By: Eleanor Turner, AR Workshop Sioux Falls

With longer evenings drawing in and colder weather knocking on our doors, we are all searching for enjoyable, creative activities to do with the whole family.

How about coming together to create a beautiful group project that you can cherish for years to come? Putting artwork on the wall of your home to admire every day is a great way to remember fun family times, and open up conversations with your children.

Another beautiful aspect of homemade items is they are completely unique to you and your family. You can decide together what materials to use, what colors work best in your home, and exactly where to place the finished product. You can even start a holiday tradition and add a new one every year!

There’s a role for every member of the family when you’re getting creative together: encourage younger children to participate by using finger paint or glitter glue; older children might prefer paintbrushes or markers. Ask teenagers to help by making a stencil on their computer that you can cut out and paint over, and the adults will need to be prepared for using power tools such as a table saw or nail gun.

When you work together as a family, remember these tips to ensure your activity goes smoothly, and get happy creating!

Gather supplies before announcing the project, so smaller children don’t have to wait for the excitement. You might need aprons, gloves, newspaper, wood, canvas, nails, stain or paint, paintbrushes, etc.

Go over safety information with younger participants, such as how to use nails and hammers safely, or wearing masks and eye protection.

Cover the surface area with newspaper.

Remind yourself it’s okay if the finished project isn’t perfect. It’s not meant to be! Homemade projects will have minor flaws, and that’s what makes them so charming.

Keep the session short to keep the fun alive: you can always come back to it another time.