Artsy Vani Is Here!

Okay! So over the years I have been asked all about my crafts, ideas for decorating my home, creative ways to decorate for dinner parties, etc... I have my corporate business (Design By Vani) which focuses more on DESIGN & CREATIVITY for businesses, but now it's time to launch and showcase the personal side of design and how it ads creativity, fun, and happiness into my life!

I will cover all things creative in my life including: entertaining, arts and crafts, fashion, food, and all things related to kiddos!

I hope you enjoy the crafts, photos and stories I will share here. Here's to 2012 marking a very ambitious, creative, successful, artsy year! - Vani

Gingerbread Village 2011

This year we were ambitious and decided to make a Gingerbread Village rather than just a little gingerbread house! I used muffin pans to sort all the candy. Jatin did a fantastic job using creative things like fruit rollups for roofs and cinnamon sticks for firewood on the side of the house! Happy Holidays :)

Jatin's Thankful Tree 2011

Okay I got such great feedback from the first project that I'm sure you'll all love this one too! I interviewed Jatin and asked him to tell me all the things he is thankful for. Then, I drew a tree on scrapbook paper, and had him use his fingers dipped in paint to make the "fall tree leaves". I finished up by writing down all of his interview answers around the tree branches. A creative way to document "What Jatin was Thankful For in 2011!"


What you will need:

1. 12 x 12 sheet of scrap-booking paper
2. Kid safe non-toxic paint in (red, green, yellow)
3. 1 black sharpie marker
4. A creative kid and helper (that's you :)

Little Blessing's Turkey Handprint

How do you get your littlest cutie pie to create with your older child? Here's how! I took my darling baby girl's hand (2 months old) and dipped it in non-toxic ink (stamp pad) as well as my sons and gently placed their prints onto a bright yellow card stock. Then Jatin (my 4 year old) took a paint brush and started painting the grassy sections below the turkey hands. Finally I took simple watercolor and a brush and added the beautiful red accents you see on the turkeys. For the finishing touch I scanned in the gorgeous hands, and added the words "little blessings" and my kiddo's names and ages onto the print. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wooden Owl Masks

I found these fantastic wooden masks at Michaels Arts & Crafts Store during Halloween. I bought ones shaped like monsters, pumpkins and owls! I personally LOVED the owl one, and was thrilled when Jatin decided that that's the one he wanted to color also!

We used good old fashioned crayola crayons and colored right onto the wood! I stepped away from mine for a few minutes and found him putting multiple colors on my owl - which ended up inspiring the very vibrant version you see below!

An awesome, inexpensive craft for you and your youngster to enjoy!

Vani