Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids. Show all posts

Monday, July 3, 2017

NEW! Emoji sewing kits for kids!


Hey Crafters!
Today's project is all for the kids!
House Mart Ben Franklin in Hawai'i has a new line of fun emoji pillows and accessories that your keiki can make. The best part about these kits is that all the holes are pre-punched and everything you need is right in the box! This project is great for long trips in the car, or inside on rainy days.




The instructions in the kits are so easy to follow and all the pieces are so easy to use!










 These emojis also come in the popular poop favorite!






 Stop by at any House Mart Ben Franklin in Hawai'i to pick up a kit for you and your keiki!

Bethany @Enchanted Lake 



 

Thursday, April 6, 2017

Spring Keiki Crafts Camp 2017

Hey Crafters!
I hope everyone had an awesome Spring Break!
At our stores, we had a very successful Keiki Craft Camp making
fun and adorable crafts with the kids.  Let me just say, there were A LOT of kids this Spring, which was AMAZING.  No surprise, because the projects included classics like Perler Beads and Shrink Art!
Sara at Market City with a full class!  We're ready for today's craft, Teach!

What was especially impressive was the number of kids who showed up during the second day of camp.  Why you ask?  SLIME, of course!  Yes, that craze that's been sweeping the nation and causing Elmer's Glue to just fly off the shelf!  In fact, slime even caused a nationwide shortage of Elmer's Glue.  Crazy, right?  We loved how all of the kids' slime turned out different, representing each child's preferences and color choices.  "More glitter,  More Borax"!  "Not too much foam beads!" The measurements had to be just right!  We had so many fun and interesting ways to customize the slime.  Not just by look, but by texture as well!   This glob had some colored foam beads that seriously made it look like ice cream.  I mean, come on!  Look at it!
One of the most rewarding things was watching them play with the slime and to see them have fun with it. 
 


    
Just the right amount of lotion produces a satisfyingly stretchy slime.


                                        
Much stretch.  So wow!

So goopy and messy, but that's half the fun!
Just in case anyone is interested in the slime recipes that we used, each store did have their own special concoction. So, feel free to check out each one for different recipes and have fun experimenting at home!  Also, don't forget that our stores have started expanding on the Slime supplies, so specialty items like Borax, foam beads and clear glue are starting to hit our shelves.
Stay tuned to see what else we have in store!

Look at the mixed media scrapbooking going on here!  These kids even include photos in their wood craft project.  What a great way to record and make memories over the break.  The keiki got to create their very own piece of mixed media art!  We gave them everything they could ever ask for; from glitter to cardstock.  And they went nuts.  Like, glitter on the floor and their faces nuts! 
SO MUCH FUN!

You will not believe how much glitter was left on the table. 
Although making a big mess is all part of the CREATIVE PROCESS!

Bright colors and Glitter are all the rage right now. 
  
A stinkin' adorable project that we had on the last day was a Pet Rock and Sanctuary.  Basically, our kids decorated a pet rock, painting it whatever animal they wanted, and they then created a little habitat/home for it using a clear pail, odds and ends, and a whole lot of imagination!  From shark tanks to butterfly homes, the crafts these kids made were so  creative.   There were many who liked to jazz up their homes with lots of bright colored doodles all over their pails and flower cut outs strewn all over the inside.  We also noticed there were some who liked to keep things simple, with a bit of Spanish moss here and a bit of green fluffy moss there.  Maybe a little washi tape around the rim of the can along with a couple cute bows tied onto the handle.


This craft camp is a lot of fun for kids, and it's a great way to make new friends and to learn how to make a bunch of different crafts!  This program is available at all stores during Spring, Summer and Fall.  Stay connected with us on our company website (benfranklinhawaii.com), Facebook (@BenFranklinCrafts) and Instagram (@bfcrafts)!

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Gifts in a Jar

Time is running out and it's time to start scrambling for last minute gifts!
Don't know what to get for a co-worker's child?  Maybe for your friend's little sister?
Can't think of little presents to give to all the guests at your Christmas celebration?
I have just the ideas you need for all of your last-minute gifts and favors!
 
 
The solution?  GIFTS IN A JAR!
These are simple to make and you can put anything in them!  Not to mention, the container is pretty cute and useful, so that won't go to waste like a flimsy gift box.
I have three examples of what you can do.  For the first jar, which was just a small 4 oz. jelly jar, I punched gift tags out of different colors of cardstock, pre-decorated a few of them and included doodle twine in a variety of colors as well.
 
 
I had younger children in mind for the next jar.  I chose a 16 oz. jar to old larger items because I wanted to include pipe cleaners of different colors and large, fluffy pom poms.  Add in some colorful yarn, feathers and googly eyes and you've got a kit to make your own little monsters!  You can even pre-make a critter for inspiration if you'd like.  All they need is adult supervision and a glue gun, or some really strong kid-safe glue like

 
The next one is for those fairy garden lovers out there!  I pretty much just included a bunch of random wooden pieces such as spools, tiny knobs and candlestick holders and a few natural textures like rocks, small pinecones and moss.  A small plant like this cute soft green succulent would also be a great accent and would add a lot of height to the fairy garden.  Also, some jute cord and a wooden or kraft paper tag would be a great touch for the outside of the jar.  Don't forget your little fairy!  Here, I included a small Christmas fairy.  How cute is she?
 

 
There you have it!  The possibilities are endless!  You could have a snowman kit with large white pom poms, clay carrot noses, black beads and brown pipe cleaners!  How about a New Year's celebration kit with supplies to make a paper hat that says 2017?  It could even include a small container of confetti and a noisemaker!  Whatever you make, don't forget to include holiday spirit!
 
Have fun!
Erika @ PC

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Pinecone Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas tree...
How lovely are thy branches...
A tree always kicks off the Christmas season for my family!  It really doesn't feel
like the holidays until we bring a nice 6 foot tree home and shake out it's branches, its
refreshingly sharp smell wafting through the house...
If you want to bring a little of that feeling Christmas cheer to work, I have one craft that is simple,
festive and downright ADORABLE.

 
Mini Pinecone Christmas tree! 
All you need are a few items.
 
1. Pinecone
2. Green Acrylic Paint
3. Pom Poms
4. Firefly lights
5. Mini Terracotta Pot
 
First, Paint your pinecone!  I chose a traditional Christmas green, but you can mix up the colors if you'd like.  You can even leave it as is for a nice neutral and rustic palette.  White pompoms or Snow Tex would be great for trimming it.  Or why not try a cutesy pastel palette?  Maybe an ice blue tree with iridescent twinkle flakes and pink pompoms? 
 
Second: Glue your mini pompoms onto your pinecone after it's fully dry.  Then, take your firefly lights and wrap them around you tree starting from the top.  Because I had chosen the 10 bulb firefly lights, I was able to hide its small battery pack inside the Terracotta pot, which I placed the pinecone "tree" onto for a base.  You can go ahead and paint the pot as well! 
 
And that's all she wrote!
This is a great activity for kids as well, so don't pass up the chance to make some great holiday memories.  Have fun!
Erika @ PC
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, October 28, 2016

Minimal Fall Garland

Well, it's almost the end of October, and it honestly makes me feel so sad!
The Autumn season is fleeting!  It's time to make the best of it.
We've got one more month to go, so it's never too late to put up some fall décor.
The project I have today is very minimalist and requires only a few supplies. 
Don't fret!  It's simple quality is what makes it ADORABLE.  Also, it's great for kids!
Although, because this requires basic sewing skills, close supervision might be needed for younger children under 7. 
Let's get started!
 
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
 
 
Supplies Needed
Felt in Autumn Colors
Embroidery Floss in Autumn Colors
Embroidery needles
Scissors
Yarn or Jute Twine
Permanent Marker (optional)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
 
 
First, cut out leaf shapes from your pieces of felt!  I chose orange, olive green, golden yellow, maroon and brown.  The simpler your leaf shape, the better.  You can use a marker to draw your
leaves first as well.
 

 
Second, use the embroidery floss to sew on some veins.  I have a step-by-step-process pictured below.  Basically, you want to work your way up from the bottom of your lead and sew the veins from the sides to the middle.

After the veins, go ahead and cut out some letters if you'd like.  I cut out the word "FALL", but other words like "GIVE THANKS" or "AUTUMN" would be really cute as well!  You can use any color, but for this garland, I chose black so that the word stands out from the leaves.


 
 
After that, hot glue your leaves and letters onto some yarn or jute twine and hang it up! 
Now you can enjoy the beauty of autumn leaves in your home.  For us in Hawaii,
(who can only see the leaves change color on dying mango trees) this would be a great
garland to make and put up year after year.
 
Have fun!
Erika @ PC
 


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Spooky Snail Mail

What is UP my crafty peeps?
We've had a bunch of new Halloween scrapbooking collections, all from the best names in the business!  American Crafts, Doodlebug, Bella Blvd. and Pebbles have some fantastic and adorable designs for all of your creepy crafting needs.  I had a lot of fun creating a board of a bunch of different ways you can mix and match Doodlebug's collection, Boos & Brews, specifically.
What's better than customized and colorful snail mail?  This activity has been gaining popularity again, including special items like watercolored postcards and "pocket letters".  What better way to send some love to family and friends during the holidays?

 
Here are a few examples of what you can make with this collection!  It's very colorful and bright, with a cutesy Mad Scientist and Haunted House theme on each paper design.  There are also a few sheets that have strips of sayings or cards that you can cut out if you don't want to use the full design on the other side of the sheet. (Yay for double-sided paper!)
 
 
Potion bottles, rainbow curlicues, strips of stars, moons, spiders and fun-colored eyes are among the many designs available!  So much fun to mix-and-match!


Here is a mix of ephemera that are available in Doodlebug's "Odds & Ends" Ephemera pack.
You can't handle the cute!  This is less than half of the pieces that are included.  Such a deal!
And who doesn't love WASHI TAPE?  Here are the four Halloween designs they have.  The spider one is what I used on ALL of the pieces in the first photo!  So adorable!
 
So, get your creative juices flowing and let loose!  Don't be afraid to mix designs and media.  That's the beauty of the collection.  Everything's so fun and colorful that you can't go wrong with whatever combination you make!  Don't forget:  Doodlebug's awesome Baker's Twine!  I grabbed a bright neon green color to add a little more texture to the pieces.  Also, distressing does wonders when you want to tone down the bright colors.  Graze the edges of each component with a brown stamp pad!  This is the effect shown below.  Even though the designs are more on the kiddie/cutesy side, a little bit of old vintage charm can help make it more for the adults!

 
Have fun sending your Spooky snail mail this Halloween.
If you do, we want to see posts on Instagram!  If you've purchased any of our wonderful holiday scrapbook collections and made some amazing mixed media postcards or envelopes and letters, take a photo and please use the tags "#bfcrafts" and "#spookymail!
Can't wait to see what everyone conjures up!
 
See you next week!
Erika @ PC

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Golden Easter Egg Hunt!

Hello, Crafters!

   Join us at the Pearl City Ben Franklin for our 
annual Golden Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday!  
From 10 to 4  pm, children between the ages of 5 and 12 
can come in and search for the special egg.  
If they do, they win a treat!  


  Watch out!  This little critter is fast and will move
 around the store to find new hiding spots. Be quick and have fun!
                                                                     
  Happy Easter!
Erika @ PC

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Crankin' Out Crafts On The Road Episode 378 - Paper Plate Seahorse

JFlo & Special Guest Keiki Crafter Dreden create an Seahorse from a paper plate. You can make your own too!

Seahorse Paper Plate projects


Supplies:
pattern
paper plate (makes two seahorses)
google eyes
double stick tape or glue 

markers or crayons

*Seahorse Pattern is available for download on the Projects tab on our website here

This is a fun and easy project to do at a ocean-themed kids event or party!

*The Waikiki Aquarium is located in Waikiki at 2777 Kalakaua Avenue on the island of Oahu. It is a great place to visit with the entire family and to learn more about Pacific Marine Life through their ongoing educational exhibits. For more info see their website: http://www.waikikiaquarium.org.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Crankin' Out Crafts On The Road Episode 377 - Fingerprint Fish Postcard

JFlo is at the Waikiki Aquarium this week creating some easy kids crafts! Check out today's project a fingerprint fish postcard.  

Fingerprint Fish Postcard


Supplies:
orange acrylic paint
yellow acrylic paint
micron pen
watercolor pencils
paint brush 
water

*The Waikiki Aquarium is located in Waikiki at 2777 Kalakaua Avenue on the island of Oahu. It is a great place to visit with the entire family and to learn more about Pacific Marine Life through their ongoing educational exhibits. For more info see their website: http://www.waikikiaquarium.org.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Mother's Day Photo Taking Event at HouseMart BFC Mapunapuna - Saturday, May 3 from 10am-2pm


Create a special gift for Mom! Bring your Keiki in on Saturday, May 3rd from 10am to 2pm to our Mapunapuna store to take 3 photos (child will hold a letter in each photo spelling M-O-M). Fee $49.99 includes photo session, (3 photos), printing, matting, and framing. Pick-up finished frame the next day on Sunday, May 4th. Craft Club discount can be applied to this special promotion. See store for more details.
Create a special gift for Mom! Photo Taking Event for Mother's Day on 5/4 10am-2pm

Extra Special Deal! Gift Wrapping available at a discounted price for only $6 (reg. price $12) next door at Celebrations! (Receipt must be shown at the time of purchase.)

Friday, December 6, 2013

BFC Gift Cards make the perfect gifts for Christmas!

Ben Franklin Crafts Gift Cards make the perfect gift! Get a $5 Gift Coupon with every $25 gift card purchase from Dec. 6 to Dec. 13, 2013. (Gift Coupon valid from Jan. 2 - 16, 2014.) 

Buy a BFC gift card for everyone on your list!

Visit our stores to purchase your gift cards today! See stores for more info.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts -ep296 Pinata Costume


Welcome to our DIY Halloween themed week of Crankin' Out Crafts. To start things off, JFlo shows us an especially cute and easy Halloween costume.

DIY Pinata Costume for Kids

Catch this episode on our YouTube Channel: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 296 - Pinata Costume

Supplies:
T-shirt
Felt in many colors
Headband
2 Paper mache cones
Ribbon
Double-stick tape
Scissors
Hot-glue gun and gluesticks

A really cool thing about this costume is that you can pull the felt pieces off of the t-shirt if you need to reuse it again.

Don't forget to scroll down and read today's earlier post - Market City shares a festive holiday project!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts -ep288 Fuzzy Little Monster (Eyelash Yarn)


Puna's got a fun kid's craft for Halloween. Children will love being creative and making their own monster.

Fuzzy Little Monsters - a great craft project for kids!


Supplies:
Styrofoam ball
Eyelash yarn
Pipe cleaners
Foamies
Googly eyes
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Wire cutters
Scissors

Don't stop with just one styrofoam ball. You could glue balls together to create even larger monsters!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 286 - Hanging Bat Favor (Halloween Treats)


We have one more cute Halloween treat idea for you today and hopefully you won't think it's too "batty!"

Hanging Bat Favor using paper maché cones

View our last Halloween treat episode on our YouTube channel: Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 286 - Hanging Bat Favor

Supplies:
Paper mache cone
Black acrylic paint
Red stickles
Bump chenille stems
Small treat bag
Ribbon
Wire cutters
Scissors
Hole punch or awl

Isn't it great that these small cones come in a pack of 6? It makes it even easier to do this favor for a bunch of people that might be hanging about.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 285 - Witch Legs Favor (Halloween Treats)


JFlo has a favor idea today that's definitely going to have you "legging" it to buy supplies.

Witch Legs Favor made with candy stick bags


Supplies:
2 candy stick bags
Sixlets
Black cardstock
Printed cardstock
Ribbon
Button
Double-sided tape
Scissors

Monday, August 26, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 284 - Spider Eggs Favor (Halloween Treats)


Who's ready for some special Halloween treats? Puna kicks this week off with a tasty favor that has a gross name.

Halloween Candy Favors

Watch our first Halloween Treats episode here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 284 - Spider Eggs Favor

Supplies:
3"x4.75" clear treat bag
Cardstock
Die cut shape or punch
Sixlets
Ribbon
Stickles for accents
Double-stick tape

You can extend this idea to make other spookily cute treats. Try using orange Sixlets for "Witchy Warts" or white Sixlets for "Boo Poo".

*Don't forget to scroll down to read today's earlier post from Enchanted Lake BFC!

Friday, July 5, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 266 - Tissue Paper Lantern


Turn those fun summer days into beautiful summer nights with today's crafty project.

Create a fun & colorful summer party lantern!


Supplies:
Paper lantern
Tissue paper in a lot of colors
Glossy Mod Podge
Paint brush
Scissors

When you're finished decorating your lantern, take some time to go over the empty spots with Mod Podge to give the whole piece a more even looking finish.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 264 - Bird Feeder


This week is all about summer crafting time. Join Puna today to learn how to make a simple bird feeder out of Popsicle sticks.

Make a bird feeder out of large popsicle sticks!


Supplies:
Large Popsicle sticks
Jute or twine
Hot-glue gun
Scissors

All you need to do now is to find a nice place to hang your bird feeder and add some seeds.

*Don't forget to scroll down and read today's earlier post on another awesome summer project from Enchanted Lake BFC!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 252 - Perler Bangles


For our last perler bead projects, Puna is back to show you how to make fun bracelets with the perlers.

Create cute and colorful Perler bead bangles!


Supplies:
Perler beads in your color choice
Tweezers
Circular peg board
Ironing paper
Iron

Kids can make their own fun dress-up accessories using Perler beads, and if they break, Mom can always iron them back together again.


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Crankin' Out Crafts Episode 251 - Perler Earrings


Perler beads are not just for making fun key chains. Today, Puna will show you how to use them to make earrings and embellishments.

Perler Beads can also be used to make jewelry

See how to make these cool earrings here: Crankin' Out Crafts: Episode 251 - Perler Earrings

Supplies:
Perler beads in in your color choice
Tweezers
Hexagon peg board
Ironing paper
Iron
Jump ring
Fishhook ear wires
*optional small buttons*

Don't forget to iron both sides of your earrings or embellishments to make sure that they stay together well.