THE CURATED TEE

The Curated Tee is a t-shirt subscription company for young children. We make limited edition tees designed by a different artist each month. We use our blog to share ideas + activities for kids that have been inspired by each month's shirt design.

[thecuratedtee]

DIY MAGIC WAND WITH STICKS + STRING      

Atlas loves sticks (he always has one in hand outside) and he loves the idea of magic wands. So we decided to combine this love and turn one of his sticks into a beautiful (and of course, pink) magic wand. It's incredibly simple, very beautiful and takes no time at all.

Find your perfect magic wand stick. Make sure the ends are cut and sanded to help deter pokes and splinters.

Using embroidery thread (what we used) or yarn, choose your colors and set aside with scissors.

Starting at one end of the stick, tie one end of the string to it and then wrap the string around and around - we chose not to leave a gap, but there isn’t a wrong or right way to do it. I had Atlas help by either holding the string as I turned the stick to wrap the thread, or visa versa. Older children could do this solo.

When you have finished with a thread color, wrap the string back up the stick to where you started and tie the ends off together. This will help to keep it tight.

Continue with your other string colors until you are all done. You could overlap the threads to make patterns, and even add beads/buttons/bells to the thread as you go along.

Voila! You are done and ready to make magic. :)

[thecuratedtee]

MAKE A ‘FOREST TREASURES’ MUSHROOM ORNAMENT     

This month Curated Tee subscribers once again found a little bag of craft supplies in their tee boxes, to be used for 
a DIY activity to make a mushroom ornament inspired by December’s tee ‘Forest Treasures’! The good news is that you don’t have to be a subscriber to make one. :) Atlas and I created one today using white card stock as our base (it turned out to be an XL ornament, but you can make it any size) and then felt and buttons as our craft supplies of choice.

For this activity you’ll need to gather:

card stock

scissors + markers

craft glue + tape

piece of cardboard (an empty cereal box works well)

craft supplies you’d like to use like glitter, pom-poms etc

Once you have your supplies ready:

Use the mushrooms from December’s design ‘Forest Treasures’ as the inspiration for your ornament. Draw your mushroom directly onto your card stock.

Cut around your mushroom - this is the base of your ornament.

Decorate your mushroom by gluing on buttons, felt pieces, and any other craft supplies you have gathered.

When dry, glue your mushroom to your cardboard to give it some rigidity. You can also attach your ribbon loop at this point, sandwich the ends between the two layers with tape/glue.

Cut around the cardboard so it’s the shape of your mushroom.

If you didn’t add your ribbon earlier, tape it into a loop shape on the back of your mushroom. It’s now ready to hang! :)

Snap pics of your Curated Kid with their mushroom ornament and send them our way or share them on Instagram. We’d love to see!

[thecuratedtee]

PAPER LUNCH BAG MONSTER PUPPETS      

This month Curated Tee subscribers found a little bag of craft supplies in their tee boxes, to be used for 
a DIY activity to turn their Curated Lunch Bag into a monster
 puppet! The good news is that you don’t have to be a subscriber to make one.

Here’s what you’ll need to gather:

a brown paper lunch bag (if you aren’t a subscriber)

scissors

glue

tape

markers

collage supplies (different types of paper, foam shapes, feathers, pipe cleaners, etc)

any other craft supply you might like to use

Once you have your supplies ready:

Lay your bag on your work surface so the printed side is face down and the bag opening is towards you - this is where your hand goes in. If you are using your own paper lunch bag, the side with the join should be face down.

The fold at the closed end of the bag will be your monster’s mouth.

Let your Curated Kid’s imagination take over and have them create and decorate their monster however they would like.

Don’t forget to flip the bag over and decorate your monster’s back (i.e. the side with the printed words if you are using your Curated Lunch Bag).

Snap pics of your Curated Kid with their monster puppet, and send them our way or share them on Instagram (#curatedkids). We’d love to see!

[thecuratedtee]

PAINT + CRAFT YOUR OWN ‘SCARY MONSTER’      

This month we’re all about monster art, in conjunction with October’s Curated Tee ‘Scary Monster’. Atlas and I decided to try our hand at making our own version of a monster using (what I call) a butterfly print as the body and drawing + collage for the details. Here’s how we did it:

What we used:

large piece of art paper

tempera paint

markers

stampers + ink pads

Do-A-Dot markers

stickers

craft glue

collage supplies

Here’s how we made it:

Start by folding your large piece of art paper in half horizontally, then open it back up and lay it flat on the floor in front of you (you could also work at a table, but we chose the floor so Atlas was able to work on all sides of his paper easily)

Squeeze small amounts of paint onto one side of the paper (too much and the paint will ooze out the sides when squished)

Fold the side without paint on top of the painted side and gently rub the paint all around using the palm of your hand and fingers

Open up and *voila* you have your monster's body.

Allow to dry and then it's time to add detail.

For the detail we started by drawing the monster's eyes, nose and mouth with black marker. Along with their arms and legs too. This gives it some dimension and is a useful guide when adding more details. For really young children you can allow them to add their own 'scribble' style marks, or together talk about where the monster's eyes, nose, mouth etc are on his body and you can draw them in for your child.

Next we used stampers and a red ink pad to add detail to the monster (I specifically chose warm colored paint and art/craft supplies for this activity).

Do-A-Dot Markers came next.

Then eye stickers.

And finally glue and collage materials (my favorite was the scrunched up pieces of tissue paper which he called freckles).

For all of these steps I allowed Atlas to take the lead and add color and detail where he liked. I talked through what he was doing with him, and asked questions about what his monster looked like etc to help scaffold and keep him focused. By working on the floor he was able to work around and on top of his monster, which for him as a kinesthetic learner, was a great way to feel more connected with what he was making. We also turned the paper all different directions which gave him different perspectives of his monster in creation. Once proudly finished I asked Atlas to tell me about his monster, asking open-ended questions to help encourage detail. This is what he told me (and what I have written on the back of the artwork, along with the date, so I will always remember). "My monster is a boy called Scary Monster. He is 1-7-20 (years old) and likes bunny crackers and fruit, to chomp it all up. He likes to play cars and trucks, and sing Baa Baa Black Sheep. He's not really the scary monster, (who is?) I am.... ROAR!"

[thecuratedtee]

PAINTING WITH CARS + TRUCKS      

I love creating art and I would love Atlas to share this passion, however his current love is trucks and cars and things that go. It can be hard to persuade him to stop playing to come and paint and draw, so I have to be creative and find ways for him to combine his love with mine. Cue car and truck painting. It’s so simple (and *warning* messy!).

Pour some paint onto a plate or into a Tupperware (remember whatever colors you choose will mix and form new ones)

Choose your vehicles (we use a variety of old ones I purchased at a thrift store for this purpose)

Tape down a large sheet of paper (try to use art paper or poster board for this, thin paper will rip quickly)

Drive your vehicles wheels through the paint and then make tracks all over your paper.

In our household this inevitably leads to hands being painted and lots of messy fun. I love this though, as it takes the art activity in whole new directions. Atlas loved to use his hand prints as puddles for the cars to drive through, or as obstacles to zoom around. He also loved to paint the cars, which turned into a discussion and exploration into camouflage.

Clean up is as simple as putting the painted cars and trucks into a big Tupperware and popping them and your Curated Kid in the shower/tub. This extends the play that much longer as your little one can enjoy the colored water the painted vehicles make. Add some bubbles and a wash cloth and you have an impromptu car wash happening.

[thecuratedtee]

DIY LIGHT TABLE      

I will never tire of the beauty of a light table, especially on a gloomy dark day. My husband made ours for Atlas (which also converts to a train + coffee/craft table) but it's really simple to make one using rope/fairy lights and a plastic tote box.

Line the inside of the tote lid with white tissue paper to diffuse the light.

Pop the lights inside the tote and put the lid back on - cord dangling out and closed as best as you can.

Turn the lights on and play!

[thecuratedtee]

A CURATED TIP: SHOWER PAINTING     

When Atlas paints he starts on the paper but always ends up deviating to the wall or himself - it's just more fun to paint the surfaces you're not really suppose to paint. Of course, part of my responsibility as a mum is to teach him what's right and wrong, but sometimes in life you just have to make a mess! On these days we set up shop in the shower. I tape his paper to the shower wall, strip him down and set up his paints and brushes on the floor. Then I let him go to town - he can paint his paper, the walls, the floors, himself, whatever he likes in that little space (note - I do remove the things that I don't want painted). He LOVES it and his usual short attention span for painting can be stretched for almost an hour! When he's all done, I remove his paper and we turn the shower on - he loves the magic and fun of watching the paint and water mix and the painting with this new watercolor. At the end of it all he might be a little paint-stained, the shower will definitely need a wipe down, but it's a contained and happy mess!

[thecuratedtee]

POCKET TREASURES       I love pocket treasures! The little things children find while playing and exploring, which they find important and special enough to pick up and put in their pockets. It's always so exciting at the end of the day when you turn out pockets to see what they have collected. I've often wondered how best to document these treasures - I've made notes, snapped pics, but never managed to keep them all in one place (and for the most part I don't want to hold onto the actual 'treasures' themselves). Then it hit me - why not create an Instagram page dedicated to them. This way I can snap a pic, write a little note about when/where they were found and any little things to remember about them, and eventually print 'Pocket Treasure' Chatbooks - beautiful and functional. It's on my to-do list for the weekend and I can't wait to get started! Atlas loves to collect rocks, flowers, and other little items when we head outside and is always so disappointed when he is wearing clothes without pockets (or often when he is wearing no clothes at all). Enter Oma + Jo and their 'Adventure Belt'. It's a little leather pouch looped onto a little leather belt, and since receiving it Atlas has worn it everyday and does not like to take it off - even when it's bulging full or treasure and he has to nap. It's also the perfect place for his COMMONFOLK 'Tiny Bear' to live. This special little friend can usually be found in his pocket, but now lives inside his little 'Adventure Belt'. He loves being able to take his little buddy on all his adventures!

[thecuratedtee]

SIMPLE DIY FATHER’S DAY CARD     

Father’s day is just around the corner and we have a simple DIY card for you to make with your Curated lunch bag (or any brown paper lunch bag). It’s quick to make, uses basic art materials, and is a craft that even the littlest Curated Kid can be involved with. Here’s what you need to do:

Gather your materials - your Curated lunch bag, paint and brushes (we put our paint on a plate and taped our bag to cardboard to keep the table clean and to stop it from slipping).

Place your lunch bag words side up and paint to your hearts content. Let your little one choose the colors, but keep in mind ones that mix well so it doesn’t end up brown. Naturally my little Atlas ended up being more interested in using his hands to paint than brushes! ;)

Let dry and then fold your bag in half horizontally - the opening of the paper bag should be on the back cover of the card.

Open the card up, and glue down the fold on the inside of the front cover (which is actually the bottom of the bag).

Trace or freehand a star on this same side (the back of the front cover) and cut out with scissors. It doesn’t need to perfect - handmade cards are their most endearing when a little rough around the edges.

Print a photo of ‘dad’ to fit the front cover (around a 4″ square) and glue or tape down (I used a little double sided tape to set in place and then fastened with washi tape).

Write or print/glue a little saying into the inside of the back cover (we went with ‘we shine together like the moon & stars).

Finish off with a little handwritten note  and make sure to have your Curated Kid (no matter what age) sign their name.

Slip photos, gift cards, stories, drawings, treats, and anything else you can squeeze inside the opening in the back cover - it’s a little secret pocket!

Pop in an envelope and surprise dad on Sunday 06/21 with the best card he’s ever received!

[thecuratedtee]

A CURATED TIP: MESS FREE-(ISH) ART WITH KIDS     

Love the idea of sitting down and making art with your Curated Kid? Terrified of staining that gorgeous pre-kid purchased table? You're not alone, and boy do we have the simplest solution for you. Take a large white trash bag (these are perfect) cut it open so it lays flat like a sheet, and masking tape it down on your table where your mini Picasso will be working. Use two or more to maximize surface space if you're really worried. And voila, you're ready to paint and create in a happy stain free fashion.

Using a white bag means your child still gets the full effect of mixing colors, a trash bag still allows your child to work on a flat non-porous surface perfect for activities like play-dough and finger painting, it's cheap, quick to implement and when you're done creating art, untape and throw it away.

Curated Kid Oliver (above) had great fun with finger paints on his trash bag table surface. When he was finished creating, his mama Vanessa laid a white piece of paper over the paint (gently rubbing it all over) to create a print of his masterpiece. She then peeled up the trash bag, threw it away, and got to work on cleaning Oliver (a little less simple)! ;)

[thecuratedtee]

A CURATED TIP FOR FINE MOTOR DEVELOPMENT     

Don't throw out those little broken pieces of chalk, crayons, pastels etc. They are fantastic for fine motor development, because they require your child to use a pincer grasp to use them!

[thecuratedtee]

FAMILY TRADITIONS: A RECIPE FOR ‘BLUEBERRY GRUNT’     

Oliver is just 14 months so we haven’t had too many opportunities to hone our traditions just yet, but there are so many we are looking forward to. My husband’s family has had a summer place in western Mass for generations. This place is home to some of John’s fondest childhood memories, and now some of our favorite memories as a couple! We are taking Oliver there for the first time this summer and we cannot WAIT to go blueberry picking with him and then bake “blueberry grunt” - a classic his grandmother makes and we all devour.

The original recipe is from Fanny Farmer's cook book (1941), however John’s family has revised the recipe over time- here it is!

Blueberry Grunt 4 cups fresh blueberries 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons grated orange peel 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 3/4 cup milk

Check through the blueberries for any bad berries and discard. Combine the blueberries, water, and cup of sugar in a medium sized skillet. Cover over medium heat until boiling. Turn heat down and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

While berries are simmering, combine the flour, backing powder, teaspoon of sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix evenly.

Add the milk and stir just enough to moisten the wet ingredients. The dough will be fairly thick.

After the blueberries have simmered for 20 minutes, drop the topping mixture a tablespoonful at a time on top of the simmering berries in the skillet.

Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes or until the dumplings are done. Do not remove the cover during the cooking time.

When the grunt is done, spoon it out of the skillet on to a plate, serving while it's still warm.

[thecuratedtee]

OUTSIDE WATER PLAY: CREATING PUDDLES ON A TARP     

I love how so many good ideas happen by accident. The heat has well and truly arrived in DC, and we haven’t had a chance to get a paddling pool for Atlas. He loves the water, especially finding puddles to stamp, roll, lay and play in. This weekend while doing some gardening, I lay out a large tarp in the grass so that I could hose it down to clean. I gave it a good spray, which created puddles, grooves and ridges all over the surface. Atlas thought this was just about the best thing ever, and jumped straight in to splash and play in them. As the water trickled slowly out the edge, I would just spray and add some more - it didn’t take much (I love that I’m not wasting a lot of water.). He grabbed some diggers and his imaginary play took over - I think he could have stayed outside on the tarp for hours. When it was time to go inside for supper, I just shook the water off the tarp and hung it on the fence to dry. Simple! I’m not sure we’ll need a paddling pool after all. :)

[thecuratedtee]

DIY OUTDOOR CHALKBOARD      

Atlas's play kitchen sits inside a little playhouse we built for him. When making it we accidentally cut the back piece too short, so we have had a large house shaped piece of plywood sitting in our basement for the last 6 months. And then thanks to the power of Pinterest, I came across a chalkboard someone had made in that exact shape. So I bought some chalkboard paint, painted my house shaped plywood with it, and we attached it to our backyard fence in what is slowly becoming Atlas's outdoor play zone (more on that later :). What we used:

Plywood: leave as a sheet or cut into any shape you like (our piece was 1/4″ thick, but I would recommend getting something a little thicker depending on what you are attaching it to).

Primer: needed to seal the plywood before you paint.

Chalkboard paint: we ended up rolling on three coats to get a nice even color and thickness (the roller gave a lovely surface texture).

[thecuratedtee]

BEHIND THE SCENES: THE SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS    

As we began to setup our business in late 2014, it was important for us to find a t-shirt printing company that was here in the US, that reflected our values and belief in supporting small businesses, and that used water based ink over Plastisol so our shirts didn't lose any of their comfort and softness. Triple Stamp Press in Richmond, VA checked all these boxes and more. Owners Jonathan and Wil are awesome to work with - they soothed our nerves during those first print runs, offered invaluable advice and feedback, and have always provided us with product that has exceeded our expectation. We asked them to snap some photos last month while they were printing 'Cannonball' so that we could see just what went into the printing process. We encourage you to share these images with your Curated Kids to help them understand and start to think about the entire process that goes into making their Curated Tee each month - from design, to production, to finally wearing it. 

[thecuratedtee]

A CURATED TIP: INVEST IN A DRAWING PAD FOR YOUR CHILD     

Does your Curated Kid love to draw? Maybe they are like my two-year-old and enjoy it sporadically, a little at a time. Rather than wasting lots of pieces of paper which have been scribbled on here and there, invest in a nice quality drawing pad for your child (quality art supplies are important even for young children, and they don't have to cost an arm and a leg). Keep the drawing pad out with their art supplies like markers, crayons and stickers etc, and let it be their go to play to draw and create. It's a great way to keep all their work in one place, it encourages your child to go back and build on past artworks, and it ensures that you're not recycling forests worth of trees each week.

[thecuratedtee]

A CURATED TIP: FRUSTRATION FREE STICKERS    Stickers! We haven't met a Curated Kid who doesn't love them. But for little ones they can cause a lot of frustration trying to peel them off their backing. We have a simple and easy tip to make everyone's life easier. Before you hand your little one their sticker sheet, peel the backing layer off that borders all the stickers. This will make peeling up the actual ones much easier. Apologies in advance for all the extra stickers that will now end up on every inch of your house and self. :)