HOW TO MAKE A POMPOM NECKLACE

DGY

There’s something irresistible about pompoms, isn’t there!? For children and adults alike, those soft fluffy yarn balls are as fun to look at as they are to play with. Even the word “pompom” is fun to say! We use pompoms as a crafting material, as manipulatives for learning activities (counting/sorting/etc.), and with this project we turned them into homemade jewelry and put together this how-to so you can too!

Have you ever made your own pompoms? They’re easy to make, and require very few supplies. We have a set of store bought pompom makers, but they can also be made using a fork, or using cardboard cut in the shape of a letter ‘C’.

Not only are they easy to make, the process of making them has some great fine motor benefits: wrapping the yarn, as well as snipping it are both great ways to work developing little hands, so get those kiddos involved!

SUPPLIES:

  1. Yarn (we used Darn Good Yarn Sport Weight Silk Yarn)
  2. Scissors
  3. Pompom maker (homemade or store bought)/fork

PROCESS:

Step 1) Start by wrapping your yarn around your pompom maker. You’ll want to wrap it fairly tight, but not so tight that you won’t be able to fit your scissors in to snip. Try to make the thickness fairly even from end to end. Note: we chose to make our necklace with three pompoms, two small and one medium, so we used two sizes of pompom makers.

Step 2) Once you’ve finished wrapping the yarn evenly, it’s time to start snipping. Start from one end and carefully work your way to the other end.

Step 3) Next you’ll use a short piece of yarn to wrap and tie your freshly cut strands. Be sure to tie it tightly with a double knot to keep the strands from falling out. Don’t cut the excess length from the yarn you used to tie it with, you’ll use this after to secure the pompoms to the “chain” of the necklace.

Step 4) Time to trim! Using a good set of sharp scissors, trim the tips of your pompom in order to make it nice and evenly round.

Step 5) Repeat steps 1-4 to make the total number of pompoms you’d like to have on your necklace.

Step 6) Cut three equal length strands of yarn – you’ll want them to be about twice as long as you’d like your necklace to be. Tie the three strands together, and braid them to make your chain (braiding is another great fine motor exercise!). Be sure to leave about two inches on the end of the knots on each side, so that you can either attach a clasp or tie the ends together to wear it.

Step 7) Now it’s time to attach the pompoms to your braided chain. Choose where you want each of your pompoms to sit on the chain, and then tie each one in place on the braid using the thread that you used to tie the pompom together in step 3. Repeat for each pompom. You can tie them on permanently with tight knots, and trim the excess, or you can tie them on with bows and keep the option open to reposition them as desired.

Voila! Your fabulous new pompom necklace is ready to wear! They’re equally fashionable for adults and children alike, and make a great gift for friends and family.

MarcoPolo World School App Review

I’ve been intrigued by the MarcoPolo World School app since I first read about it a couple of years ago. My daughter was too young at the time, but she’s the perfect age now, and the kind folks over at MarcoPolo offered us the opportunity to test it out in return for our review.

We try to limit screen time for our daughter, and are very selective about what we expose her to, so I tested out the World School app myself and after spending some time exploring, I couldn’t wait to share it with her.

World School is an educational app that was created by two dads, and aims to help children age 3-7 learn and explore their world through thousands of lessons and activities, which promote literacy and STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). Within the app, there are so many different categories to choose from, each with short videos that are engaging and educational, as well as interactive games where kids can apply what they learned, play music, color and draw, practice math or sight words, and more. Categories include: the human body, weather, nature, sports, space, inventions, dinosaurs, feelings, and so much more.

There is a catalogue of fun craft ideas to build on the things the child is learning within the app. Craft projects are demonstrated with easy-to-follow video tutorials, using materials that you likely already have on-hand. Olivia and her Dad have done several of the crafts already, and can’t wait to do more. My husband describes himself as “not crafty”, so I was impressed that World School managed to draw even him in!

This slithering snake is made using segments of toilet paper tube linked together with pipe cleaner, and decorated with paint sticks and washi tape.
This rocket ship is made from a paper towel tube, wrapped with tinfoil, and decorated with colourful paper.
This rainstick is a paper towel tube decorated with washi tape (washi tape is great for fine motor practice), and filled with dry rice.
Listen to our rainstick in action!

We’ve been using World School for a couple of months now and we’re still discovering new things! It keeps my daughter engaged for a really long time, and I feel good knowing that the screen time she’s getting has quality educational benefits. If you have kids between the ages of 3-7, I highly recommend checking out the World School app! You can click here to sign-up for a free 7 day trial. If you’ve used World School, I’d love to hear what you think about it in the comments below!

Resin Clock tutorial


I made this clock for my daughter, who is learning to tell time, and she LOVES it! 

The clock is made of a 9” resin disc with numbers made of resin and alcohol ink, and a separate 4” resin disc with shiny confetti numbers. I made the 4” disc to help her learn to read the minute hand, and I want to be able to remove it in the future for a cleaner look, so I made it as a separate piece that sits in front of the face of the clock.

Clock without 4″ minute disc

If you’re interested in buying a clock like this, visit my Etsy shop.

If you’re interested in making your own, I’ve outlined my process below.

Resin 101

  • Resin starts off the same consistency as honey, and a chemical reaction between the resin and hardener causes the liquid to become solid (rock solid) over the course of 72 hours
  • It’s sticky and messy, so protect your workspace!! You can line your work surface with a large garbage bag
  • Silicone is your best friend when working with resin. Silicone repels resin, so when the resin hardens it can be peeled away from silicone. For this reason, I use silicone spatulas to mix my resin with, and silicone measuring cups to measure, mix and pour. I line my work surface with a giant silicone baking mat, and all the molds that I use to pour my resin in are 100% silicone
  • To clean your tools (hands included) when you’re done, you’ll want to have rubbing alcohol on hand. With silicone tools, the best thing is to let the resin on them dry and then peel the resin off, then wash with soap and water
  • Be sure to work in a dust-free area (and wipe your tools free of any dust or hairs before you begin – including any water stains on the inside of the mold). You’ll want to be mindful of what you wear while you work, for two reasons: 1) you’ll ruin your clothes if you get resin on them 2) if you’re wearing long sleeves, dust and/or hairs can fall into your resin and ruin your piece
  • If you want your resin piece to have a high-gloss clear finish, you need a silicone mold that is glossy inside – if the mold is matte inside, your piece with have a frosted matte finish when it dries (this can be corrected afterwards, but you can save yourself an extra step by using a mold with your desired finish)
  • Most of the time, your piece is ready to be removed from the silicone mould within 6-12 hours (drying time can vary dramatically depending on the climate in your area – I’ve had some dry within 3 hours and others take 12+ hours). It’s best to remove it once it is hard and not tacky to the touch, then place it on a flat surface (a clean silicone baking mat is ideal) to harden completely for the remainder of the 72 hours
  • Occasionally I’ve had issues with my mold sticking to the edge of my resin piece as I remove it, which is a nightmare for two reasons: 1) my mold rips and is rendered useless, 2) my beautiful work of art is ruined around the edge. After mourning the loss of one too many expensive molds, and grieving over the damage to some of my favourite creations, I decided to start taking preventive measures; before using my molds, I spray them with mold release
  • If you’re using alcohol ink in your resin, white alcohol ink is the key to the magic; the white ink reacts with the coloured ink, pushing the colour down from the surface in order for the colour to bloom into 3D stalactite-looking beautifulness. Without the white ink, the colour remains translucent and sits on the surface of the resin.

Here’s what you need:

  • Art Resin
  • Butane torch
  • Protective gloves (I use biodegradable latex gloves)
  • Measuring cups (I use OXO silicone measuring cups for measuring/mixing/pouring)
  • Mixing bowl (not needed if you’re mixing directly in measuring cup)
  • Stirring utensil (I use silicone spatulas)
  • Toothpicks (optional but helpful when removing air bubbles or any pesky pieces of hair or dust that may sneak in)
  • Silicone moulds (the ones I used for the clock face and numbers are shown below, not shown is the mold I used for the 4″ disc)
  • Alcohol ink (the brands I currently use are Tim Holtz, Pinata, and Brea Reese
  • Rubbing alcohol (for cleanup)
  • Something to protect your workspace (large garbage bags, etc.)
  • Something to cover your mold so that no dust lands in the resin during while dries (I use a large roasting pan that sits over my mold)
  • Clock movement kit (I got mine at Michael’s)
  • Drill
  • Ruler
  • Washable marker

Here’s what you do:

Make numbers 1-12

  1. Combine equal parts resin and hardener, then mix slowly for 3-5 mins (it’s best to stir very slowly to minimize the amount of air that gets in and creates bubbles – be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom while mixing). The resin will look cloudy when you begin mixing, and should be clear and streak-free when properly mixed
  2. Before you pour the resin in the mold, check one more time that there are no hairs or dust in your mold.
  3. Carefully pour resin into each number in your mold (if you only have one mold, you’ll need to do several pours to make all the numbers for your clock)
  4. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, bubbles will rise to the surface and cluster in the middle
  5. Use your torch to very quickly pass over the resin in order to pop the bubbles, but don’t linger or you’ll burn the resin and/or mold
  6. Drop alcohol ink, in the colours of your choice, into each number cavity, adding a drop of white ink to each drop of colour
  7. Cover to protect from dust particles landing in it during the drying time
  8. Let sit for 6-12 hours, until no longer tacky to the touch
  9. Carefully remove each number from the mold and place them face up on a clean, smooth and flat surface

*Note that the number mold that I used has a matte finish inside, so the numbers come out with a frosted finish, but they regain the clear glossy resin finish once they’re set inside the clock face.

Make the clock face

  1. Place numbers facedown inside your round mold – be sure to mirror them so that when you flip it over the numbers are in the right direction
  2. Just as before, combine equal parts resin and hardener – volumethen mix slowly for 3-5 mins (remember to stir slowly and scrape down the sides and bottom while mixing). Again, the resin will look cloudy when you begin mixing, and should be clear and streak-free when fully mixed
  3. Carefully pour about 1/3 of your resin into the mold, while trying not to disturb the placement of each number. Now you’ll want to very carefully tilt each number from side to side, in order to make sure there are no air pockets between the numbers and the mold
  4. Use your torch to get rid of any air bubbles
  5. Pour another 1/3 of the resin
  6. Use torch to pop bubbles
  7. Pour remainder of resin
  8. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so bubbles rise to the surface, then use torch to pop them – if you see bubble that are trapped to deep for the torch to reach, use a toothpick to bring it to the surface and pop
  9. Once all bubbles are removed, cover and let harden for 12+ hours 
  10. Remove from mold and let sit on a smooth and flat surface for the remainder of the 72 hour drying time

Make 4″ disc with minutes *optional*

  • Repeat same steps followed for clock face *note that if you use number confetti, like I did, that after placing the numbers and pouring the resin, the confetti numbers may float in the resin and therefore their placement can shift during the hardening process (if you look closely at mine, you’ll see that some of the numbers are uneven/crooked)

Assembly

Once both resin discs are fully cured, it’s time to drill holes into them and bring your clock to life.

  1. Use a ruler to measure and find the centre point on each of the two discs, mark the spot with a washable marker
  2. Carefully drill a hole in the centre of each piece, wide enough to thread your clock movement through
  3. Follow assembly instructions on your clock movement kit

If you give this a try, let me know in the comment section! And tag me on Instagram so I can see your creation!

Resin Petri Tutorial

I recently started creating art with resin and alcohol ink, and it has quickly become a passion of mine. Before I started, I watched every YouTube video I could find in order to learn some of the basics. Josie Lewis is a talented artist who is my resin role model, and she makes some of the most extraordinary pieces, including resin petri art. Her YouTube channel, Josie Lewis Art, is where I learned the most before I began.

Like many artists working with epoxy resin, I choose to use Art Resin, a high-gloss two-part epoxy resin which is non-toxic. As someone who has no professional training in working with resin, I have found Art Resin to be really easy to work with, and their customer service is fantastic. The brand was created by artists for artists, which has been a huge benefit for me because I’ve called with troubleshooting questions on a few occasions while experimenting with new techniques/applications; their artists have gone above and beyond to help talk me through any snags that I have encountered during my (ongoing) learning curve.

Creating with resin isn’t a cheap hobby, but the results are stunning! To get started, there are a number of materials you will need, so I’ve put together a list below (which includes Amazon links to the specific items I use)

Here’s what you need:

  • Art Resin
  • Butane torch
  • Protective gloves (I use biodegradable latex gloves)
  • Measuring cups (I got a set at the dollar store)
  • Mixing bowl (I use a large plastic measuring cup with a handle and spout for easy pouring)
  • Stirring utensil (I use a silicone spatula from the dollar store)
  • Toothpicks (optional but helpful when removing air bubbles)
  • Silicone mould (this is the one I used for this 4″ petri)
  • Alcohol ink (the two most common brands are Tim Holtz and Pinata, I’ve tried both and personally prefer Pinata)
  • Rubbing alcohol (for cleanup)
  • Something to protect your workspace (large garbage bags, etc.)
  • Something to cover your mould so that no dust lands in the resin during while dries (I use a large roasting pan that sits over my mould)

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Before you begin:

  • Resin epoxy starts off the same consistency as honey, and a chemical reaction between the resin and hardener causes the liquid to become solid (rock solid) over the course of 72 hours
  • It’s sticky and messy, so protect your work space!! You can line your work surface with a large garbage bag
  • Silicone is your best friend when working with resin. Silicone repels resin, so when resin hardens it can be peeled away from silicone. For this reason, I use silicone spatulas to mix my resin, I line my work surface with a giant silicone baking mat, and all the moulds that I use to pout my resin in are 100% silicone
  • To clean your tools (hands included) when you’re done, you’ll want to have rubbing alcohol on hand. I use paper towel to wipe my spatula, mixing bowl and measuring cups down thoroughly as soon as I’m done and then use rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining residue (then wash with water and dish soap)
  • Be sure to work in a dust-free area (and wipe your tools free of any dust or hairs before you begin – including any water stains on the inside of the mould)
  • If you want your resin piece to have a high-gloss clear finish, you need a silicone mould that is glossy inside – if the mould is matte inside, your piece with have a frosted matte finish when it dries (this can be corrected afterwards, but you can save yourself an extra step by using a mould with your desired finish)
  • Most of the time, your piece is ready to be removed from the silicone mould within 6-12 hours (drying time can vary dramatically depending on the climate in your area – I’ve had some dry within 3 hours and others take 12+ hours). It’s best to remove it once it is hard and not tacky to the touch, then place it on a flat surface (a clean silicone baking mat is ideal) to harden completely for the remainder of the 72 hours
  • Occasionally I’ve had issues with my mould sticking to the edge of my resin piece as I remove it, which is a nightmare for two reasons: 1) my mould rips and is rendered useless, 2) my beautiful work of art is ruined around the edge. After mourning the loss of one too many expensive moulds, and grieving over the damage to some of my favourite creations, I decided to start taking preventive measures; before I pour my resin into my mould, I apply non-stick cooking spray to the end of a Q-tip and carefully grease the upper edge of the inner wall(s) of my mould
  • White alcohol ink is the key to the magic in this process. The white ink reacts with the coloured ink and pushes the colour down from the surface in order for the colour to bloom into 3D stalactite-looking beautifulness. Without the white ink, the colour remains translucent and sits on the surface of the resin.

 

Here’s what to do:

  1. Wearing protective gloves, measure and combine equal parts Resin and Hardener in mixing bowl (for one 4 inch diameter petri, I usually mix 1/4 cup resin and 1/4 cup hardener)
  2. Stir slowly for 3-4 minutes, be sure to scrape the sides and bottom. Stirring too quickly will create more air bubbles in your resin (when the two parts are first combined the mixture becomes cloudy; when thoroughly mixed it should be clear with no visible streaks in it)
  3. Pour the mixture into your mould
  4. Let the resin sit for a few minutes to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface, then use your torch to quickly and carefully heat the surface of your resin. Heating the resin helps to thin it enough for the trapped bubbles to be released. You’ll want to keep the torch moving and not sit in one place to avoid burning the resin or mould.
  5. You may see bubbles along the edges of the mould, you can use a toothpick to pull these to the surface and then remove them with the torch
  6. After removing the bubbles the first time, I like to let it sit for a few more minutes and then go over it with the torch again to get any more bubbles that may have risen to the surface
  7. Have your bottles of alcohol ink open and ready, then carefully add your first drop of coloured ink, followed by a drop of white on top of the colour. For every drop of colour, you’ll want a drop of white on top. The colour will expand outward as it reacts with the resin, and when the white is added it will pull the colour down towards the bottom of the mould.
  8. Repeat with as many colours as you’d like. You can choose to fill the whole thing with colour, or leave some negative space so that parts remain clear
  9. NOTE: Art Resin has a working time of about 45 minutes before it thickens too much to continue, so be mindful of time while you’re working
  10. Cover your mould so that no dust or hairs land in the resin while it’s drying
  11. Drying time varies depending on temperature. I usually check mine after 8-10 hours to see if it’s ready to be removed from the mould – it will take 72 hours to fully harden, but you want to remove it from the mould sooner than that
  12. To clean your tools, use paper towel to wipe everything down (spatula, inside of mixing bowl and measuring cup, etc.), remove any sticky residue with rubbing alcohol, then wash with soap and water (when the resin hardens, you should be able to peel it off of any silicone tools)

Below is a time-lapse video of the mixing process (remember, stir slowly – the video is sped up because nobody wants to watch me stir for 3 minutes)

 

Here’s the pouring, removing air bubbles, and adding the alcohol ink.

 

Ta-dum!

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Close-up. Look at how those colours bloomed 😍

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Here is another one I did using blues and greens, with a few drops of silver.

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These can be displayed as art, or used as coasters, paperweights, etc.

If you decide to give this a try, I’d love to see your beautiful creations! Tag me @4kids2moms on Instagram so I can see! 🙂

 

Glow in the Dark Rain Cloud in a Jar

I’ve seen the Raincloud in a Jar experiment popping up all over Pinterest and Instagram for months and added it to our list of things to do, until I saw my oh-so-inspiring Insta-homie, Roshelle of  Happi Crafts, put her creative twist on it and then we had to try it ASAP!

This is our second time making a glow in the dark rain cloud in a jar, and it won’t be our last. It’s simple, although kinda messy, and sooo much fun! Playful learning doesn’t get much prettier than this!

 

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Here’s what you need:

  • Large tall glass or vase
  • Shaving foam
  • Glow bracelets or necklaces
  • Small dish for each colour of bracelet/necklace
  • Scissors
  • Pipette(s)
  • Water
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Here’s what to do:

***Adult supervision is a must given the chemical contents of the glow in the dark bracelets/necklaces***

  • Fill your glass/vase with water
  • Top with shaving foam
  • Snap glow bracelets/necklaces to activate them (be sure to snap thoroughly from end to end – the contents are solid until snapped and turn to liquid once activated, so any unbroken pieces will come out as solid chunks rather than in liquid form)
  • Cut off both ends of each bracelet/necklace and empty into small dish (repeat for each colour)
  • Turn out the lights
  • Use pipette to (carefully) squeeze each glowing colour onto the top of your shaving foam “cloud”
  • Enjoy the magical glowing rain that seeps down through your cloud 😍

Be sure to thoroughly rinse and clean everything that comes in contact with the glowing goop, and wash hands with soap once done.

If you give this a try, we’d love to see your version, so be sure to tag us and @happicrafts on Instagram.

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Rainbow Bean Sensory Bin

My daughter and I LOVE making sensory bins! Sometimes they’re simple and sometimes they’re elaborate, and no matter what, they always ignite hours of imaginative play.

The best sensory bins can be made from simple household ingredients, and this one is no exception. My daughter and I picked up a big bag of beans at Bulk Barn and dyed them in all the colours of the rainbow, because everything is prettier in rainbow colours. Right!?

Here’s what you need:

  • beans of your choice (we used small white beans)
  • white vinegar
  • food colouring or liquid watercolour (we used Wilton gel)
  • sealable container(s)
  • small dish
  • large backing tray
  • parchment paper
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Here’s what to do:

  • In a small dish, mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar with dye colour of your choice (if using gel, mix until all clumps dissolve
  • Measure 1 cup of beans and place in sealable container, then add coloured vinegar, seal and shake and all the beans are well coated
  • Place a sheet of parchment paper on baking sheet and lay coloured beans flat to dry (for a minimum of 30-60 minutes)
  • Repeat for each colour (because we have limited counter space, I like to layer each colour onto one baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper between each layer
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The play possibilities for a rainbow bin are endless. My daughter loves when I set them up with a theme or scene using her toys, but for this one I let the beautiful colours inspire her and she has spent the last week pretending the bin is a zoo; she sets up her Playmobil animals and pretends that each colour is a different habitat. After hours of playing with her colour coded habitats, the colours are now all mixed up, and it’s taking on a whole new beauty that will lead to a whole new imaginative game.

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When the novelty wears off all together, I’ll pack these beauties up in an airtight container and store them until she forgets about them, and then we’ll bust them out and rediscover all the rainbow-y fun they have to offer. 😻

DIY Sand Slime

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Slime is so hot right now (any Zoolander fans out there?), and it’s so great for sensory play. We’ve tried several different slime recipes, some were more successful than others, but this is definitely the best slime we’ve ever played with!

Here’s what you need:

  • 1/2 cup clear washable school Glue
  • 1/2 water
  • 1/4 cup sand
  • 1/4 cup liquid laundry detergent (must contain borax – we used Bio-Vert)

Here’s what to do:

  • Mix water and glue thoroughly
  • Add sand and stir
  • Add laundry detergent and stir until it’s thick enough to knead with your hands

My daughter LOVES this slime. She played with it for a solid hour right after we made it, which is a really long time by three year old standards, and has pulled it out at least once a day since. We store it in an airtight container and it has held up well for over a week so far.

Bird Nest Cupcakes with Sweet Potato Frosting

With Easter only two weeks away, I know that our family will be indulging in more sugary treats than usual, so I opted to make these cupcakes with sweet potato frosting. Sweet potato frosting is easy to make and a healthier alternative to buttercream frosting. With hidden veg involved, I didn’t hesitate when my daughter asked to lick the spatula. 😊

For the cupcake, we used Baker by Nature’s Perfect One Bowl Vanilla Cupcake . Her recipes never disappoint, and I turn to her blog for 95% of my dessert needs. If you aren’t familiar with her, you should definitely check her out!

Here’s what you need

Cupcakes:

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 3 and 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:

  • 1 Medium sweet potato (~ 340 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cups Semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Decorations:

  • Chocolate sprinkles/Jimmies
  • Easter egg candies (we used Cadbury Mini Eggs)

Here’s what to do:

Cupcakes

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners; set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter, vanilla, and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, beat in the sour cream and then the milk. Turn mixer off. Add in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a fork to lightly toss the dry ingredients together. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter, mixing just until combined. Be sure not to over mix here or your cupcakes will be dense!
  3. Spoon batter into prepared cupcake tin (filling 1/2 way each – not more or they’ll overflow) and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

  1. Poke many holes in sweet potato using a fork and cook on high in the microwave for 10 minutes (turn over after 5 minutes).
  2. As soon as sweet potato is cool enough to handle (but still as warm as possible), scrape out the inside and puree in food processor until smooth.
  3. Add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to the food processor and pulse until melted from the heat of the sweet potato puree. Add remaining chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time.
  4. Add vanilla and blend until smooth.

Assembly

  1. Once cupcakes are thoroughly cooled, pipe on the frosting (we used a medium star tip) starting from the outer edge of the cupcakes and working toward the centre.
  2. Place several tablespoons of chocolate sprinkles in a bowl and dip each cupcake to coat the top of the frosting with sprinkles.
  3. Nestle candy eggs into the top of your “nests” 
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Sending Hugs

We decided to “send hugs” to some of our loved ones with this fun craft:

 

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  • First we made painted handprints (if your child doesn’t enjoy the feeling paint on their hands, you could substitute with tracing the outline of their hands)
  • Once the paint is dry, we cut out the handprints (depending on the age of your child, you may want to do the cutting for them)
  • Use a hole punch to make a hole at the base of the palm of each of the handprints (my daughter enjoyed trying to use the hole punch, but needed some extra help) *you could save the punches to use as confetti for other crafts
  • Measure the length of your child’s arms (have them stretch their arms out on either side to make a ‘T’, measure from wrist to wrist). We had yarn handy, but ribbon would work well too
  • Tie two hands together and write a little note on the back of the hand(s)

While making these, we talked about the people we were making them for, what we love about them, memories of time spent together, and how receiving these “hugs” would make them feel.

Big or small, my daughter and I aim for at least one act of kindness each day, and this one was so fun that we’ll be sending more in the next few days!

If you like this idea and decide to give it a try, share pics in the comments! 🙂

Rainbow Cupcakes

My husband and I joked about how the beautiful colours somehow made them taste even more delicious. 😂

Our family swears by Baker by Nature for 90% of our baking needs, and this was no exception. I used her Perfect One Bowl Vanilla Cupcakes recipe, and then put my own twist on it to achieve the rainbow effect. I’ve listed the ingredients below, but you’ll want to check out her blog for baking instructions (and so many other delicious recipes).

Here’s what you need:

For the Vanilla Cupcakes:

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 3 and 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • Gel food colouring in the six colours of the rainbow

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 4 to 5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (omit if you desire a stark white frosting)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Here’s what to do:

  • Follow Baker by Nature’s instructions to make your cupcake batter
  • Divide batter equally into six bowls
  • Use approx. 1/8 tsp of gel colour per bowl to create one bowl for each colour of the rainbow
  • Spoon small amounts of each colour into muffin pan (I like to spray my spoon with a bit of cooking spray so that the batter slides of the spoon easily) – you can create even layers of each colours stacked, or you can offset the colours the way we did
  • Follow BBN’s baking instructions and frost them as you like 🙂

If you give these a try, let me know if you taste the added deliciousness of the beautiful vibrant colours. If you’re looking for recipes that never disappoint, follow 👉@bakerbynature.