Children often present their parents, grandparents and other family members with gifts of original artwork. Framing is one way to preserve their artistry; another way is by translating their ``masterpieces`` into imaginative keepsakes of needlework.
If you don`t already have on hand enough raw material, such as salvaged scribbles and carefully saved classroom drawings, you can guide your children toward making drawings that will translate effectively into craft designs.
Provide your youngsters with a good selection of crayons, paints or wide- tip felt pens. Suggest they use dark colors for outlines and lighter, more vibrant colors for filling in the designs. If necessary, when making a pattern from artwork, eliminate extraneous details for the sake of balance or composition.
If you have a particular project in mind, suggest that the kids work to the scale that suits the project. Give them sheets of paper to work on that are the size and shape required. Enlarging a portion of a picture can produce bold and dramatic results.
Transfer the pattern to a sheet of sturdy paper and go over the lines of the design with a heavy black marking pen. Keep the original artwork protected between sheets of acrylic or plastic to avoid damage. You may want to frame it later.
To work a design in needlepoint, slip the paper pattern under a piece of needlepoint canvas and trace the design onto the canvas with a permanent marker or acrylic artist`s paints.
Select yarns and stitches to brighten and emphasize areas for the sake of contrast. A child`s use of color is often highly original, and purple dogs can be part of the fun.