Everything is better with googly eyes.

I enjoy making art with my son almost as much as making art on my own, and on this blog I like to share about both. This past Saturday, we were feeling crafty.  Ransom loves ocean creatures, particularly sharks, but we'd made plenty of sharks already so we decided on an octopus.  He's super inspired to make something when his project can become a "toy" when it's finished, rather than just a pretty picture.

So we pulled out our trusty paper plates (so many things you can make with paper plates!) and he painted one purple.  After it dried, I drew the shape of its head and he cut it out.  We used some streamers for tentacles (in a pattern -- he enjoys using patterns like his mama).  Then we made it come to life with some googly eyes.

We thought we were finished after that, but oh we were just getting started.

We noticed the leftover paper plate was kind of like a headband.  Why not decorate it with googly eyes?  Everything is better with googly eyes.

Then Ransom decided this wasn't just a googly-eyed headband, this was an alien.  Well, then the alien needed a body, so we pulled out another paper plate.

And taped on some pipe cleaners for hands and legs.

Viola!

  "Hey, it's also an alien costume!"

It so fun when our projects evolve into something totally different than what I first intended.

And check out his sweet drawings behind him on the fridge.  Watching him draw and create just gives me so much joy! 

Also featured on the fridge is a collaborative piece -- he turned my whale shark sticker into an ocean scene.