Creative Kids: Leaf Silhouette Rug

This outdoor rug was really cute when I bought it from Target two summers ago, but it's been looking worn from steady shoe traffic. I had the spray-paint to redo it, but I haven't had any inspiration. Then recently I watched Isia & friends pick leaves from around the yard. What great shapes, I thought. Then I had an idea...

What if we were to glue the leaves down onto the rug and spray-paint over them? We experimented with the glue stick and found that yes, the leaves did stick down and stay in one place. Success! Inspired, the kids kept finding more leaves and gluing them down onto the rug.

Once all the leaves were arranged & glued down, I sat Isia & friends on the steps to watch me spray-paint the rug. A couple coats, spraying directly down on the leaves for a crisper outline, was all it took. As it dried I got impatient and removed a few leaves just to make sure they turned out okay- and they did (smile). 

The best part- even better than having a "new" rug- was how proud the kids were. "This is the rug We made," I often hear as we traipse in and out through the back door. Which is often on these hot summer days!

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