I don’t know about your kids, but my kids LOVE doing crafts! Give them something to cut, paste, paint, glitter, tie, or mold and they are just in seventh heaven!
So when Elmer’s contacted me to see if I wanted to host an “Elmer’s Craft Camp” for up to five kids, with all the supplies provided. . . well can you guess how fast I said yes?
I was all excited when my box arrived-inside was an adult kit and the kids kits! The adult kid had:
· CraftBond Gel Pens
· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Tape Runner
· Painters Markers
· X-ACTO Zigzag and Scallop scissor packs
· X-ACTO 8” Scissors
· X-ACTO Corner Rounding Punch
Those were to be used and shared by everyone at the party. There were five kids kits that each had:
· CraftBond Extra Strength Glue Stick
· CraftBond Glue Spots
· Project Popperz Markers
· Mini Bi-Fold Foam Board
To choose a projects I browsed the Elmer’s site. There were a lot of idewas for both kids and adults. Since Princess is 10 (practically an adult according to her) I didn’t want a “kid” craft-I wanted something that would appeal to the “tween” set. After browsing and consulting with both Princess and Buddy we selected two options: The Clever Clipboard or the Baking Sheet Memo Board.
Photo by Jamie at C.R.A.F.T
Note: I forgot to take a picture of the supplies before the kids attacked them all-so a big thank you to Jamie over at C.R.A.F.T for sharing her photo. Make sure you head on over and check out HER Elmer’s Kids Craft Party post.
I headed into town to pick up additional supplies. At the dollar store I purchased 5 clipboards and 5 baking sheets (tip-take a magnet with you in your purse and ensure the cookie sheets are made of a metal that magnets will stick to!). I headed over to Walmart and purchased a block of scrapbook paper, extra tape runner (kids+tape=running out quickly), some really cute stickers and a roll of special paper made to stick and re-stick to your wall that is a whiteboard material. Lastly I headed over to Micheals and picked up a roll of self adhesive cork and a small package of self adhesive magnets. At home I dug out some extra scrap booking supplies I had-stencils and papers mostly.
When the day arrived I had the dining room all set up for camp. Princess took one look and told me “You are the coolest mom EVER”. I think this whole campaign was worth it just for that comment!
Here we are all set for our "campers" to show!
A closeup shot so you can really appreciate the coolness of the supplies.
Then the doorbell began ringing and the fun began. I showed the girls (and Buddy) my example clipboard:
An example of one craft-the "Clever Clipboard"
Then I explained the process-which is pretty easy. Decorate your clipboard or baking sheet however you like-there were plenty of papers, glue, paint pens, markers and more. Choose your embellishments: stickers, cork board, dry erase paper, envelopes and magnets. Make it your own!
I didn’t have to tell them twice. They went to town.
For almost 90 minutes there was barely any talking as everyone cut, pasted, colored, painted, and more. Most of the girls made both a clipboard and a magnet board, and some of them even got creative with the additional supplies and made projects of their own.
The completed projects. Aren't they fantastic?
The kids were super pleased with what they had made-and thrilled that they got to take a set of markers, glue dots and glue stick home with them as well as their projects. I am now known as the “cool mom” and Princess got to host an awesome party. Buddy even got along ok with all the girls and didn’t do too much of the “little brother” thing.
Of course this was an inexpensive party for me-I was sent most of the materials as well as a generous gift card to help out. But even if you were making the crafts at home you wouldn’t really spend a fortune. By purchasing the clipboards and baking sheets at the dollar store I kept those prices down. The supplies that Elmers sent are all priced very reasonably and can be utilized for multiple projects-things like the straight scissors, scrapbook scissors and corner rounding punch should last practically forever! Not only that but we barely used 1/3 of the scrapbook paper, half the cork and half the whiteboard stuff. By limiting the choices (let’s say going just with cork) you could keep the price down even more.
As an adult I can see making a classy version of the baking sheet memo board that could be given as a gift. If you combined the whiteboard material with the baking sheet you would have something that you could write on AND stick magnets to. That would be great to write out your weekly menu plan on!
The exciting thing about all of this for you, my loyal readers, is that Elmer’s is hosting a giveaway here on Frugal Upstate. One lucky reader will receive 1 adult kit and 2 kids kits to have a fun day of crafting at their own home!
This giveaway runs from today-Aug 6 through midnight EST Friday Aug 12th.
To enter, just leave a comment with what YOU would make if you won the Elmer’s Craft Camp Adult & 2 Kids kits.
Good luck!
I would make a message board for my kitchen; this would make a great activity when the grandchildren visited!
My little guy is so creative. I’d probably just let him have at it with the supplies and see what results. It may be a city, a space ship, or a bunch of animals. We’d just have to see.
I would start teaching the kids how to scrapbook. 🙂
I would make something for my friend who is about to have twins. I’m thinking some kind of message board so she’ll be able to remember things like when they nursed, dr. appointments, notes to her hubby for when he leaves for work or gets home, what she has in the house for food to eat and what they need to pick up….there are so many things to remember and Mommy brain is always hard with a newborn, let alone two!
Thanks for the giveaway,
Heather
Oh I’d love to make a whole set of christmas cards and christmas gift card holders. That way I’ll not be scrambling come Dec. Thanks for the chance to win these super useful kits.
I think I would let the grandsons decorate a picture frame for their Mother,we make her Christmas present every year,we do their hand prints in paint an then date it an put it in a frame ,,they love doing this
vlbelk(at)hotmail.com
I think my girls and I would start on some Christmas gifts. What I am not sure. Something for grandparents and teachers. Love the ideas. Mommy would have to do some too. 🙂
Love doing crafts! I love the idea of a vacation journal. So I think they could decorate the front of it with all sorts of picture of places they have been or would like to go.
My son needs ideas to follow, but my daughter is not a “follow the instructions” kind of girl! So I’d print instructions for a picture frame, for my son to showcase his artwork in. I’d also start a few items for my daughter to dress up to her heart’s content, so that she’d still end up with something semi-useful at the end but still feel like she’s doing it her way!
I would help my son make a picture collage that we could frame and give to Grandma for her birthday! Thanks for the chance. 🙂
a booklet to keep the kids’ school stuff in
I would like to let my kids make picture frames for their grandparents and I would like to make a message board!
I would use the kit with my children to create christmas and birthday cards. We deliver for meals-on-wheels every Wednesday afternoon and the clients love to get a little craft or card made from the kids. Our clients are disabled, Elderly or both. Some of them do not have many visitors and really look forward to their meals-on-wheels deliveries. They really enjoy seeing the children every week too 🙂
We homeschool and one subject we will be studying this year is Astronomy! If we were to win the craft kits we would use them to make Paper Mache planets to hang from our ceiling and also Planet Books to go along with them!
Thanks so much for offering this! We love your posts and get lots of great ideas from you!
My son has really been into finger puppets lately, so I think I would make a finger puppet stage.
Probably scrapbooks or picture frames to use as gifts.
I would start teaching my kids both card making and scrapbooking.
I like the thought of making some Christmas presents ahead of time. We would make something for my kids’ teachers. I like the picture frame idea!