It's no secret that preschoolers bring plenty of craft creations home and present them to you 'ta-da.' In return they expect a giant smile, hug and plenty of praise. I suppose it's craft-karma that I seem to be presented with way more than my fair share of treasures at the school gate!Little Lotti (a bit over 3 years old) bought home 'a pot' the other day; "it's made of cway Mummy," she said as she proudly gifted me the still soft and soggy bit of mud that was sort of shaped like a round pot. We took it home and set it on a high shelf to dry out a bit (sadly not before she'd embraced me and left a shocking long chocolate-like smear down the front of my clean black jacket, ho-hum).
When the pot was a bit more resilient to touch, there was still the issue of how to display such a 'treasure', but as it so happened, the day before, I had borrowed a book form the library called "Creative Display" by Geraldine James.
On the first page is a quote:
"All of us have things we love that we want to display for our enjoyment and for that of others. We also have stories to tell about them and want to explain our choices. This is what defines us."
In less than my desired 15-minute-deadline-to-create, I was able to whip a custom display worthy of the little 'cway' pot. I found a small brown dish with raised sides which allowed me to create a mini zen garden around in with small rocks and a tiny Balinese monkey to meditate beside, stacked a collection of favorite books that are loved for their age, stories (provenance and contents!) as well as their textural well-worn covers, some extra items collected from travles completed the assembly, and now her little pot looks even more special raised on its little pedestal or beloved books, surrounded by other treasuers...
So go on - turn your childrens craft into art - and make your own art gallery on the mantelpiece...! x
