handmaking with kids: with sweetbeets

for me, there is nothing as fun as making something with kiddies! the curious, creative, limitless possibilities of a child's mind is so inspiring! here's a fun new series for the rikrak studio, with lots of fun, easy, inexpensive handmaking projects for you to make with your children, your younger family members, your students or some fun kiddies you know & love (or easily adapted for adults to make as their own fun projects!) i've invited various fun folks to share a handmaking with kiddies idea with us: it might be a craft or art; a handmade excursion or handmade recipe. today is the next in the series handmaking with kids: handmade playdough & a scavenger hunt with guest Lisa of sweetbeets. enjoy!

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in Lisa's own words:

I thought I'd share a couple of activities I did with my two boys during our March break. I was inspired by Paper Dolls For Boys to dig out the Play Dough recipe I picked up at a playgroup years ago. If you haven't made Play Dough before it's super easy.

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Sweetbeet's Homemade Playdough Recipe

2 cups water

1 cup salt

4 tsp cream of tartar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups flour

food colouring
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Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir constantly over medium heat. The mixture will be soupy for several minutes and then suddenly it will stick together and can be stirred into a ball. Remove from heat and put the ball on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. (editor's note: please use extra caution if making near children. pots & dough will be hot!)

My boys loved helping me measure the ingredients and my oldest son who is six years old helped to stir it up while it was cooking. Instead of food colouring we used Koolaide, but learn from me and be sure to add it (or your food colouring) while the mixture is still soupy in the pot so it blends easily! We dusted off some cookie cutters and found some kitchen gadgets to use as tools. Lots of fun!

Another day we went on a scavenger hunt for yellow and green things in our house. My oldest son is a budding photographer and he took all of these photos! I used Photoshop to crop the images and make this collage. I got the idea from a post on Design Mom who suggested the concept could be applied to any theme, not just colours. We'll definitely do this project again!

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thanks so much, Lisa! what fun projects you've been up to!
now.. one of my not-so-secret obsessions is letterpress art & work! i love it! if there was one new artform i'd love to take up, it would certainly be letterpressing! i think it's just so graphicly fantastic & gorgeous & texturally inspiring & crisp!


so you can imagine my joy with sweetbeet's amazing letterpress work! Lisa's beautiful designs, wonderful use of colour & space in her stationery (that would be gorgeous framed!) and her wonderful eco-friendly focus has made her a most popular handmaker & blogger! be sure to visit the sweetbeet's beautiful site & her fabulous eco-friendly finds for kids blog, ModEco Kids

many thanks, Lisa. and hopes everyone has a colour-filled day!

{ AND... i'll be announcing the winner of the mini-feature from yesterday's guessing game tomorrow - so there's still time to enter your guesses! have fun! }

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