Sweet Magnolia Way: Happy Almost Mother's Day 2014

Hi!! We had a lot going on last week - like getting ready for Hadley's big third birthday party (more on that later this week) and having family visiting/staying with us. Since Hadley's birthday is usually close to Mother's Day I try to have the grandmothers' (Noni and Grandma) gifts ready so the girls can give it to them in person. Last year, Hadley and Layla made special boxes that we filled with photos and other handmade gifts. This year we stayed on the handmade track but with a slightly bigger undertaking - painted pillows!!!

I had seen a watercolored pillow somewhere on Pinterest awhile ago and thought it would be a fun activity for the girls to try. It didn't take much prep, just a few Martha Stewart craft paints (in colors I thought would best coordinate with both decors), paintbrushes, two 20" Ikea pillow covers and lots of drying time!

I had the girls start out painting with foam brushes (I thought it would distribute the paint better on the fabric) but Layla quickly asked for a regular paint brush. So they used both.

Layla created a color-block design, while Hadley opted for a more color-washed look: )

I had them each paint one side of each pillow that way Noni and Grandma would have piece of artwork from both of them!

Layla's sides!

After about 24 hours of drying time, per side, I threw the pillows into the washer on the gentle cycle with cold water. And then they both went into the dryer on low heat. A quick once-over with the iron (low steam) and they were ready to go!