Seasonal Art: Easy Craft Idea for Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall

Bring the wonder of the season indoors with this easy craft idea anyone can make. The small size of the craft makes it ideal for seasonal decorating. Use a little of what you already have: including wood scraps, photos or printed artwork and transform windowsills or small shelves into places of seasonal wonder. The craft is versatile enough for the artists among you, and for those who would rather print or cut out seasonal images. No hammer or nail are required to display you seasonal art crafts.

The Inspiration for Seasonal Art Crafts

It all started with ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) back in 2003. I started creating and trading miniature pieces of art, the size of playing cards (3 1/2 inches x 2 1/2 inches). It was a challenge to work in such a small space. Similar in size is the art created by Artomat artists. Artomat art is distributed through re-purposed cigarette machines. Some artists make crafts and place them in cigarette box sized cardboard boxes. But it was the art on small wooden blocks that interested me most.

When I was looking for a way to add more art to my kitchen, preferably without having to use traditional picture frames or by making holes in the wall, I turned to the wooden blocks. With the wooden blocks (which you can make at home with any scrap wood), I could easily and quickly change the seasonal art in my kitchen, without resorting to dull and ordinary decorations.

Materials for the Seasonal Art Crafts

Wooden blocks - you could order a box from Artomat, buy them at the craft store or cut your own at home. Just be sure to sand off any rough edges. For mine, I stuck with 2 1/8" x 3 1/4" x 7/8", although 3 inches x 2 inches also works. The blocks can be used vertically or horizontally.

Images for the Seasonal Art Crafts

Browse through online museums and art sites to find art you love that fits the season. Take a screenshot of the image, preferably a detailed area that will translate well to the small block.

Cut out seasonal images from greeting cards, children's artwork, magazines or old photographs. Again, consider the dimensions of the block before choosing the image.

Make your own seasonal art to fit onto the block. A simple acorn, the corner of a snowflake, one bud springing up from the ground, a beach ball, any simple item that conjures up a season.

Assembling the Seasonal Craft

Glue the image to the block. You can add a laminate covering (use clear laminate for kitchen cabinets which is cheaper than the one in the office supply store) if you want to protect the image. Some images and colors will look better without the gloss of the laminate.

Place the blocks around the kitchen and you have instant seasonal decor that does not take up a lot of room.

Hang Ups

You could hang up the blocks by nailing in small picture hooks. A series of blocks could be hung up together. The images could be complementary, or cut up one image and glue it onto six or nine separate blocks for a hanging art puzzle.

Or, hang them from the bottom of shelves or cabinets with a pair of screw hooks. Screw one hook into the top of the block and the other into the surface where you want it to hang.