The Great Picture Hanger Uppers

One of the great dilemmas in our house is what to do with our children's amazing artwork. The customary location to showcase a young-one's masterpiece, the fridge, does not work. First, the front of our refrigerator does not hold magnets and thus papers require tape. This is messy and problematic... small kids and tape are just not compatible. Also, mom has a problem covering the fridge with papers- the side is covered with photos and cards from our family members, but the front? A lot of cooking takes place in this kitchen and it NEEDS to be clean. Papers on the fridge are just asking to harbor germs! (I can't get past it, sorry.) Thus, we needed a place where kids could hang up their drawings and school projects.

I pondered the problem greatly. My first idea was to hang up a string in the hallway and let them use clothes pins to hold up their works. Allowing THEM the chance to hang up their projects was important. I worried about this plan, however, as a mother of boys... a supply of clothes pins hanging within their reach screams trouble.

Then, one day at Wal*Mart, I came across THIS new product:

Tape strips that can be used over and over and over again? It states on the package that if, for some reason, the strips lose their stick all you have to do is wash it and let it dry. Really!?!

Um, awesome!

I bought a pack and brought them home. The spoil-sport that I am did not rush right into sticking them on my walls and allowing kids to play with them, I read up on some reviews and learned that most people were really happy with the results. One person had a problem with some paint... but the overall reviews were positive.

Then, I had an idea of my own! Why not combine my first idea of using cloths pins AND the new awesome tape substance? That way the kids were not using the fancy sticky tape when/where ever they wanted (again, that could be expensive and dangerous with small children). However, If I were to 'permanently' stick the paper holding devices in various locations- the kids could hang up and change their displays at will. If needed, I could move the location in the future. Yay!

This is what we came up with:

You can see the 'tape' behind the pin.

Art work is hung!

A row of pins, to showcase all the art! (there is another row on the other side as well.)

So far, so good. The kids love having their pictures hung up. They LOVE being able to change them as they want and mom LOVES the fact that they are not falling off the fridge door and kids are not always searching for the tape stash. They just aren't old enough to work it. lol

Cat in the Hat Treats

 Crafting is an obsession of mine. I LOVE to make things... Food is also a bit of an obsession. I LOVE eating things. Combining the two is not only a fulfilling hobby, it can become a medium of art work that can inspire and thrill people to new levels.

Part of the thrill comes from understanding ones audience. Creating a dish for my husband is far different than creating one for my children. My husband appreciates food with deep flavors and can be awed by the food's appearance in a more natural form. This is not always true for my children... they appreciate a more crafted appearance that focuses less on the taste and more on the look of the food. Of course they enjoy a decadent dish, but let's face it- they get pretty excited about mac-n-cheese from a box as well, so long as it has Spongebob or Scooby characters.


Crafting a dish for a child is more about inviting their eyes to the party, bringing something from outside the kitchen that THEY appreciate. Thematic treats or colors that are not completely 'natural'. These are all ways to thrill them and their senses- and a really crafty mom can do this while introducing them to new flavors and better for them recipes. It's all in how you go about crafting the dish.

Classroom treats are one of my favorite ways to showcase delicious goodies. Children are delighted to eat sugary snacks, but are so fun to watch as their eyes light up upon seeing a new looking dish crafted in a way that captivates their imaginations. The joy it brings them, is worth all the time preparing them. And, let's face it- that's why crafters craft! We WANT people to see our creations and be excited by them, no matter how big or small the item... that is the reason for making them.

Last year, for my daughter's first grade class, I made a treat to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. It was simple and yet VERY memorable. A winner in my (and their) eyes.

I started with my FAVORITE graham cracker recipe from Weelicious. An awesome source for simple and kid approved recipes. I've manipulated this recipe so many times to meet my needs- it is the best! For this treat, however, I left it as-is and used a small circle shaped cookie cutter to create enough hat bases as I needed. I had plenty of dough left over and I just cut out bigger crackers for my kids to eat later- no worries, they are quickly devoured around here.

While the graham crackers are cooking/cooling, I painted my marshmallows. Using a food approved paintbrush (I keep mine with my cake decorating supplies... truthfully, I purchase the green Wilton brushes because they are a specific color and have Wilton printed on them. I cannot 'accidentally' misplace or misuse them.)

To make the 'paint' I simply add a few drops of food coloring to a bit of Caro Syrup. Some people are against corn syrup- but it is all about moderation. Paint the tops and a few stripes. If you have trouble holding onto the marshmallow while painting them, pop them onto a kabob skewer! (Be sure not to go all the way through.)

After the crackers are cool, I dipped each one in white chocolate and placed them on my cookie rack to harden. After dipping, place one big marshmallow upon the melted chocolate- the chocolate will 'glue' the marshmallow onto the cracker.

Simple to make.
Fun to look at.
Educational?

It's all how you look at it!