When I was a little girl, my dad would encourage me to explore my surroundings and find cool things for him. This was a challenge since we lived in an apartment in Newark and nothing at first seemed cool enough.
He took me in the small backyard we had and the treasure hunt began. We dug up oddly shaped rocks, found weird shaped leaves and even found a clothespin that had seen a few seasons under the soil. At first all this appeared to be junk and nothing that would amount to anything.
We brought our treasures to his workshop (just like Santa) that was in our basement and the masterpiece began to take form. On a flat piece of wood for a foundation, he glued the clothespin down. We traced the leaf on construction paper and glued them to the clothespin. The rocks were washed and polished with furniture polish to shine like precious stones.
Before I knew it, I had this amazing piece of folk art that I helped make! This encouraged me to think out-of-the-box and appreciate the beauty in all things.
When my daughter was old enough, I carried on this tradition. We would have craft time and create beautiful things. I proudly display her folk art to this day and smile when I remember the fun time we had making it. A special embellished stepping stone, made from cement in a pie plate, shines in my garden and reflects the sunshine.
Here’s your challenge, with your parent’s permission, go on a treasure hunt in your backyard, park or in your neighborhood. Find cool things and bring them home. Can you think out-of-the-box and see the beauty in your objects you collected?
Your treasures and your creations are only limited by your imagination. Create a masterpiece and post your photo to this blog.
