Confetti Eggs

Have you seen the confetti eggs on Pinterest? I started noticing my friends pinning them just the past couple of weeks. I don't know how people save their eggs and then fill them with confetti. That is so time consuming. I think I would cry watching them being broken if I had put so much time into something like this. So imagine my joy when I walked into Walgreens and someone had already made the confetti eggs for me. I just want to say "thank you" to the person who took the time to make confetti eggs and let me buy them. I am here to say to all the moms who may have made their own confetti eggs, give yourself a break and go buy them and spend the time with your kids. I know you'll thank me later.

 And it was all over in 10mins. I enjoyed every minute and so did my kids. Happy Easter!

Lucky Charms

I bought another kit to test and try out with my kids. I like kits because they come with everything you need and I am not running around town trying to gather forgotten materials.

Last night my kids and I decided to make some clay charms together. When I saw this, it reminded me of the charms that my girls have on their charm bracelets. The charms aren't cheap, but I thought with this kit maybe I could save some money on the charms I've purchased at the mall (I am not holding my breath on the saving the money part).

Here is what the kit looks like. It is put out by Klutz and includes everything you need, including a book that shows you how to make their charms. When I opened up the clay it was really dry and it crumbled easily. I kind of wonder if it wasn't just old clay. I decided to by some different clay at the craft store instead. 

I like the Sculpey brand. I used to play with this stuff about 15 years ago and it has never disappointed me. I bought a bunch of different colors just so we weren't limited by what we could make.

Here is a mickey mouse charm I made and baked. It took 20 mins in the oven before it was fully done. The little metal hook came in the kit and I inserted it into the charm before baking.

Here is some of our creations from last night. We didn't put the glaze on our charms yet. The glaze is a nice touch but I think the flat finish of the clay is just as nice.

Overall I think my kids enjoyed making their own charms. I would buy this kit again. I like all of the things in the kit except for the dry clay that came in the box. If I could buy a kit with better clay than I wouldn't have any complaints. 

Rubber bands

Ok, I have to admit that I didn't realize what a craze making rubber band creations on a loom would be. My kids spend hours finding new projects online and making them. I wish I would have thought of making a rubber band loom, but I am glad we have one for our kids. Sophie actually got a rubber band loom for christmas and was kind of (how should I say this)…unimpressed. I showed her what to do and as soon as we had made a basic bracelet she was happy as a clam. I wouldn't recommend this product for little kids because the small rubber bands could be a potential choking hazard and requires some patience. I have noticed some people online ranting about how the rubber bands break and that the projects never turn out. I have something to say about this….as long as you stay calm and keep on looming your band project will work out. My kids like the youtube videos that teach you as you go. I have to say that they are usually really good about explaining how to make things in simple terms.

Here is what the loom looks like. You can buy it at any craft store, online, or any major retail store. I actually bought this one on amazon. Most kits include the loom, hook, rubber bands, with c clips or s clips that hook your bands together. When you run out of rubber bands there are tons of different colors and packages at all the stores mentioned above. 

Sophie made a simple chain necklace. She plans on putting some charms on it. 

These are sunburst bracelets. the pastel colored one is made with glow in the dark rubber bands.  A tutorial for this is on youtube. 

My son made a snake and hooked it onto his backpack for school. His friends all want him to make them one.

Those are just some of the projects that my kids have done. I'm impressed that they like it so much (including my son). I would highly recommend buying one for your child if you don't already have one.