LilSugar

Delilicious: Easy to Make Chocolate Easter Lollipops

LilSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:00:52 -0700

Here comes a chocolate Peter Cottontail! Get a jump start on your Easter dinner centerpiece and dessert by creating chocolate lollipops using a simple candy mold.

While the lollipops seem detailed, all you need is the pattern, chocolate to melt and lollipop sticks. You melt the chocolate using a double boiler, and then pour it into the mold and slide the stick into the bottom.

My first try turned out a little rough around the edges, but the lollipops make a cute addition to my Spring garden bouquet.

Tell Mommy: Do You Make or Knit Clothes For Your Children?

LilSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0700

A friend of mine has been raving about the assortment of homemade baby hats at a tiny flower and card boutique called Willow and Bloom in Seattle, WA. I was bummed to find the selection isn't available for sale online - although you can order special one-of-a-kind gift baskets for new mommies - but, I was inspired by the designs on the company's website. One hat is shaped like a little Viking helmet and another is a simple cupcake design with hand-sewn "sprinkle" beads. Both have me wishing I knew how to handle a round knitting needle. Do you ever make or knit clothes or accessories for your children?

Sweet and Healthy Homemade Valentine's Day Treats For Tots

LilSugar — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 08:00:18 -0800

Stop the press and pick up the Conversation Hearts! According to parenting expert and Montessori school director, Lonna Corder, Valentine's Day is the new Halloween. Your children will be celebrating the day of love at school this week, but the actual holiday falls on Saturday so be prepared. In the spirit of keeping things simple and inexpensive, I am making my children homemade Valentine's Day packages with just a few sweet treats to remind them I love them. Here are a few ideas for ways you can shower your youngsters.

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lil's Favorite Ways to Wrap It Up

LilSugar — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 06:00:00 -0800

The economy may have families cutting back, but creativity comes free of charge! Instead of tossing rolls of pricey wrapping paper into your cart at the store, take the time to teach your tots how to make festive prints with their hands, fingers and even feet. The colorful gift wrap makes presents extra special and the activity can become a beloved holiday tradition. Check out our slideshow to see all the inventive ways lil is wrapping things up this season!

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Wrap It Up: Snowman Gift Tag and Ornament

LilSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:00:24 -0800

Wee ones love helping to wrap presents, but if their small hands make maneuvering the big packages more of a hassle, set the kids up with a quick art project that will hold their interest. Made from the cotton makeup cloths you have in the cabinet, these frosty lil snowmen gift tags double as ornaments for the recipient's tree. For directions on how to make these simple creations with items found around the house and for step-by-step pictures, read more.

You will need:

Cotton makeup cloths
Glue
Markers
Scissors
Paper clips

Directions:

Take a cotton round and put a dot of glue on one edge and then secure another round to it. Do the same with that round until you have three in a row to form a snowman shape.
Use a pen or marker to write your gift tag info on one side of the snowman.
Flip the snowman over and decorate by adding coal eyes, a carrot nose, buttons, scarf and hat. Or whatever you prefer
Using a scissors snip a small hole in the top of the snowman's head.
Next take a paper clip and open it up a bit to resemble an ornament hook.
Slip the hook through the hole and your tag becomes an ornament.
Hook the ornament through the bow of your gift or tape the bow gently to the wrapping paper.

Wrap It Up: Recycle Newspaper

LilSugar — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:00:04 -0800

Newspapers normally end up stacked in the recycle bin so send your child on a lil mission to recover the black and white printed sheets and help wrap their holiday gifts. Simply pull a page, cut it to size and cover the present. Once that is finished, using their steady lil hand, some eco-friendly paint in the color of their choice (I like red for the contrast) and their own inspiration, have them "tie" a bow around the package. If they want more colorful paper choose the comics section. To add more pizzazz, use a glitter glue pen to create the ribbon.

Wrap It Up: Put Your Budding Artist's Work to Good Use

LilSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 06:00:04 -0800

My daughter's backpack is always filled to the brim with paintings, pictures, and doodles that I can't bring myself to toss. Rather than tuck them away to collect dust, I'm putting them to good use this holiday season - let's face it, we can only keep so many! We're using her lil masterpieces - including completed coloring book pages - to wrap small gifts. Tucking the artwork around books, videos, and boxes, we'll showcase her artistic talents for all to enjoy! We also added a bit of sparkle by wrapping bows around the goodies with a steady hand and a glitter glue pen. While this homemade paper costs pennies, the pictures are priceless!

Kidoodles: Make a Sockmonster!

LilSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:30:43 -0800

Sock monsters are one of my favorite on-the-fly entertainment tricks and a cost-free way to creatively reinvent solo socks. If the simple Sharpie-drawn monster is beneath your crafty standards, try Monster Munch's free downloadable pattern and instructions. It's a quick eight-step process that involves two socks, two buttons, a bit of felt, and some stuffing. Try it once and then teach your grade schooler to make their own.

Kidoodles: Free Paper Play House Downloads

LilSugar — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:00:26 -0800

There's something magical about sitting down with your children during weekend arts and crafts time. It's the perfect opportunity for stories, creativity and inevitably, a whole lot of mess.

These adorable paper houses and store fronts will help you deliver the same soothing creative time without any of the paint or pencil marks. The paper projects can be downloaded for free from Paperm. The site is Japanese, but just click the designs you like and select the colorful PDF link. You'll need clear tape and scissors to assemble the little structures.

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ECOWEEN: Ghost Lollipops

LilSugar — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 09:00:47 -0700

If you're looking for an earth-friendly treat that may cause a bit of fright go with ghost lollipops. Toddlers love projects so enlist your lil ones help in wrapping each individually wrapped organic sucker in a sheet of recyclable tissue. Tie it off just under the candy with a piece of string, ribbon, twine or raffia found around the house. Then have your child use a black pen to decorate the flying friends faces with good or ghastly expressions.

For a clever way to carry the treats to a school party or to line them up for trick-or-treaters, have your youngster paint the upside down empty tissue box with some eco-friendly paint. After drying it overnight, puncture small holes in the top and insert the ghosts.