Shrinkles Mini Packs – Dinosaurs, Unicorns & Puppies

Shrinkles Mini Packs come in a variety of designs and we’ve been trying out the Dinosaur World, Magical Unicorns and Playful Puppies.  Although they’ve been around for many years they aren’t something I did as a child so I was excited to do them with my children and see what they thought about them.

Inside each mini pack are two sheets of pre drawn Shrinkles, a coloured and transparent piece of Shrinkle paper, a 4 pack of coloured pencils, some stands for the finished pieces and instructions.

It was then a case of colouring in the pre printed designs in the theme for each box.  The children enjoyed this but didn’t quite understand the concept of how much they would shrink until we’d ‘baked’ our first batch.

I was a little worried when I saw the designs curling up in the oven but if you leave them a little longer, you will then see them flatten out again.  At this point I removed them from the oven and left them to cool.  The children couldn’t believe how much they had shrunk and also were impressed how they had become solid and hard, like a 2D plastic figurine.  They then put them on stands ready to play with.

Then we had a go at making our own designs using the plain pieces of Shrinkles paper.  My daughter carefully traced the outline of a front cover of a book she is reading which came out really well.  They also tried some other designs and below you can see the best of what they made,  I think they came out really well and are now sitting as trinkets on the shelves in their bedrooms.

Overall Shrinkles has been a success.  It was something new to us that the children enjoyed trying out and had fun making.  They loved watching them shrink through the glass in the oven door, which was novel and different, resulting in finished pieces that are sturdy and will last for a little play afterwards.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Spring has Sprung with Baker Ross Kids Crafts

After dull Winter days it’s nice to see the colours of Spring coming out in the garden and these craft kits from Baker Ross are perfect for kids to make and brighten up the inside of the house too!  From flowers to bugs, everything is bright and colourful and they are all so simple to make, that I find they have a wide appeal which both my 9 and 6 year olds love to get stuck into.

Without any hesitation, the children sat down and started making, colouring and sticking, they love these kits and it’s always a joy to see them engrossed in creating something we can enjoy to look at for the next few months.

I thought the Flower Suncatcher Decorations looked stunning strung across the kitchen windows catching the sun as it beams through.  Everyone that has visited has admired these and they really brighten up the view.

These Creative Colouring Flower Wreaths are so simple but look so effective, the children are working their way through colouring the whole set so I can hang them up somewhere.  They love dipping in and out of colouring these after school, at breakfast time etc.

How cute are these Bug Pom Pom Decorations?  A simple pom pom ball with a few sticky accessories that makes them come alive.  Making the pom pom is best suited to slightly older children so Mister B left these to Miss M to make.  She’s finished this little ladybird and is currently working on a bee.  I can’t wait to see the trio of finished bugs altogether, so cute!

One of the children’s favourite to make were these Peacock Crinkle Decorations,  so simple by just fanning some crepe paper for the feathers and then just sticking extra details on.  These look lovely on my kitchen wall and I think it’s great for the children to see and admire all the beautiful things they make everyday.

As you can see, Spring really has sprung inside my house with all these beautifully coloured crafts the children have made for me using the fun kits from Baker Ross.  These make a great anytime activity, which children enjoy and love seeing the finished results!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Christmas Crafts with Baker Ross

Christmas decorations made by the children are so lovely to see and they love making them, so what could be easier than some cute little festive kits from Baker Ross.   They have some really lovely ones to try out this year and my two children have spent the last week or so beavering away after school getting them ready to hang throughout the house.  With everything from scratch art, sewing, sticking and colouring available they really do get to try out different skills and produce some beautiful, fun pieces.

wp_20161126_10_28_58_pro-1Eager to start making decorations the children have been busy creating, loving every minute of putting these simple to use kits together.  The scratch art caught both their eyes and they were engrossed in scratching the black overlay to reveal rainbow colours underneath.

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The results of the scratch art are incredibly effective and we have these pinned up on our kitchen wall to brighten it up over the festive season.

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Miss enjoyed making the padded reindeers and I was really pleased at how she just got on with the sewing herself.  All I had to do was tie knot in the end of the wool for her.  I think these look absolutely fabulous and are decorations that we will treasure for many years bringing them out again as they look so cute and effective!

6tag_051216-200956The Santa and Elf foam sticky packs are really simple to assemble and kept the children occupied for ages creating all different combinations of glasses, hats, gloves etc. on the character templates.  Again they look fabulous and I can’t wait to string them along my front room to add to the festive feel!

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Again, more successful crafting with Baker Ross, the kids love the kits, they are minimal mess and the results are incredibly fantastic.  I know our house will look bright, colourful and festive this year!  Why don’t you get your kids crafting with Baker Ross kits for the festive season?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Duck Tape Wreath

Duck Tape is so versatile and over the last few years we’ve tried several craft projects with it.  This year we were given the opportunity to create a Christmas wreath using Duck Tape and I knew my 8yr old would be up for the challenge of helping me out, so last weekend we got stuck in and spent an afternoon with a table of Duck Tape.
wp_20161126_10_34_08_pro We were provided with a polystyrene wreath and the relevant colour Duck Tapes and couldn’t wait to get started. We had to cut just over sixty 6 inch strips of green tape which we folded and fringed with the scissors.  This was Miss M’s job whilst I stuck the strips around the wreath.  We used a whole roll of green tape up but fortunately I had a little green left on a roll in the garage so we were able to continue. duck-tape-wreath

I then made a large red bow and cut out some red berries and gold glittery stars.  I have to say we are really impressed with the finished result and think it looks fabulous up on the wall.  I’m going to hang it on my inner door for the festive season so all our visitors get to see and admire our lovely creation.  Duck Tape projects always seem to be a talking point with others and they are intrigued at all the wonderful things you can make with it.
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We loved working with the tape as it’s strong and durable and I hope we can pack this Duck Tape wreath away after the festive season and bring it out again for many years yet.  I’m sure Miss M will love looking back in a few years at the great wreath that she helped to create.  Why don’t you try making a Duck Tape wreath to hang on a door in your home this festive season?

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Autumn Crafts with Baker Ross

Autumn crafts are so lovely with the pretty colours and really get the kids thinking about trees and leaves and encourages their desire to start collecting Autumnal items.  They’ve really enjoyed making some Autumn inspired kits from Baker Ross to use and hang up around the house.

wp_20161103_10_59_51_proThe children got stuck in straightaway, they love crafts and they love the ease and effectiveness of the Baker Ross kits.  They always look so impressive when finished and we love hanging them up around the house to enjoy.

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Both children enjoyed colouring in the bookmarks while Miss M did the cross stitch for them both.  Meanwhile Mister B got creative with some Autumn themed foam stickers.  He made a wonderful picture which we have up on our kitchen wall and he loves telling people what each of the animals are doing in it.autumn-baker-ross-2 My favourite has to be these  Autumn leaves, in bright Autumnal colours.  The children loved creating these using coloured sand to pour onto sticky templates.  You simply peel off the section of leaf that you wish to colour in and then pour the sand on.  It really is that simple and the result is a stunning, brightly coloured leaf. I was keen to show these off so have tied the ribbons along a length of cord and have it hanging across my back doors to my garden and it always gets admired at by visitors.
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Again the Baker Ross crafts have been a success and we look forward to showing you more in the future. These kits are really worthwhile and keep the kids occupied.  Seeing them happy with what they produce is great and they make some lovely themed decorations for our house throughout the year.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Halloween crafts from Baker Ross

Kids just love Halloween and there are a range of fun crafts to make from Baker Ross that fit the Halloween theme.  We’ve been trying out a selection of those available including some super cute pom pom decorations.

wp_20161008_12_48_58_proWe started with the Haunted House Photo Frame Magnet Kits which are super easy to make and look really effective which keeps little ones occupied and they get to see a great result within a short amount of time.  All the pieces are made of foam and there are lots of brightly Halloween coloured shapes with a sticky peel off back which allows you to build up the images around the frame.

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Mister B loved making his frame and decided to frame himself in the middle until we have a chance to print out a photo and stick to the back.  When you have put a picture in the centre there are some sticky magnets to attach to the back which then allows you to use these as spooky pictures to attach to the fridge.

baker-ross-halloween-2The next Halloween craft from Baker Ross are the super cute Pom Pom Decoration Kits.  I absolutely love these as do the children who did require some assistance making these but they were really intrigued to see the wool turn into a pom pom shape. baker-ross-halloween-3These look fabulous, Mister B made the purple bat which he is really proud of and his sister Miss M made the green spider.

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As you can see these look fabulous and we will be hanging these up by their ribbons to decorate the fireplace in time for Halloween.  A really effective craft that is fun and looks great – I think I’ll be keeping these tucked away to hang up again next year!

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We finished up by colouring in some skull patterned mini gift bags.  These are a lovely size to pack a few sweets in, perfect if you are having a Halloween themed party for kids or if you have a few young relatives popping round at Halloween.  A fun activity for kids to colour in and then fill their bag with a few goodies.

baker-ross-halloween-4My children were delighted with the Halloween crafting range from Baker Ross this year and think that all the items look great and it has got them increasingly excited for Halloween this year.  They are now planning their costumes and deciding what designs we should carve in our pumpkins this year.wp_20161011_16_38_32_pro

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Getting Creative with Duck Tape

Duck Tape has become incredibly desirable over the last few years with an every increasing selection of patterns and designs available.  My daughter loves playing with it trying to make things and it’s a great craft she can sit and do with literally just a roll of tape or two.  We received a selection of the latests designs to try out.

duck-tapeMiss M had her friend round who also enjoys crafting with Duck Tape and they decided to make a storage box.  I was a little sceptical as to how durable this would be, but her friend new the best way to tackle it and build up layers to create strong sides and a box that could be used.

duck-tape-2They decided to create each side out of a different patterned tape and got to work.  They also made a base and then carefully assembled it together using more Duck Tape. The result is a beautifully durable box which I was really impressed with as they made it all on their own. duck-tape-3We then decided to make some bookmarks as with both of my children being avid readers they are forever looking for a bookmark to use.  We simply used the wide tape and folded it over on itself several time to give it strength and there you have it, perfectly useable bookmarks.  Miss M even made hers double sided with two different tapes whilst my youngest Mister B opted for a spooky ghost covered tape that has a special property of being glow in the dark! duck-tape-4

We’ve had lots of fun with Duck Tape and made some useful things.  The range of designs is so vast now, it’s well worth checking out for all your household needs and crafting fun!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Summer Crafts with Baker Ross

One thing that never fails to occupy the kids is crafts, be it sunny or rainy, Baker Ross have a huge selection of crafts to keep the children busy over the Summer months.  We took a look at just a small selection of what is on offer and both my children, age 8 and 5 loved them!

baker ross summerFirst up, my daughter had her eye on the Paracord Bracelet Kits, which we opened up and I helped her start one off.  She was soon able to continue on her own, with a simple cross over and loop of the threads, a pattern soon emerged and it didn’t actually take that long to complete a bracelet.  She was enjoying it so much, she sat and spent the afternoon creating all of the six bracelets in the pack.  It kept her thoroghly entertained and she couldn’t wait to wear all of her creations!

baker ross summer 2Next up we tried the Sealife Spiral Notebook Kits, which I think look so cute once completed.  They consist of a plain page spiral bound notebook with foam covers.  There are sticky backed foam shapes with each one that turns into a different sealife creature on the front of each one.

baker ross summer 4The designs are simple and effective, even my 5yr old just got on with it and created the turtle all by himself.  He even added some other effects to his finished design.  I love these notepads and think they’d be great for a party activity, or something to do when you have friends over as it’s nice for them to take away an item that they can use after.

baker ross summer 3The Farmyard Stampers are fun for little ones. With familiar animals the set allows children to print out their own farm scenes.  I put a large sheet of brown paper out in the garden and let Mister B stamp away for an afternoon over which he had great fun!

One of our favourite activities has to be the Beach Self Adhesive Art Sheets which we got along with the ten mini bags of Glitter Sand.  Each picture has a pre cut layer which can be peeled back in sections to reveal a sticky background.  You can then sprinkle your chosen colour of sand in that  particular area before peeling off the next section.

baker ross summer 5Both my children became completely engrossed in this activity, they really enjoyed it and I think their finished pictures look amazing.  This is different from any craft they have done before and the results are so effective.  We really loved doing this and is something they have already asked to do again.

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As you can see we have had lots of fun with the Baker Ross Summer crafts box this month, hopefully some of the activities will inspire you of ways to keep your children occupied this Summer.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

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Father’s Day Craft Ideas with Baker Ross

With Father’s Day around the corner it’s time to get the kids busy making cute little presents and the perfect place to find some simple to use Father’s Day craft kits for this purpose is Baker Ross.  With ready cut pieces which simply require assembling and decorating, children will love creating something to give to their daddy.

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These delightful wooden kits above are perfect for Father’s Day crafts or any other occasion in fact and my two children couldn’t wait to start decorating.  You really can use anything you want to decorate, paint, pens, sequins, glitter glue and come up with numerous designs.  My two started with the tool box kits which require simple assembly and then they simply painted them.  It was actually grandad’s birthday last week so they made the first ones for him and filled them with chocolate bars and will make the other ones in the set for daddy for Father’s Day.

baker ross 4The boxes looked bright and effective once complete and would make a great desk tidy or such like when given as a gift.

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We then moved onto the keyrings which come in a variety of pre cut shapes, already attached to a keyring.  All these require are some colour and creative designs to make them a great simple gift for kids to pass onto to adults for any occasion.

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The children loved sitting colouring these in and deciding which members of the family they were going to give each one to.

baker ross 3We also had a pack of Braiding cords, which I have to say I haven’t seen or done since my childhood.  I couldn’t wait to show Miss M how they are done and completed this pink and purple one to show her.  With so many colours in the pack you can really create any colour scheme you want to, and she is now working on a blue and white one for daddy which is about half way through.  Great little activity to get little fingers to practice their fine motor skills on!

baker ross 6As usual we’ve loved the Baker Ross craft supplies and they have provided hours of fun for the children.  Also some great kits that can be used for Father’s Day crafts too!

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.

Pom Pom WOW! Decoration Station – Review

Pom Pom WOW! is the lastest craze in kids crafting and the Decoration Station is a fun filled kit with everything you need to design and colour pom poms as well as create fun pictures and designs.

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The set comes in a handy fold up carry case contains all the decorative equipement along with pom pom holders for a number of the pom poms included.

The contents are:

  • 75 Pom Pom’s
  • 85 Adhesive dots
  • 1 x adhesive roll dispenser
  • 1 x glitter glue pen
  • 2 x markers
  • 1 x paintbrush
  • 4 x watercolours
  • 4 x stamper pads
  • 1 x pipette
  • 1 x blotting cloth
  • removable trays
  • instruction leaflet

It only takes a few minutes to put everything together when you open the set and 8 yr old Miss M was eager to help me set it up ready to use.  We do like that it all folds away for easy storage and is self contained so you don’t loose and bits.

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It was then time to try it out and I have to say Miss M became totally engrossed in colouring her pom poms in various ways.  She loved trying out the stamper, glitter, pens but her favourite had to be the pipette which you could add some watercolour too and squeeze drops onto an unopened pom pom to give it a tie dye effect.

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Once you’ve decorated your pom poms, it’s time to use the to create a picture or decorate something with them.  Miss M decorated a wooden picture frame and loved the idea of attaching a sticky dot to each pom pom then removing the tube and puffing the pom pom out!  Even 5 yr old Mister B joined in and wanted to create his own pom pom to add to the frame.

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Miss M loved both decorating her pom poms in various ways as well as sticking them on to things, it really kept her occupied and she sat down for quite a while playing with the different options.  She certainly enjoyed it and has asked to do it again another day.

Here is her finished picture frame:

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You can find out more about Pom Pom WOW! on their pages on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

The Pom Pom Wow! set are available in all large toyshops (The Entertainer, Toys R Us, Smyths)  or online at www.character-online.com.

All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions and we received the product in order to write an honest review.