I made art aprons or smocks for the kids. They can be used for helping in the kitchen or doing art work. I used a shoulder tie smock pattern with two modifications:

• The original pattern is sized for a two year old, and in order to make ones that are suitable for my four and six year olds, I lengthened the pattern.

• The original is lined and I chose to go with a single layer. I simply hemmed all the sides.

To personalize the aprons, I have the boys stencil their aprons with their first name initial and star patterns. First, I trace the pattern on the freezer paper. Then I iron the pattern on the apron as a stencil for the kids to paint. I really like this project because it’s a group effort. Mommy sews up the apron and the boys decorate their own apron to their liking. The boys also got to pick the placement of each pattern to make it even more personalized.

To wear, tie the shoulder ties tight so they don’t fall off.  This is a backless apron without additional ties in the back.  It stays put as long as the shoulder ties are tight enough.

The boys stenciling the apron with much concentration:

All four kids modeling their aprons: