Tutorial: A Watercolor Crown Fit for a Princess

Lately, Sydney has gotten into the habit of poring over magazines and the few catalogues that we get, at every page pointing to something and saying, "I want that!"

"I want the shirt that's just like that, only I want it to be a dress, with ruffles at the bottom."

"I want leggings like that, but I want the shoes on that other girl."

"I want those fairy wings for my dress-up, only I want them rainbow. And I want a rainbow wand to go with it."

Of course, I always tell her that we'll either make what she wants or we can save up for it or remember it the next time that she needs shoes, etc., but the other day when she showed me a girl on the cover of a magazine, wearing a jewel-encrusted crown, I thought, "Aha! We can make THAT right now!"

And so we did.

You will need:

• scrap typing paper
• large-format Strathmore watercolor paper. You really do need that big size, because it's long enough to fit all the way around the baby's head.
• cloth measuring tape
• pencil
• ruler
• scissors
• watercolor supplies
• white glue
• beads and shells and glitter
• clear packing tape

1. The typing paper's length is a good length for the front of your crown, where the major decorative elements will be. Turning the typing paper landscape, draw the front of your crown. Sydney and I did some drawings freehand, and some making use of cookie cutters as templates. An attractive crown makes use of cut-outs, and it can get nice and tall.

Cut out the crown front when you're finished--that's your template.

2. Measure around the baby's head--that number is also the length of the crown. It's just made of paper, so don't bother leaving room for growth. You can always make a new one in a few months!

3. Also laying the large-format watercolor paper landscape, measure out the length of the crown. Center the crown front template in the middle of the length, and trace it onto the watercolor paper.

Between the crown front and the ends of each side, draw the crown's band about two inches wide.

4. Cut out your crown.

5. Decorate the crown with watercolor paints, and then let dry.

6. Using ample white glue, glue on all the decorative components that your heart desires--beads, shells, glitter, macaroni, etc.

And when you're done...

You're a princess!