Father's Day Apron

What You Need:

• Plain canvas bib apron (available at online craft stores)
• Fabric paint (including black and a variety of bright colors)
• Fabric paintbrushes
• Fabric marker
• Pencil
• Several friends and family members

What You Do:

1. Start by laying out the apron on a well-protected surface, preferably outdoors. It's also helpful to have rags and two buckets of water nearby, one for brushes and one for washing hands.
2. Use a pencil to trace a message onto the front of the bib, such as #1 Dad. Invite your child to paint over it neatly in black or in a strong primary color.
3. Paint your child's hand with a color of their choice, and invite them to press it firmly somewhere onto the apron. If your child tends to be over-zealous with paint, you may want to do a trial run, perhaps on a piece of newspaper, to help them gauge just how much paint and pressure will be needed.
4. Now it's time for other family members to join in on the “hands-on” fun! For this apron project, the more hands, the merrier — especially when you use plenty of bright colors. Hands can even overlap a bit, but do allow a few moments for the bottom layers of paint to dry, or you may end up with some unintended muddy colors!
5. Once all the paint is completely dry (at least 4-5 hours), you can invite each participant to sign the apron next to his or her hand — or, leave the hands unsigned. Whatever you choose, you will have a unique and loving salute to Dad on Father's Day this year: an apron imprinted with love and appreciation for years of memorable meals together!