Hi there, Scribblers! Hope you had a very merry Christmas. How about we get started on that happy New Year? This time of year always feels like a marathon of holidays with New Year’s Eve shining as the main event.

New Year’s Eve is the ultimate time to celebrate. Usher in a new year, shout out the count down, cheer, make noise, toast, dance! You don’t have to go out to a fancy party to celebrate. You can have a blast at home with family and friends (especially if you have littles who can go to bed once they’re tuckered out). And nothing says celebration quite like confetti.

While there’s no doubt that confetti is messy, it’s just so festive! It’s also not quite as bad as glitter. Sometimes you just have to take on the extra clean up and enjoy the moment. One way to do that this year is with these adorable matchbox confetti holders from Carolyn’s Homework.

You’ll need matchboxes (the same number as guests you’re having over), festive paper (could be scrapbook, foil, wrapping, or origami), twine, and confetti (either bought or self-made).

Wrap the matchboxes in your bright, festive paper. Fill each one with a handful of confetti. To make your own, all you need is a hole punch and paper (this could be your leftover festive paper). Definitely do it over a piece of wax paper to funnel them into your boxes after and avoid rogue pieces.

Finally, close up the boxes and wrap some twine around them for an extra cheerful touch. If you want, you can add countdown numbers to each and have your own countdown confetti wave.

You’ll have to get the vacuum ready for the next morning, but the fun will be well worth the quick clean up. Here’s to a happy New Year’s Eve and an even happier New Year!

Photo via Carolyn’s Homework

Hi Scribblers!

I had so much fun making these chocolate marshmallow snowmen and think you will too.  I initially came across the marshmallow snowmen on the Tatertots and Jello blog.  What a terrific activity to do with your little ones for the holiday.  I wanted to try something a little different and what could be better than frosting the marshmallows with white chocolate!  How decadent, how yummy!!   I brought them to a holiday party and the snowmen were a real conversation starter, they were also devoured within minutes of being placed on the table.  Try them, they are easy to make, your kids will love them and they make a wonderful hostess gifts too!

Chocolate Marshmallow Snowmen-Yummy!!!

You’ll need some Marshmallows – any brand will be good.  Some mini M&M’s, Red string licorice or Twizzlers makes a red licorice that pulls apart (Pull n’ Peel Twizzlers), wooden or cardboard sticks and white chocolate melts.

Things needed to make Chocolate Marshmallow Snowmen

Put 3 marshmallows on a stick and set them aside.

Marshmallows waiting for chocolate

Melt the chocolate and smooth onto the marshmallows.

Frosting the marshmallows with chocolate

Once you have frosted the marshmallows with chocolate and before the chocolate dries, add the mini M&M’s and string licorice to create the snowman’s eyes, nose, buttons and hat.

Decorated Marshmallow Snowman

You’ll have to place the frosted marshmallows onto wax paper and let dry completely before serving them.

There you have it!  Chocolate marshmallow Snowmen!

I decided to put the finished snowmen onto a wreath, to bring as a hostess gift.

Chocolate Marshmallow Snowmen Ready for Gift Giving!!!

So easy and so much fun!!!

Enjoy and happy holiday!

Most holidays have a representative candy that is the superstar for that celebration. Halloween has candy corn, Easter has chocolate eggs, Hanukkah has gelt… and Christmas has none other than… the candy cane!

Do you like candy canes? It’s funny… instead of having a bunch early in the season and getting sick of them, I avoid them for a long time. I somehow convince myself that I don’t really care for them and then eventually after being surrounded by the red and white treats for weeks, I give in and try one… and then presto! I remember I actually like them. Think of all that perfectly good time I waste not eating the peppermint delights.

Now of course candy canes are iconic for their color and shape. The red and white stripes twisting up and over the crook is a classic Christmas theme. But who’s to say we can’t change things up a little and get creative?

This very quick and simple tip is such a fun way to add an unexpected twist to your candy cane display!

Are you ready?

Here it goes…

Soften them in the oven and mold them into new shapes!

What?! How?! Well, I’ll tell ya. If your candy canes are wrapped in plastic, remove the wrapping and lay the canes out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Put it in the oven at about 300 degrees for 6-7 minutes. They should soften so you can bend and reshape them, but don’t let them melt. If you press two pieces together while they’re warm, they should also fuse together. You can break them up before baking so you have different sized pieces to work with.

Want to do it even faster? You could try the microwave! This time, leave the plastic wrapping on and place the candy cane in the microwave for about 15 seconds. If that’s not enough time, work in very small increments because you don’t want the plastic wrapper to melt.

Spell out words, make pictures, create hearts and shapes… however the holiday spirit moves you! This is also a great way to bring new life to broken candy canes. Enjoy!

Photo via Handmade Type

Photo via From Glitter to Gumdrops

Photo via Make and Takes

Amani and Mario Natescapes with Nate Williams!

Here’s what Nate said about the artistic collabo collage experience:

Amani looked at the collage “Liquidraw Paintscape #3″ and thought it would be a great place to create a narrative with the game character Mario. Amani describes her collage “Amani and Mario’s Natescape” as an adventure story of Mario, Luigi, and a band of polychromatic toad friends, on a heroic jourey through a Natescape; seeking to rescue Princess Peach. Princess Peach is Mario’s best friend and one true love.

Amani has recently renewed her appreciation of Mario, by playing real life re-enactments of Mario games with her mother, Rachel, sister, Mariah, and new friends Mike and Michael. I love Amani’s collage re-mix! She is a true scribble artist, collage adventurer, and visual DJ. Looking forward to seeing more collaged adventures.

Amani and Mario Natescape 1

Amani and Mario Natescape 3

Make your own Natescape by having a look at http://nate-art.com/#/gallery.  Choose a collage and let yourself go with the flow.  Thanks Nate for sharing with Scribble Blog!

Happy fifth night of Hannukah, everyone! Latkes aren’t the only treat you can whip up to celebrate. Today’s craft, seen on The Shiksa in the Kitchen and Parents.com is just as tasty as it is festive and it’s inspired by the classic game of dreidel! These sweets may not get much spin, but they’re easy to make, delightful to look at, and yummy to snack on!

You will need: jumbo marshmallows, pretzel sticks, chocolate kisses, Nutella spread, and cake decorating gel. A quick note: regular marshmallows are not kosher as they contain gelatin. If you’re keeping kosher during the holiday, pick out marshmallows from a kosher grocery store or the kosher section of your regular supermarket.

To assemble your dreidel, push a pretzel stick into the flat side of a marshmallow as far as it will go without puncturing the other side. Next, spread a little Nutella on the bottom of a chocolate kiss. This works as an edible glue when you stick the kiss to the other flat side of the marshmallow. And besides, Nutella makes everything better. Now it’s time to add your Hebrew letters with the cake decorating gel.

Here are the Hebrew letters that go on a dreidel.

In case these fun snacks inspire you to give the real game a whirl, here’s a quick crash course in how to play dreidel. There’s no limit to how many people can play. Everyone starts with a set amount of gelt (chocolate coins wrapped in foil). You can also play with pennies, raisins, M&Ms… anything that will work as game pieces. Each player puts a coin in the pot to start. One at a time, each player spins the dreidel and follows the direction of whichever symbol it lands on. Nun means “nisht” in Yiddish, or none (the player doesn nothing). Gimel means “gantz,” or everything (the player takes everything in the pot). Hey means “halb,” or half (the player takes half of the pot). And finally, Shin means “shtel,” or “put in” (the player adds a coin of his or hers to the pot). At the beginning of each round, every player adds another coin to the pot and it begins again.

Now back to the snacks at hand! If you’re feeling fancy, you can skip the Hebrew letters and dip your marshmallow dreidels in chocolate and sprinkles. Or make some decorated with gel and some covered in chocolate. Whichever aesthetic you choose, make sure you allow time for your dreidels to set so they don’t melt or run. Enjoy!

Photos via The Shiksa in the Kitchen

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree… no, not the real ones with pine needles that are reach up to the ceiling! How about the ones made of paper that fit right on a page? This paper tree collage is a perfect rainy day or evening activity during the holiday season.

All you need is…. paper! Well, okay… paper, scissors (or a paper cutter if you have one at home), and glue. When it comes to paper, let’s specify. You’ll need a large sheet of white paper for your background and then a variety of paper scraps that include the color green. You could use construction paper, scrapbook paper, leftover wrapping paper… whatever you like!

Cut your green paper into strips of different widths and lengths. Once you have a nice little pile, start stacking them on your white sheet, longest strips on the bottom. The rest can be random and don’t be afraid to mix your patterns and angles. Use a glue stick to adhere them down when you’re ready. If you like, you can cut out some ornaments, a brown tree trunk, and a star from construction paper to decorate your tree. Ta-da!

Quick, simple, and pretty! And your entire cleanup consists of sweeping any scraps of extra paper into a recycling bin. Display and enjoy!

Sari Toivola (Sari): Hi! I’m Sari Toivola a Graphic Designer and Illustrator from Vantaa, Finland. I love drawing, designing, comics, history, horses and cats.   I’m working as a Graphic Designer and Illustrator and my business name is Sari ja kuva. I am also a qualificated special needs assistant and have worked with kids, so I’m really excited when I get a chance to create something for them!

Katteja by Sari Toivola

Scribble Town (ST): Thank you Sari for being with us at Scribble Town!  I like your business name ‘Sari ja kuva’ because when I did a translation of it from Finnish to English it means ‘Sari and picture’.  I started playing around with your words and found that if you put them all together (take away the i) sarjakuva means cartoon!  How clever of you to come up with that name!  It makes perfect sense why a girl named Sari from Finland should be an illustrator and comic lover.

With that said please tell us more about yourself.  What are you up to these days?

Sari: At the moment, I’m doing different kind of works for small companies, associations and private persons. Drawing and designing isn’t only work for me, it’s also a hobby and a lifestyle.

Wonderland by Sari Toivola

ST: What do you like most about illustrating?

Sari: Drawing is creative and the most natural way for me to express myself. By drawing you can mix reality and fantasy, only sky (and your own imagination) is the limit. It’s also rewarding to draw for some specific purpose where illustration is supposed to be a part of the big picture and support, for example, a text. I’m always trying to create something a bit new and bring the subject a new point of view. I also want to express feelings through my pictures, hoping they will touch the viewers as well.

ST: What is your favorite place to create?

Sari: Most of the time I work at home but some days it’s also nice to go to a nice coffee house and work there. It totally depends on my mood… If I’m tired I’d rather stay at home but sometimes it’s good and healthy to go outside and then I usually pick a nice place with some background noise which helps me concentrate.

ST: What art techniques or tools do you like to use?

Sari: Mostly I draw digitally on the computer using a mouse and a few programs, but I also use pencils and markers for sketching. I usually start a new work by drawing and sketching by hand. Then I scan my sketches and finish the work with a computer by drawing the lines and coloring.

ST: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Sari: I get my inspiration from every day life, people, animals, and nature. I’m also very into European history of arts and culture. This is one of the things that inspires me most.

ST: Do you have a craft, piece of art, or art technique you can share with our Scribblers for them to make at home? Any tips would be great!

Sari: I have been working with an intreresting technique lately called “Taikataikina,” which translates to “Magic Dough.” Everyone can make it, you just need some wheat flour, salt, water and cooking oil. You can handle it like play dough or clay and it can be harden in a regular oven.

Instructions on how to make Taikataikina aka Magic Dough:

Taikisnaamio or Magic Dough by Sari Toivola

3 dl wheat flour

1½ dl salt
1½ dl water
(dl= deciliter)

1 spoon of oil

If you like you can also add a hint of food colouring to the dough for more color.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add water and oil. Fold the dough until it’s smooth and then start creating.

If you don’t use all the dough at once, keep the rest of the dough in fridge so you can use it later.

Finished artworks can be harden by heating them in an oven about an hour in 125 celsius degrees. Hardened works can be painted and varnished by using water colours, acrylics or permanent markers.

Sari Toivola's Taikisnaamio or Magic Dough going in the oven

This dough is very easy to make and simple to work with. It’s 100% non-toxic, so it’s also suitable for small children. And it is cheap and can be hardened at home without any complicated or expensive equipment.

Here are a couple of photos of fresh Magic Dough Masks waiting to get cleaned up and colored.

ST: What a great idea, Sari! Perhaps the Scribblers out there could make their own Magic Dough and send in pictures of their creations. We can post your Magic Dough sculptures on the Scribble Blog. I’m definitely ready to get my hands all floured up and turn 2D into 3D!

Here's what Felipe, Christian, M, & Pierre look like with color! Painted by Sari Toivola

After the Magic Dough creations bake in the oven you can paint them.  To the left are Felipe, Christian, M, and Pierre with rosy lips and faces full of color.

For more info about Sari and her artwork please have a look at www.sarijakuva.fi.  I’m sure she’d love hear from you!  In Finnish you can say “moi” or “hei” for hello. Hay is not just for horses in this part of the world

Thanks Sari for all the inspiration you have given us!

Scribblers, don’t forget to send in jpegs of your Magic Dough creations to . Can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!

Kissalumiukko "A Snowman Cat" by Sari Toivola

Kameleonttilinnut ja neljä vuodenaikaa "Cameleon birds and the four seasons" by Sari Toivola

My Life and Ego by Sari Toivola

Hi Scribblers,

The holiday season is here!  It’s a favorite time of the year for me, crafting, baking, decorating, holiday parties and shopping, shopping, shopping!!

Tomorrow evening is the beginning of Hanukkah. It’s the Festival of Lights and one of the most fun festivals of the year for kids! Even if your family isn’t Jewish, your young Scribbler can enjoy learning about this major winter holiday.

Hanukkah lasts for 8 nights. For each night of Hanukkah, families light one candle in the menorah. The ninth candle in the middle is used to light the other candles.

With our downloadable craft page, your Scribblers can make their own Menorahs! Click on the picture for a printout. Color and glue on a new candle for every night of Hanukkah!

For the perfect gifts for your little Scribblers, please visit Scribbleshop.com.  We’ve got a large selection of toys, games and crafts by your favorite brands, like Melissa & Doug, Alex toys, Klutz, Crayola and so much more!!  All at great prices and FREE shipping too!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. Happy Scribbling!!!