Cooking with Kids - Rainbow Cupcakes

Cooking with Kids - Rainbow Cupcakes

Making Rainbow Cupcakes has become a weekly ritual in my house. Posh is getting better at cracking the eggs every time! I'm tempted to do this for her 3rd birthday party next week, she'd be proud to make her very own cake.

We use the boxed white cake mix and I buy them during the 10 for $10 sale at Smiths Grocery store. We also stock up on white frosting, also fun to dye!

Split the white cake mix into as many bowls as you want colors, we usually do 6 for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple. Follow the instructions on your dye bottles as to how to achieve these colors.

The muffin tins fill up FAST with the mix so using a small spoon begin to layer in your colors. By the time the twins Pixie and Princess have made their cupcakes into perfect rainbows their little sister is desperate to get her turn in. Posh likes to go for the tie dye look, my favorite as well!

These can easily be made for Easter in pastels, 4th of July, Halloween, Christmas, any holiday really! Don't limit yourself to rainbows, have FUN!

*Follow the box instructions for baking*

DIY Clay Hand Prints

DIY Clay Hand Prints

These clay hand prints are so easy and inexpensive, I can't seem to stop making them! I bought a 25pound box of Crayola Air Dry Clay from Amazon for $28. I've made 10 clay impressions and still have enough left for one more! *They also sell 5pound containers for $12.99 which will do about 3-4 depending on the size of your creation.

You'll want to have a clear work space and all your supplies ready. This is a messy craft! I kept the kids busy while I set up. *On a side note, this clay is VERY easy to wash off tables...not so easy when on the carpet.


Supplies:
Large Bowl
2 cups of water (you don't need to measure, I just fill my measure cup up)
Rolling pin
Wax Paper
Butter knife
Cookie sheet
Wet rag
PATIENCE - this is MESSY

Ready to create a fantastic keepsake?

Begin by taking out the cookie sheet and wiping it with the wet rag. Place the wax paper into the sheet, the water will help hold it in place.

Onto the messy part - Take a couple handfuls of clay into your large bowl and add some water to help make the clay more pliable. Massage it till it's soft but not runny - add more clay if it gets runny. You want the consistency of sugar cookie dough.

Place your clay onto the cookie sheet and with a wet rolling pin, roll out your dough. The shape will be cut out so just get it as flat as possible. If the clay gets sticky, add some water and smooth it out (water repairs many mistakes). You will want the thickness to be at very least a half an inch (any less and it cracks as it dries) to one inch (that's just heavy).

Wash off your hands and call over your kiddo to get their foot or hand print. Press down on each finger and especially palm. For feet have them step down onto the cookie sheet. Wash them off, they're part is done!


With a wet finger smooth out any bumps or bubbles. Take your butter knife and cut out your design. As you pull up the extra clay, the wax paper will most likely come with it. That's fine. It's easy to separate out from the dough in the bowl.



Put the cookie sheet somewhere it wont be disturbed. Living in Vegas I thought I'd be smart and put it outside during our usual summer heat wave...don't do that. The entire piece cracked into 20 pieces in 30 minutes. Indoors is fine. DO NOT FORGET TO ADD HOLES! If your going to hang this, you need holes. I use lollypop sticks so the hole is uniform.

As it dries check on it for little cracks. These are easy to fix with a wet finger.

Once totally dry you can paint it. I use acrylic paint. Once that's dry, spray on a high gloss sealer, I bought mine from Michaels. After that is dry, you can write with a sharpie your kiddo's name and date - or whatever you want! *Sharpie blurs when sprayed with the sealant.

All said and done this craft cost me less then $10 each finished piece. Which to me is a far better deal then going to those paint your pottery places. I also don't see the need to kiln fire these products, we're not going to eat off them and I have no plans to play frisbee with them either. They hang on my wall, that's it. The air dry clay is more the sufficient for this!

This is a fun, easy, and CHEAP keepsake you'll cherish forever!

Hand and Foot Print Flowers for Spring!

Hand and Foot Print Flowers for Spring!

Finished Project

Spring will be pretty.

Just give it a week, When flowers are blooming down by the creek.

Bees will be buzzing as trees start to bud,

But for the moment I'm covered with mud.

Snow has been melting, since winter is through,

Replacing the whiteness with puddles of goo.

I stepped off the sidewalk and into the ooze.

Next thing I knew, I stepped out of my shoes!

Mud on my ankles and mud on my clothes.

I stumbled face-first and got mud up my nose.

Spring will be pretty, but I must confess,

The first days of spring are a muckety mess!

Let's get messy! 

Bring your kids over to our house and dip their

feet and hands in paint to make a keepsake for Spring!

RSVP as usual - only plus 1 if your bringing 2 kids and so on.  Please list any allergies in your rsvp.  Directions will be emailed the night before to all Yes rsvp's.

Craft Directions:

These are super easy to do, I was even able to get both of my 3 year olds hands and feet onto the SAME piece of paper! Granted it was a large piece of construction paper, but they fit none the less. I had to settle for a new piece of paper to get my 11month olds flowers done but that eased my fears of her turning her flowers into a finger painting project which would "ruin" the twins prints.

8-Oz. Color Splash! Washable Tempera Paint (Pack of 12) Using Washable Tempura Paints make this project an easy one to clean up after.

Supplies:

Washable Tempura Paints

Paint brushes

Wipes or a wet hand towel

Paper to apply prints onto

Step 1: Choose your colors for the flowers, my girls actually chose different colors! I thought we'd have our usual purple and pink but they surprised me and I think they turned out great! Place your hand and foot prints as shown. I use regular baby wipes to clean off the paint but a wash rag would be far more economical.

 

Step 2: Draw in your stems. I used a regular foam paint brush. I buy mine at Michaels but have seen them at Target and Walmart. Make sure to wash these out ASAP, even just soaking them will make them last longer. They may be cheap to buy but having to run to the store Just to buy paint brushes aren't in my plans for the day.

11month old's project

Step 3: Paint on leaves and add the name and date to either a stem or on an empty part of the paper.