more fun kit ideas for kids, be sure to check out this idea for a DIY fort building kit with items from the dollar store …
… and a first aid kit for dolls that encourages imaginative play.
Leave a Reply