Take a torch, a cup of coffee and a smoothie cup...

Family crafting 101



OK So the only point of the coffee is to keep the parents sane and rational during the experience of crafting with young kids.

Our task last week was for the kids to make some lanterns as we were meeting up with other kids at a festival.
I was fired up and started sussing out exotic options such as origami lanterns while hubby was dispatched to find cheap, little torches. Naked flames did not seem an option of choice for 3 children under 7 in a crowded place. Where is our spirit of adventure you say? Probably in the same as the strength that my pelvic floor muscles used to have...but that's another story.
The he had a light bulb moment (oh c'mon- love a pun!) which involved the closeted proof of my addiction to Wendy's coffee chillas. Closeted proof being the containers in the kitchen cupboard that I keep for possible upcycling. My addiction being 1 a week (OK, sometimes 2) for, well, a long time- given the number in the cupboard.
The torches fit into the end perfectly!
Voila. Home crafted lanterns.
I took to them with my very best glittery, trashy nail varnish.
He spent hours refining the use of kitchen paper (or not) and sticky tape (or not) and cellophane (or not). As men do.
The kids and I glued on lots of bright, sparkly things.







There was minimal altercation between adults and offspring and between mummy and daddy.
And daddy was involved which was cool because he is usually a bit of, well, OK, a full-on crafting dud and leaves such things up to me!
And the end result was more than fair.



Well, the kids liked them (and mumy and daddy secretly thought that they were pretty cool)

But someone help us when we have to help make an exploding volcano or a model of the solar system or a 3d representation of the life cycle of a praying mantis. My artistic and perfectionist (anal) tendencies and my husband's scientific (anal) tendencies will get the better of us. Better start stockpiling the coffee now.