I just realized that I have not done a crafty post in a really long time. By far, the fall and winter months are the time when I do the most crafting, but I still do crafts during the summer.

Just so I don’t have to change the blog name to “Homeschool Mama,” here is a quick crafty post.

I had this thin box lying around that an AOL trial CD came in, so I thought I would jazz it up a bit. I got out a bunch of wrapping paper samples that I had torn out of catalogs and taught the boys how to decoupage. They tried the technique out on empty cereal boxes.

The way I like to decoupage is simple. I use Mod Podge in the matte finish. Basically, I make sure the surface is clean and if it is really slick, I might rough it up with sand paper. With a paint brush, I apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the object and to the back of the paper I am sticking on. I place the paper onto the object and then I smooth out the paper using the same brush, applying more Mod Podge if necessary to hold down the edges. I repeat until the object is covered. When it is finished, I cover the whole thing with another layer of Mod Podge. Do not worry how it looks at this point; the Mod Podge will dry clear.

This process may need to be done in sections so that the object has a surface to rest on while drying. If you coat the whole thing at once, you won’t be able to put it down! If you do it in sections, you may need to do additional final coats to get the desired look.

This brings me to reason #347 why I love to homeschool: every crafty mama should get the chance to spend the afternoon teaching her sons how to decoupage.