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Kid-Friendly Mocktail Bar

Perhaps the most quintessential tradition of New Year’s Eve is the champagne toast, but what about everybody who doesn’t participate in a sip of bubbly? Whether you’re under age or prefer to abstain, you deserve a fun and fancy drink to toast with at midnight. That’s why we love a good mocktail—or cocktail without alcohol. With a well-stocked mocktail bar, you can mix and match ingredients to create tasty kid-friendly drinks.

 

Cranberry Kiss Mocktail Image via Eat Drink Pretty

 

In fact, we think all these fun possibilities are even more delicious and interesting that traditional bubbly. With a few basic ingredients, you can make so many combinations. Use your creativity to whip up some yummy drinks that’ll have all your guests saying, “Champagne who?”

 

To create well-balanced mixed drinks, you need a few key components—mainly something bubbly and something sweet. Of course, you don’t need carbonation, but it is New Years, after all. Customize any ingredients you want to make your bar more sophisticated (cucumber, black currant, fresh herbs) or childproof (orange slices, fruit punch, crazy straws). Here are the key components to creating a fabulous mocktail bar:

 

- A bubbly base: Ginger ale, sparkling cider, Sprite or Sierra Mist, seltzer—these clear sodas are the perfect vehicles to add a little spritz to your glass. Pick your favorite or have a few kinds available.

 

- Juice: Orange, cranberry, pineapple, lemonade, peach nectar… these fruity liquids add sweetness and pack the flavor punch for your mixed drink. Stock as many as you like, but a good base is usually three different options.

 

- Fresh fruit: Whether it’s muddled or used for garnish, fresh fruit is delicious and gives your glass a festive touch. Doesn’t it just feel fancier? Berries and citrus are usually best—raspberries, blackberries, lemons, and limes, etc—but feel free to try any other favorites.

 

*Another fun tip: Try freezing berries to create a tasty alternative to ice. They’ll keep drinks chilled without watering them down and look prettier, too!

 

- Fresh Herbs: This is optional, and perhaps for the more adventurous, but some fresh herbs can really bring your mocktails to the next level. Mint, thyme, basil, and rosemary all add deep and complex flavors to an otherwise simple drink. If you’re looking to ease your way in to adding a little green to your glass, try starting with mint.

 

 Rosemary Citrus Spritzer

Image via The Kitchn

 

These kid-friendly bar basics will ensure tons of fun drink creations. Let the little ones play mixologists and come up with their own delicious concoctions. Keep in mind you can always tailor this to your friends’ and family’s preferences. If you’d like some recipes on hand, here are a few great suggestions:

 

Rosemary Citrus Spritzer from The Kitchn

 

Rudolph’s Nose from NCADD

 

Cranberry Kiss from Eat Drink Pretty

 

Strawberry Crush from La Fuji Mama

 

Alcohol content certainly doesn’t have the market cornered on festivity. Upgrade your cup of soda or juice this year and make a fancy drink worthy of starting the New Year with. Cheers!

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Published by , on December 31st, 2013 at 3:28 pm. Filled under: adults,food art,holiday,kids Tags: , drinks, , , , , , mocktails, • No Comments

Gingerbread Real Estate

Did you know gingerbread houses became popular in Germany during the 1800s after Hansel and Gretel was published? That’s pretty spectacular considering that in the fairytale, the beautifully edible house is used to lure two abandoned children into a witch’s trap. One wouldn’t think that makes a great selling point for creating confectionery cottages, but it seemed to really catch on and become a Christmas tradition. After all, that witch was on to something—she knew Hansel and Gretel couldn’t resist an enchanting gingerbread house… how could we expect anyone else to?

 

 Sweet and Simple Gingerbread House

Image via Shopgirl

 

This tasty craft comes in an array of sizes, shapes, and levels of difficulty. For those who need a bit of a head start, there are kits available to help create the basic structure. Others love starting from scratch and baking their own gingerbread. Some people take gingerbread houses so seriously that they create life-size structures or participate in competitions. Whatever your approach, this is definitely a fun and delicious activity to try on your own or with the whole family.

 

 Pretzel Log Cabins

Image via Worth Pinning

 

 Rice Crispy Cottages

Image via Land O Lakes

 

And don’t feel limited to gingerbread! Some folks have started branching out and using other delicious treats to build their homes’ foundations. Try pretzel rods to create the effect of wooden logs. Or use rice crispy treats to suggest stones or stucco. These houses can be as elaborate or simple as you want. Don’t underestimate the beauty of simple gingerbread and white frosting. For those who like a little more opulence, grab colorful candies and make a full-on edible estate! Piped icing, nuts, cereal, and candy canes also make excellent decorating supplies.

 

 Gingerbread Mansion

Image via Cake Central

 

What gingerbread house approach is your favorite? Clean and simple, cozy and colorful, or grand and luxurious?

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Published by , on December 21st, 2013 at 10:52 pm. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,food art,holiday,kids Tags: , , , gingerbread, gingerbread houses, , , • No Comments

Snow Times Two

Winter may not technically arrive until December 21st, but once November ends, it seems that everybody begins embracing the holiday season. One of the biggest and most recognizable symbols of winter is undoubtedly snow. Now, no matter where you live or what the weather is like, you can bring a little snowfall inside your home with two different, fun decorating techniques.

 

For both of these tutorials, you’ll need a sewing needle and thread or fishing wire. The first technique also requires white paper and scissors. For the second, you’ll need cotton balls and glue (optional).

 Paper Snowflakes

Image via Paper & Stitch

 

The first technique is a classic with a twist. Paper snowflakes have been around forever, but usually you see them taped to windows. For a crafty update, try turning those paper flakes into a curtain of snow by hanging them in strands. First thing’s first: grab some white paper and cut out circles in different sizes. Trace things like plates, bowls, and cups for variation.  Then fold each circle and cut shapes to create snowflakes. You’ll need a lot of snowflakes, so feel free to get the whole family involved! Once you have your snowflakes, take a needle and thread and sew them together in strands; just a few stitches per flake will do it. Try varying the sizes for a more haphazard look. Once each strand is the length of your window, hang it from a curtain rod (or tape it to the head of the window) until the window’s width is covered. The resulting effect: falling snowflakes. Gorgeous, right?

 Cotton Ball SnowflakesImage via

 

Next up—a real oldie, but a goodie:  the cotton ball technique! This uses the same concept as above, but requires zero scissor work. Cut a piece of thread the length of your window and knot one end and thread the other. Separate your cotton balls into different sizes; puff some up so they look bigger, break others into equal parts and roll them so they’re smaller. String the cotton balls onto your thread, alternating the sizes for a natural look. Underneath each ball as it’s threaded, either make a knot or dab a tiny bit of glue so it stays in place. Be sure to leave space between each cotton ball so it resembles falling snow. Once one thread is full, hang it up, start your next thread, and repeat until the width of the window is covered. Again, the whole family can get in on the fun and the decorating will go that much faster!

 

Both of these delightful DIYs bring a little winter magic inside your home. Which technique are you excited to try?

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Published by , on December 5th, 2013 at 12:05 am. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,Design,holiday,kids,Paper Art Tags: cotton balls, , , , , holiday decoration, , , paper snowflakes, snow, snowflakes, , winter crafts, winter wonderland • No Comments

Scribble Picks Leonardo da Vinci!

Leonardo da Vinci, “Self-portrait”, 1512 (?)

Leonardo da Vinci, “Self-portrait”, 1512 (?)

Leonardo da Vinci, born in 1452, came from the small village of Vinci in Italy has given the world many of the inventions that we still use today.  When his father Piero saw signs of artistic genius in his son he sent him to study with the artist Verrocchio in Florence, a city in the Tuscany region of Italy.  In addition to art he also learned sculpture and engineering. Soon he surpassed the artistic abilities of his teacher. At the young age of 20 he was accepted into the painters’ guild in Florence. In his lifetime, Leonardo has shown to be a painter, a musician, a sculptor, an architect, and a scientific investigator.

Leonardo used a painting technique called sfumato, which he described as “without lines or borders”.  This technique allows the subject of the painting to be blended into the background so that it becomes one with the background.  For example, if two objects were side by side, Leonardo would blur the line between them. We can see sfumato used in the Mona Lisa. Do you see it too?  Imagine how you think Mona Lisa would look if he hadn’t of used the sfumato technique.

Leonardo Da Vinci, "Mona Lisa", 1503–1517

Leonardo da Vinci, “Mona Lisa”, 1503–1517

Leonardo also kept a diary of all his sketches and thoughts.  He was a true observer and researched those observations with topics such as human anatomy.  Way beyond his time, Leonardo had ideas for inventions that would not be developed for hundreds of years.  To name a few, he had an idea for a flying machine, a propeller, and for weapons of war.  To fit his contribution of an architect, he designed and built bridges, canals and locks to carry water and move ships.

The possibilities are endless and it seems that Leonardo was hungry for an even bigger challenge.  Perhaps he had dreams of flying so he designed and constructed a helicopter.  Unfortunately, the helicopter wouldn’t take off and the glider he built injured one of his pupils who was trying to fly it.  Not wanting anymore disasters he quit trying to build the flying machines he was designing.  Nonetheless, it is believed that Leonardo is the one who initiated this great invention and look at what can be flown in the air these days!

A design for a flying machine, (c. 1488) Institut de France, Paris

A design for a flying machine, (c. 1488) Institut de France, Paris

Did you know that Leonard was ambidextrous, meaning he could write with both his right and left hands?  I wonder what he was trying to achieve when he wrote his notes backwards with his left hand.  Well, it sure is obvious that Leonardo had a playful approach to life.  Perhaps we can try and do the same.  Scribblers, let’s learn from Leonardo and don’t forget to dream, experiment, and play with our thoughts and idea because if we don’t try we will know know.

Let’s start with Mona Lisa! Go ahead and download Scribble Town’s Mona Lisa (below).  You can color her in or try the sfumato technique.  If anything else comes to mind, just go for it!  We’d love to see your own Mona Lisa so please email a picture of your artwork to .  You are on your way to becoming a great inventor and artist!

Scribble your own Mona Lisa

Scribble your own Mona Lisa

For more fun facts about Leonardo da Vinci please go to:
http://www.da-vinci-inventions.com/
http://www.monalisamania.com/kidsmain.htm
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/scientists/leonardodavinci.html

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Published by , on December 2nd, 2013 at 1:50 pm. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,Design,Featured,kids,Scribble Picks,Uncategorized Tags: Florence, Flying Machines, Helicopter, Inventions, Italy, Leonardo Da Vinci, Mona Lisa • No Comments

Bottle Cap Pies

If Thanksgiving had an official dessert, it would definitely be pie. Pumpkin, apple, pecan, and so on… most Thanksgiving dessert courses involve more than one option. As you work on finishing up those leftovers, pay homage to this humble hero of the dessert table with this fun bottle cap pie craft. These pint-size pies are easy to make, versatile to display, and best of all… zero calories!

 

Bottle Cap Pies Image via

To get started, you have a few different options with materials to use. No matter what, you’ll need bottle caps to serve as the pie tins. As far as filling, you can use polymer clay, beads, felt, paint, glue, or anything else you think will work! Just as there’s an infinite variety of pies, you have many choices in how to create these mini versions.

 

Felt and Bottle Cap Pies Image Whimsy Love

Start by creating your crust. Press down tan colored clay or glue in felt, then trim the edges. Teeny tiny beads work perfectly as a berry filling (blue for blueberry, red for cherry, etc). If you don’t have beads, you can roll out your own with clay. Using clay is also great if you want to customize shapes for peaches or pecans. For a more solid filling, such as custard or pumpkin pie, use one larger piece of clay. Finally, add some lattice detailing by cutting very thin strips of felt, or again using clay, and any other details you’d like, such as whipped cream or a garnish.

 

Clay and Bottle Cap Pies Image via

There are a ton of possibilities, so have fun creating your own crafty recipes. These little desserts make adorable magnets, ornaments, or napkin ring decorations (just glue on magnets, rings, or ribbon to the backs), perfect dollhouse accessories, or just a sweet adornment anywhere you choose!

 

What was your favorite pie or dessert at this year’s Thanksgiving? What’s your all-time favorite?

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Published by , on November 30th, 2013 at 7:28 pm. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,holiday,kids Tags: , , bottle caps, Clay, , holiday dessert, , pie, polymer clay, , • No Comments

Thanksgivikkah Menorah

As you’ve probably heard, this year’s first night of Hanukkah falls right on Thanksgiving. This is an incredibly rare overlap in the Hebrew and Gregorian calendar that will only happen once in a lifetime. In fact, double holiday has unofficially been dubbed Thanksgivikkuh!

 

For those celebrating both holidays, it can be a lot to prepare for at once. As you get ready for Thanksgiving next week, don’t forget about Hanukkah!

 

To start things off, why not try making a recycled cardboard menorah?

 Cardboard MenorahImage via Chiro Mommy

 

You’ll need eight toilet paper tubes and one paper towel tube, paint, glue, decorating materials (stickers, glitter, whatever you want), and yellow tissue paper.

 

First, paint all of your cardboard tubes. Keep in mind that the taller one will serve as the shamash in the middle (if it’s a little too tall, trim it with scissors). You can paint them traditional Hanukkah colors (blue and white), Thanksgiving colors (brown, red, orange, yellow), a combination, or any colors you desire! Once the paint is dry, attach the tubes together with glue. Glue four tubes on one side of the shamash (paper towel roll) and four on the other. Finally, add decorations to your menorah!

  Wrapped Cardboard Menorah

Image via Making Friends

(Great alternative to paint: cover the tubes in wrapping paper or magazine pages.)

 

On the first night of Hanukkah, or the only night of Thanksgivikkah, display your creation proudly and use yellow tissue paper to create flames for the shamash and first candle. Add a tissue paper flame to a new candle each night of the Festival of Lights.

 

 Recycled Menorah

Image via Dim Sum, Bagels, and Crawfish

 

Are you excited for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah to overlap? What fun ways can you think of to commemorate this unique occurrence?

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Turkey Take 2!

Let’s keep the Thanksgiving momentum going with another fun turkey craft! If you missed yesterday’s variation, take a look here. Today’s turkey gets a beautiful, natural twist by using dried autumn leaves. It’s the perfect way to celebrate both the holiday and the season!

 

You’ll need leaves (dried and flattened), cardboard or brown cardstock, glue, and crayons. If you’d like to make some substitutions (synthetic leaves, googly eyes, construction paper, markers), go right ahead!

Leaf Turkey Image via Baby Center

 There are several ways you can approach this project, depending on your desired final product, so feel free to put your own stamp on it. Cut out a brown cardboard or cardstock circle for the turkey’s body. Then cut out a smaller circle to use as the head and glue it to the body. If you’re mounting this to a piece of paper, glue the body to your paper and leave a little space unglued at the top for leaves. Start arranging your leaves by sliding then behind the turkey’s body (in the unglued space) and gluing them down.

  Leaf TurkeyImage via My Creative Stirrings

 If you’d prefer to leave your turkey freestanding, just glue the leaves to the back of its body. Finally, add some facial features to your turkey’s head—cut out leaves to make a beak and waddle and use crayon or marker to draw its eyes.

 Leaf TurkeyImage via

 So cute, right? And it not only celebrates Thanksgiving, but really honors this beautiful time of year. Make sure to hang your turkey somewhere special as Thanksgiving approaches! What other Thanksgiving crafts are you looking forward to trying?

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Published by , on November 15th, 2013 at 12:15 am. Filled under: Arts & Crafts,holiday,kids,Paper Art Tags: , , , , , , , leaves, , • No Comments

Teamwork Turkey

Thanksgiving is coming up in just about two weeks. Are you looking forward to it? This holiday combines a few of my favorite things—food, appreciating the little (and big) things, and family. That last one is particularly special because it’s probably what I’m most thankful for. That makes Thanksgiving the perfect time to try a craft that involves the whole family!

 

A traced-hand turkey craft is simple, colorful, and can include everyone! You’ll need scissors, glue, and either construction paper or cardstock in pretty fall colors (red, orange, yellow, green, brown, and dark brown).

 

Start by tracing each family member’s hand on a different colored piece of paper. You can use members of your household, or if you have relatives over, include them too! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins… the more the merrier! Cut each handprint out and arrange them as feathers. You can do this by color or size—one option is to order them largest to smallest so you can see each hand.

 

For the body, cut out a brown circle; for the neck and head, you can cut out a bowling pin shape, or skip the neck and just cut another circle for the head if you’d prefer. Once everything is glued in order (head onto body, body onto feathers), you can add facial details—cut out a paper beak and waddle and use a marker or pen to create eyes.

 

Paper Hand TurkeyImage via Pounds 4 Pennies

  Paper Hand TurkeysImage via Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

 Rainbow Paper Hand TurkeyImage via Happy Home Fairy

 

And there is your teamwork turkey! Display it as is or mount it to a piece of paper and frame it. What a great way for the whole family to start celebrating Thanksgiving! What are you planning for the holiday?

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Published by , on November 13th, 2013 at 11:25 pm. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,holiday,kids,Paper Art Tags: , crafts for the family, family craft, , , , , , • 1 Comment

Mix-n-Match Metal Robots

Have you ever wanted your very own robot? With a few recycled objects, you can create a whole group of new robot friends. Not only are they really cute, but their facial features are magnetized and can be rearranged, just like a Mr. Potato Head! These mix-n-match machines are just as fun to create as they are to play with. Take a look at how it’s done.

 Tin Robots

Image via Spoonful (originally in FamilyFun Magazine)

 

 

You’ll need tin cans (pop-off lids tend to have safer edges, you but you can also cover sharp edges in electrical tape), strong disk magnets, and hot glue. As for the decorating, you can use colorful cardstock, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, buttons, and extra hardware and metal bits—brackets, bolts, hinges, washers, knobs, old keys, bottle caps, etc. A note about these: avoid anything sharp, such as nails, and be aware that this craft involves small parts, so it requires supervision and may not be suited for young children.

 

Once you have everything gathered, start creating facial features by gluing your collected items to the magnets. Make eyes, mouths, arms, and don’t forget special robot parts like antennae, wires, propulsion devices, and microcontrollers (make some up!).

 

Now you can start mixing and matching parts to create fun robot characters! Move them around, swap features… take your robots on an adventure! And guess what. When you’re done playing, you can store all the loose parts inside the tin can (or robot’s belly).

 

 Tin Robots

Image via Real Purdy

 

If you could create a fully functioning robot, what kind would you create? What skill would you give it or tasks would you program it to complete?

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Published by , on November 8th, 2013 at 12:30 am. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,classroom,kids Tags: , , , robots, tind • No Comments

Colored Pencil Jewelry

Colored pencils aren’t just for drawing anymore! In fact, they make some pretty adorable jewelry. Showcase your love of art and color with these fun colored pencil pieces. Usually, colored pencils are used to create something pretty, but here the pencils get to take center stage. By cutting them into beads, you can make bright and unique necklaces, bracelets, brooches, and earrings.

 

To make the beads, you will need some basic tools: a junior hacksaw, fine sandpaper, a drill and small drill bit. Then of course you’ll need colored pencils and thread. For specific directions and necessary materials, check out Kate’s fabulous tutorial on Design Mom.

 

Grown-ups will definitely need to help prepare the beads (there’s a bit of sawing, sanding, and drilling involved), but kids will love stringing the beads and creating their own jewelry. It’s also a great way to play with color; pick a specific scheme, build a pattern, or make a rainbow!

 Colored Pencil Jewelry

Image (and tutorial) via Design Mom

 Colored Pencil Jewelry

Images via Etsy  one and two

 

This would make a great activity for a birthday party, class project, or just a rainy day.  It would also be a perfect homemade gift (the holidays are right around the corner… hint, hint). Artists, art enthusiasts, crafters, teachers, and kids would all appreciate this simple, yet impressive jewelry!

 

What other art inspired jewelry would you create?

 

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Published by , on November 6th, 2013 at 1:09 am. Filled under: adults,Arts & Crafts,classroom,kids Tags: , , , colored pencils, , , No Comments