Here are a few of my
Favorite Things!
Below you'll find my fave tools for making art and for making videos!
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Email me if you have any questions:
Tools for Making art with kids
I love to keep a few things on hand for my kids to use whenever we're home and they are "bored".
I can't always sit down with them and give them a lesson on how to make something in particular. But with these supplies at their disposal, they're (usually) able to figure something out that makes them happy!
1. Thicker Art Paper
4. Lo-temp hot glue gun
2. watercolor paint
4a. glue sticks for glue gun
3. beautiful markers
4b. Extra lo-temp hot glue gun
for ages 3-5
Let's talk about hot glue guns for a sec. This is the most loved, used, and handy tool for kids in my art studio. Even in my home! My girls have been independently using hot glue guns since they were 4 years old. But keep reading...
I was burned by a hot glue gun when I was a little girl and I still have a scar on my hand from it. These glue guns I recommend are called "Lo-Temp" because they do not get NEARLY as hot as the really hot ones. I've taught hundreds of kids to safely use them with minimal tears. Do they use electricity? YES, which can be dangerous. Are they hot enough to burn and leave a mark? YES! However, there are ways to teach kids to avoid injuries.
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And, I believe that when kids are taught how to safely use tools that are usually only for grown ups makes them behave in a more mature way! They feel very empowered while using hot glue guns.
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Why are these tools so special??
You can squeeze glue out and within a minute, it's dry. No waiting around all day for glue to dry. Also, it's strong (especially if you use the "Gorilla Glue Sticks") and holds things in place well. Thin slices of wood, cardboard, jewels, puffy balls, and SO much more do really well with glue guns.
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My daughters and I created a video to show "Tips & Tricks to Safely Use Hot Glue Guns for Kids". I recommend watching it once with your artist(s) and letting them watch it a few times, if they haven't already learned from me in my studio! This is my fave gun.
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I recommend the AdTech Mini Hot Glue Gun (link above) for ages 6+. For ages 3-5, you may want to start with the Ultra Lo-Temp (link above) one. It doesn't get as hot and has silicon covering the hot tip, so burn possibilities are minimal.
5. Washable Tempera Paint Sticks
6. Assortment of ribbon and yarn
7. acrylic paint
(these stain clothes, furniture, etc. so be prepared for that!)
Tools for Making Videos
If you're just beginning your "video making journey" and the majority of your filming is close to the camera/phone, start out with #1 & #2. If you're like me, you'll quickly discover how much fun it is, and you'll want to make more.
I don't have a huge "production budget", so I've DIY'ed everything and have found what works for me! I did save a little extra money for the big purchases, like a camera, but it's definitely been worth it!
When we invest in our dreams and desires, the dividends tend to be big... :)
1. Cell Phone Clip on Stand Holder
For the price, this is a great piece of equipment to get you started! I use this thing all the time so I don't have to prop my phone up on top of random pieces of furniture, leaning against a small trashcan, held up by a heavy rock, etc etc etc... If you've recorded videos, you know what I mean!
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Also, you can showcase tools and supplies in your hands without having to hold your phone up. I LOVE this thing!
2. LED Ring Light with Tripod Stand and Phone Holder
Lighting is 1/3rd of your video. If you look around at videos online, you'll notice (unconsciously) the quality of 3 aspects of videos:
-sound quality
-picture quality (clear and defined or blurry)
-lighting
A bright light gives you color and a cheerfulness on camera that makes a huge difference! This light, for the price, is AMAZING! I use this one when I'm talking to the camera, and use different lights for my DIY videos when I need a table view.
3. DIY Video Lighting
I found that putting together my own lights made the process very easy and inexpensive. I went to Home Depot for some of these items, but they cost the same or less on Amazon. My process was:
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screw in bulbs, clamp lights to stands, plug clamp lights into dimmer switches, plug dimmers into extension chords, plug extension chords into wall, cut squares out of shower curtain, clip shower curtain squares onto clamp lights, turn on lights. Easy as pie!
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These lights can be used with an iPhone, camera, or any other recording device. You need two lights to balance it out.
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PS: USE ONLY LED BULBS! Regular light bulbs get HOT! And getting 100W bulbs with the dimmer switches gives you options on how you want to look when the lights are shining on you.
4. Camera
I decided to invest and purchase an actual camera to make my videos, and it's been a lot of fun! I take pictures of my family too, so that's a win-win. The one I chose is a great camera for making videos.
I can actually use my iPad or iPhone to control it... to zoom in, take pictures, or start video. Canon makes excellent quality products and the one I bought came with a lot of extra accessories. Take a look at this one! It actually comes with a tabletop tripod.
5. Camera Tripod
I initially thought I would be able to prop my camera up on furniture and things when I wanted to record. But I quickly realized that I shouldn't have bought a camera if I didn't want to invest in a ground standing tripod.
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It's crucial! Buying a camera for making videos? You NEED a tripod. I am no professional, so this one by Amazon is AMAZING to me!