Five Fab Classroom Valentine's Day Crafts for kids to exchange

Valentine list of Classroom Valentine's Day Crafts for Kids from some very Crafty Bloggers.

Does this make you so happy you want to bake a Valentine's Cake? I love to celebrate Valentine's Day with crafts. Here are 5 fun ideas for Kids' Valentines from Pinterest. Enjoy!

It's Rolo Candy Rolls Bomb from Make it Do blog.

Scrappy Thumb Print Valentine from Simply Kierste blog.

Thumbprint Roses from All Free Crafts.

Butterfly Buggy Lollipop Valentines from Momma Bee Partyz blog.

Candy Hearts Ipod/MP3 Player with Reece's Cups from Studio5.KSL.

Happy Valentine's Crafting! 

You might also like Recycled Christmas Classroom Valentine and 10 Valentine Cartoon Clip Art Images.   



Recommended Reading:

Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day Is Cool*

Snowy Valentine*

OLIVIA and the Perfect Valentine (Olivia TV Tie-in)*


















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Easy Donut Recipe? Santa's Doughnut Maker Mistake

Easy Donut Recipe? 

In 2010, Santa brought the little one a doughnut maker.  She asked for a cupcake maker, but it was the hot item and hard to find that year.

Mommy was tired after all of the Christmas doings, so Daddy was in charge of making the doughnuts. I never even saw one. I heard, "They were so good!"  Mommy has been very busy.  Mommy experienced the Easy Bake Oven with the teenager.  It took Mommy over a year to make the doughnuts.

As a kid, I had a Holly Hobbie, Old-fashioned,  Easy Bake Oven.  What fun I had baking cookies and cakes on the floor of my bedroom...  Wait that seems like an odd memory, true, but odd.  I have no memory of my mother helping with this endeavor.  I do remember my Dad eating the results. As a matter of fact, I remember my Dad eating teenager's Easy Bake Cookies and Cakes.

Remember how the cookies tasted baked in your Holly Hobbie Easy Bake Oven.

I also had a Baby Alive growing up.  You mixed the baby food  and she pooped and peed.  I liked her food.  I thought. "It was so good!"  Easy Bake and Super Doughnut Factory food tastes exactly like Baby Alive food. My, how my tastes have changed. And, for those of you who read my post on doll collecting, yes, somewhere, I have both of these items.  (Hoarder, Hoarder, Hoarder)

This year (2011), my son wanted a doughnut maker.  He knew exactly which one he wanted. Grandpa took us shopping and when we explained that we needed to leave the toy aisle and find the small appliance aisle both Daddy and Grandpa were perplexed. My son is very practical.  He also asked Grandpa for a new, winter coat. So, he got this one.

Mommy has been ridden with guilt. Knowing she should make the little one's doughnuts but not wanting to make the doughnuts. So, I had a brilliant idea.  We'd have a doughnut maker bake-off. Doesn't that sound like fun?

What I learned from said Doughnut Maker Bake-off:

Good ideas- aren't always. The genius idea to rid the house of Easy-Bake and Super Doughnut Maker packets would be more genius if I secretly tossed them. Easy-Bake is a Misnomer. Super Doughnut is a Misnomer.  

What's Super about it?  Doughnuts are tiny.  You mix them in a tiny bowl with a tiny spoon, put them in a "machine" that squeezes  supposedly squeezes them back out into a tiny muffin tray. We are not elfs, we are humans. The extra step is not easy, super, or fun. It works better if you use the tiny spoon to place the batter in the tiny muffin tray. Then you add the filling.  HA ha ha ha ha. Finally you stick it into the microwave for 45 seconds. Voila! Easy.  

Mommy taught the teenager how to use the microwave with her Easy-Bake supplies when she kept getting the pans stuck in her oven. I should have invented the 'Super Easy Cake Maker', I would be swimming in the dough. Yep, dough.

If you put something off for an entire year forget the guilt; I'm sure you had a good reason. Someone's got to clean this thing! I've made my last Easy-Bake or Kiddie Baker item ever.

It might be possible to persuade me into feeding Baby Alive.  Thank goodness the little one doesn't like dolls, especially babies. I've changed enough diapers in my life. After she ate microscopic, microwaved, mini-doughnuts made from year old ingredients, we grabbed a box of cake, followed the recipe for cake-like cookies, spooned them into the practical doughnut maker, popped them out after two minutes, and coated them with powdered sugar. Now that was easy.

Daddy ate the doughnuts. None of these doughnuts are fat-fried, I guess that's a plus. Here are some of our other Easy doughnut/fun food recipe attempts that really work!

Refrigerator Biscuit Doughnuts (Powdered Sugar Recipe)

How to make maple glaze

Valentine Pretzels

Cinnamon Donut Recipe (These were made in donut maker. They are good and beautiful)

Recommended Reading:

Doughnuts: Simple and Delicious Recipes to Make at Home

WINNING! Friday Giveaway

And the WINNER of the JAWS = Just Add Water System is (With 5 entries)

Drum Roll...

Esther from Laugh with Us Blog.

We had over 30 entries including those on our FB page.
Sorry winner must live within the continental U.S.

We did it the old-fashioned way with paper in a hat.
I'm too lazy and tired to take a picture with a real camera.

Like KIDS CREATIVE CHAOS for next week's giveaway, TBA.

Esther was the only entry in a book giveaway a few weeks ago, therefore the winner of that one too.

Midwest Blogger's Club: Early Bird Registration Jan. 5 - Feb. 10

Midwest Blogger's Club: Early Bird Registration Jan. 5 - Feb. 10: Saturday only (Official Meet Up), book your own hotel if needed - choose from list in tabs above. I have a conference room, microscopic ki...

Vote for me..

I'm  number 9 in DIY but 140 overall....  Just click to vote.  Then you can click the like button on my listing for brownie points.  Let me know... I'll give you 3 entries into Friday's giveaway for JAWS.

Midwest Bloggers Club Meet-Up/Mini-Conference

Updated info for Mini-Conference April 21, 2012
http://www.midwestbloggersassociation.com/

$55 Adults/$15 Youth

7 Creative New Year's Crafts and Activities for Kids fun for boys and girls

7 Easy New Year Activities for Kids for Boys and Girls

These 7 New Year's Crafts are creative and easy enough for little ones to do. The anticipation of the suprise package and the enjoyment of the other activities will help make it the best new year's ever. Enjoy!

 New Year's Crafts and Activities for Kids.

Click the titles for How to Make New Year's Crafts for Kids.

Festive Rocket Popper Blaster

Rocket Popper Activity for Children.

Fill this with confetti or feathers.  Ours is filled with colorful, recycled silk flowers from a craft lei project. Perfect for New Years, VBS, or, a Fourth of July Party.

Silver Surprise Package

Midnight Care Package New Year Activity.

We used a tiny jewelry box.  Tag reads, "Do not open until Midnight - 12/31/12". Fill this with a fun gift for the kiddos or make it a Midnight Care Package by filling it with a noise maker/kazoo, a pair of silly glasses, and a party hat.

Ring in the New Year Bell

Make a bell from a paper cup.

Recycle a paper cup, plastic spoon, holiday ornament or that jingle bell necklace into a fun kid-crafted bell noisemaker for the year-end celebration.

Snow Globe or Eye Spy New Year's Time Capsule Ornament

7 New Year's Decorations.

A clear glass or plastic ornament makes a fun party favor.

New Year's Necklace/Medallion

New Year Medallion a recycled Christmas decoration.

Paint an old, plastic holiday ornament with sparkles and the New Year date.  Insert a shiny ribbon or string and you've got a fun, memento.  Boy's like to wear necklaces too so this is a fun project they can personalize anyway they want.

Easy, Sparkly Ornaments to Deck the Halls

Transform Christmas Balls to sparkly New Year Decorations.

Give that Gold or Silver ball ornament new life.  Add a sparkly, spiraled pipe-cleaner to hang and paint with glitter glue.  We added a gold leaf from an old, holiday decoration to give it a little whimsy.

Fun Ball Drop Whirly-Gig Silent Spin Drum

Fun New Year activity for kids. 
Craft a whirly-gig with preschoolers.

Popsicle sticks and styrofoam make for fun!  Paint a styrofoam ball of any size, paint any color you like (be patient paint takes forever to dry on styrofoam).  Add glitter.  Pop in the stick and decorate to your hearts content.  We added a silver pipe-cleaner and silver, star garland to hang.  Add feathers and spin in your hands like a spin drum or hang upside down in the doorway as a festive replacement for mistletoe.  The kiddos can pretend to let the ball drop if you attach a long string over a hanger.

Tip:  Add tiny pieces of mirror (Find sticky back pieces at Craft Stores) to a styrofoam ball to make a Disco Ball decoration.


Recommended Reading:

P. Bear's New Year's Party: A Counting Book*

The Night Before New Year's*


Grafix 9-Inch-by-12-Inch Adhesive Backed Film Silver, 3-Pack*

More New Year's Craft and Activities






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Toilet Tube Rocket Popper: Futuristic Craft for Kids

Make a Rocket Popper Cracker from a Cardboard Tube to Celebrate the New Year with a Fun Futuristic Activity for Kids

Festive Rocket Popper Blaster made from a cardboard toilet paper roll tube is an easy, futuristic craft for kids. Fill this with confetti or feathers for a fun explosion of color. Ours is filled with colorful, recycled silk flowers from an old, recycled craft lei project. It's the perfect children's activity for New Year's Eve, VBS, a rocket theme Birthday, or a Fourth of July Party. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Futuristic Rocket Craft from recycled cardboard tube 
fun for New Year Celebrations.

How to make a rocket popper from a cardboard toilet roll tube:

Paint or decorate Toilet Tubes as desired. Set one tube aside. Cut second tube up middle, vertically. Fold over, and tape so it is slightly smaller than the other tube. Attach a large, craft stick to the outside of the smaller tube. Trace the larger tube onto construction paper, and cut out the circle. Glue paper circle with glue-stick to top of tube. Do not use hot glue! This needs to easily pop off.

Cut a strip of paper 2-3" wide and wrap around bottom of larger tube, attaching with glue stick or hot glue. Cut triangle shapes in paper to resemble the bottom of a rocket. Make a cone out of construction paper (measured to fit top of tube) attach with tape. Insert confetti, un-blown balloons, candy, or feathers into tube. Insert smaller tube on stick into base of larger tube.

Recycled Rocket Spaceship Craft for kids.

Countdown to your celebration and then push-up your rocket to explode or launch the fun! 


Recommended Reading:

Zoom, Rocket, Zoom!*

Fun Game for Boys* (Yes, girls like it too!)

Rocket Story for Kindergarten thru Third grade.

Rocket Story for 3-6 year olds (preschool).

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Ring in the New Year Bell Craft Activity for Kids

Recycle Paper Cups and Plastic Spoons for Easy Kids New Year Craft Bell Activity

Ring in the New Year with this easy New Year's Eve Craft Activity for Kids to Make. Make the craft and then at midnight everyone rings their bell. Enjoy!

New Year Bell Craft Activity.

Recycle a paper cup, plastic spoon, holiday ornament or that jingle bell necklace into a fun, kid-crafted bell noisemaker for the year-end celebration.

Make a bell to ring in the New Year with a paper cup and ball ornament.

• Paint a paper cup. 
• Paint the NEW YEAR on cup with glitter glue.
• With scissors or a box cutter, slice a 1" slit in base of cup.
• Cut a triangle pattern out around the top of the cup.
• Bend the triangles out to make a star.
• Wrap a sparkly pipe-cleaner around the spoon's handle (make a loop for hanging at top).
• Insert spoon in slit on base of cup.
• Tape may be necessary to keep spoon aligned.
• Attach a short string to a mini-ornament or jingle bell and attach with tape.
• Hang for display on mantle.

At midnight, grab those bells and make some noise! 

Recommended Reading:

New Year's Party for Kids

Make a New Year Care Package

Kitchen Kids Series: Holiday Recipes*

How to Celebrate Chinese New Year: With Fireworks, Dragons, and Lanterns*






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

How to Make a New Year's Activity Care Package for Midnight

Make this New Year Care Package Kit for the Countdown

What do you when the clock strikes twelve? When the ball drops? Here's a new Tradition for New Year's Eve. Make a Midnight Care Package for family and party guests to open in the New Year. Enjoy!

Silver Surprise Package filled with... 

Midnight New Year Care Package Kit for the Countdown.

Grab those leftover gift boxes from Christmas or get busy recycling and wrap an empty box in shiny paper. We used a tiny jewelry box. Construction paper tag reads:

 "Do not open until Midnight - 12/31/16"

How to make a New Year Countdown Care Package Kit

Tie a ribbon around the package and insert sparkly pipe-cleaners. To make spirals, wrap the pipe-cleaner around your finger or a pencil. Wrap the end of the pipe-cleaner around the ribbon to attach.

Loop another piece of ribbon through the end of package bow. Tie a knot to hang from mantle. Don't forget to curl all the loose ends with your scissors. Take strand of ribbon, stretch taut, and slide one scissor blade from end to end to curl. Hang from mantle on festive silver hooks.

Fill box with fun gifts for the kiddos or make it a Midnight Care Package by filling it with a noise maker/kazoo and a pair of silly glasses, a special message, and a party hat. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!  Surprise.

Tip:  For an Adult alternative, hang these from silver hooks over the mantle or from a fancy ribbon garland overhead in the doorway. Fill the tiny boxes with fortunes (think cookie) or use larger boxes and fill with noisemakers, and pen and paper to write down resolutions. Let guest open just before the ball drop on Times Square.  

Tip:  Instead of resolutions, have guests write fun fortunes, toss them all in a hat, and pass the hat around to "reveal" your New Year's future.


Recommended Reading:

New Year's Quote for Facebook

Games to play for New Year's Eve

Have the Best New Year's Ever

New Year's Eve Party Supplies *

Cool New Year's Giant Decorating Kit *






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

How to Craft a Snow Globe or I Spy New Year's Time Capsule Activity

Make a New Year's Time Capsule from a Christmas Ornament

A clear glass or plastic Christmas ornament makes a fun party favor and Mini Time Capsule for  New Year's Eve party celebrations with kids.

Festive New Year Decoration

I Spy Something,

How to make a New Year Time Capsule from a glass Christmas Ornament Decoration

You will need:

A clear ornament with a large opening.

Iridescent sparkle paint.

Glitter glue.

Cotton Balls or Fake Snow or Shredded Paper.

Miscellaneous items such as sparkly pipe-cleaners, star confetti, and mini-tree ornaments.

Remove the top and drip paint inside.  Let dry by standing on a toilet tube.  Once dry, insert snow. We tore cotton balls and stuffed them inside using a straw.  Add piece of sparkle (pipe-cleaners or confetti).  Insert surprises to "I Spy". We added a nutcracker soldier. Replace top. Using toilet tube as an easel paint "Happy" with glitter glue on outside.  Add glitter glue dots of varying colors. Attach shiny ribbon and hang from mantle.


Recommended Reading:

I Spy Fantasy: A Book of Picture Riddles*

Can you spy what's inside?  You can also make a real snow globe. 

Winter Day Play!: Activities, Crafts, and Games for Indoors and Out

Snowman Face

Fun Tip:  Fill with "Snow" and then paint or draw a snowman's face for an all-winter mantle decoration.

JAWS?

Just Add Water System

With all the messy crafts and kid's cooking projects we do on a regular basis, I could start my own landfill with empty bottles of cleaning supplies. So, when the opportunity arose to review a greener alternative landed in my inbox, I jumped on it. I'm so glad I did!

JAWS is awesome. You get an empty bottle, an insert-able cartridge, and a refill pack. Jaws doesn't have an offensive odor and it hasn't irritated my allergies like other products do.  When you've cleaned all those messes and need more cleaner just head to your local Marsh for a new cartridge to insert into your old bottle.  Just add water...

I'm giving away a full-size bottle of all the products with refill cartridges!

Comment below for 1 entry.

For 2 entries Like Kids Creative Chaos on Facebook.

For 3 entries Like Jaws on Facebook.

For 4 Entries Like Playconnection on Twitter.

Doll Collections: Are you a Crafter? Collector? Or just a plain, old Hoarder?

Collecting Dolls and Crissy Babies

Doing more surfing than crafting for kids lately? After Christmas and year end clearance specials are amazing. We all need to stock up on junk  more craft supplies for the new year. My favorite clearance sale is always the one on Toys and Hobbies. Doll collecting is my downfall. 

I've been collecting dolls since I was born, literally. Here's a picture of the first doll ever given to me, shortly after my birth in...  1969. (collector, collector, collector)

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.

Doll Collecting Habit

My Grandmother crocheted her a beautiful, new outfit many, many years ago, but I still have her chartreuse and lace dress. (hoarder, hoarder, hoarder)

I also have a jingly, wobbly, Mickey Mouse, baby toy given to me the same year (1969) with perfect tag intact ~ Walt Disney World ~ I think I may have chewed off one of his ears. (Ebay, Ebay, Ebay)

Then, there's Crissy Baby. I never actually owned one as a child but always wanted one. Now, I have several. (collector, collector, collector)  

And Barbie... mostly from garage sales. (dumpster diver, dumpster diver, dumpster diver) The Bubble wig 1960's version.

These girls sit in boxes in my closet sharing space with my most prized possession-  a Dennis Rodman doll with interchangeable heads to showcase his Kool-Aid dyed hair years. That's right, my friends, Dennis Rodman with interchangeable heads.  They even make a Dennis Rodman in Wedding Dress doll.

Here's an old creepy doll that I dressed up and gave a new wig.

Michael Jackson is there too with his glove and Grammy glimmer jacket, but he was born a collectible doll. Even though we attended college together, (yes, you read that right, I took a doll to college) but he isn't my favorite doll.

I mean, you probably know someone else with an MJ, but how many of you know someone with a Dennis Rodman?

Crissy Baby Doll ~ Growing Hair.

Interchangeable heads.

OMG, I didn't realize this doll existed. Want.

Want to make your own Kool-Aid hair dye?

So, when Marie Osmond started designing dolls, I had to have one right up until I found out they were "collectible" and expensive. I don't collect anything considered collectible. In my opinion, that's what separates the collector from the hoarder. It's okay to laugh here.

Who doesn't love them some Donny and Marie?  I'd dumpster dive for a set of Donny and Marie dolls. 

Donny and Marie Osmond Dolls.  Is this TMI?  

Ahem, I'm surfing browsing the Marie dolls when I come across Marie Osmond Crafts.  She sings. She dances. She dolls. She gains weight. She loses weight. She crafts. Love her!  I'll bet she uses bonding tape to hem those doll clothes.

Did I already mention how much I adore these cute Russian dolls? I first saw these at a friend's house and I instantly decided to get a set to add to my collections. It wasn't hard finding these dolls because you can now get them online. I got mine from https://nestingdolls.co/ and they look great!

I just bought a mini-sewing machine for simple craft projects... Forget about Martha Stewart (Sorry, Martha). I wanna be like Marie. If I design some collectible dolls with Kool-Aid dyed hair would you collect them? (hoarder, hoarder, hoarder)

Crissy doll collecting.

This Crissy doll looks a little like my son. Okay, a lot. How weird is that? 


Recommended:

Follow me on Pinterest 

How to Make a Doll Purse for a Gift Bag

More Animal Nesting Dolls

Get Books on Doll Collecting