I Heart Crafty Things

Mister Seahorse Craft with Lacing Practice

We read Eric Carle’s Mister Seahorse this week and decided we wanted to couple the book with a seahorse craft. Since I want my preschooler to be able to tie his shoes before Kindergarten I loved this fabulous idea I saw for tying practice found at Making Learning Fun.

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You can purchase Mister Seahorse here.
The marbled paint effect on the seahorse turned out stunning! This very well may be something everyone knew about, but not me, so when I saw this painting technique at Little Wonders Day, I fell in love and knew we HAD to try it.
Materials you will need:
  • Seahorse pattern HERE
  • scissors
  • shaving cream
  • acrylic paint
    (variety of colors)
  • container for mixing the shaving cream and paint (must be large enough to press the sea horse into)
  • squeegee
  • hole punch
  • yarn

Directions:

1. Start by printing off the free seahorse pattern on card stock paper and have your child cut it out.

2. Squirt some shaving cream into your container, enough to fill the bottom of your container. I used a spoon to flatten it down. Then simply add some lines of acrylic paint on top of the shaving cream and then use a toothpick or end of spoon to swirl the colors around. This is what mine looked like after swirling. I didn’t take tons of pictures of the process so you can also read the tutorial on Little Wonders Day if you are confused.

3. Press your seahorse down into the paint, making sure every part is touching. After leaving it there for a several seconds, lift it out carefully. This is what my son’s seahorse looked like after taking it out of the paint.

4. Let it dry for a couple minutes and then squeegee
the excess shaving cream and paint off of the seahorse. When you are done, it amazingly looks like this:

5. Let it dry completely. I used a black marker to draw the fin back on it. I couldn’t see the lines anymore through the paint, so I just had to wing it.

6. Use your hole punch to punch holes around the seahorse’s head to add his hair. The pattern has pre-made places to punch the holes but you might not be able to see them after painting, so I just put the holes wherever I wanted. Cut some pieces of yarn for your child to pull through the holes and tie a knot. If the yarn pieces are uneven you can trim them to make them even after your child is finished tying the knots.

7. After his hair is attached glue on a wiggly eye to complete your seahorse.

When you are finished you have a beautiful creation to be proud of! We will definitely be using this painting technique more often.
You might also enjoy our Cupcake Liner Fish Art!

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Comments

  2. I love this craft – we will have to try this. I'm thinking I might try it for Halloween decorations for a party we're having – dip spiders in orange, white, black, and purple paint?

    Reply

  4. I remember my then 5yo son would sob when we read 'Puff the Magic Dragon' and the boy goes away. It was hard to watch him sobbing and he couldn't really explain why he was so upset, but he loved to read it ?!
    Beautiful knot exercise, we'll definitley give it a go 🙂 Thanks.

    Reply

  5. I have a a two year old in my daycare that has a soft heart like that. He gets upset if he sees a movie if someone is sad, or someone is sad here. awe…

    On another note I love the baby seahorse! It's beautiful. We will have to try this here.

    TFS!

    Reply

  8. Oh my that seahorse is adorable and I LOVE the main. What a great way to practice tying. You clever lady! The marbling is just perfect you. Love love love!

    Thank you for linking up to Kids Get Crafty!

    Maggy

    Reply

  11. Ooooh….ahhhh…. literally. This is amazing! What a great idea. Shaving foam is my latest obsession with all the great crafts, especially the marbled projects. I love it – especially the sea horse mane! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  14. Eri Carle would be proud and so should everyone else! You totally rock the kids crafts! Way to be an awesome mommy and thanks for always linking with frog! You are the best!
    HUGS~
    Jenni

    Reply

  20. Thanks for sharing the paint tutorials as well as the crafty suggestion for tying practice – we have the same goal here! We had an unexpected reaction to Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. My son's response at the end was, that's not real, right? Never one to be confused by real and imaginary, I think he just had to reassure himself that he could never accidently turn himself into a rock like sylvester.

    Reply

  24. Your sons response is so cute. I have to admit I don't like reading that bit because it feel a bit mean. My son loves this book so much he asks for it every night. My hubby and I are rapidly falling out of love with Eric Carle and Mr Seahorse.
    I love the marbling paint effect, I'll have to try that. Thanks for the instructions.

    Reply

  25. Sorry, me again being a bit thick – ok I tried the paint and shaving foam and it worked really well up to the point where i had to take the excess paint and foam off – then it all went a bit wrong! Can I just do a word check. In the UK a squeegee is the rubber bladed device you use to take ice or water off the car windows. It that really what you use to take the excess foam off the paper?

    Reply

  27. This is amazing!! and what a great way to teach how to tie. I have a 5 year old and needed something to help her…I will be using this, you can count on it! I am following you from the blog hop today….I am Queenoftheblingandotheramazingthings.blogspot.com

    Reply

  28. I found this through sun scholar's link party and think it's adorable! I'm pinning it for when my daughter's a tad bit older.

    Thanks,
    Bonny @ thedomesticatedprincess.blogspot.com

    Reply

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