And So Are They: Independence Day Crafts

Here's another cross-over blog that comes to us from Crafty Mom 101 just in time for 4th of July's festivities! Enjoy your holiday celebrating both the freedoms we are gifted

and those that we are still fighting for!

Fun star-shaped crayons are so easy to make!

I was wandering down the trusty Target dollar aisle and came upon these terrific star-shaped ice-cube trays. There are just so many things you can do with molds like these, so instantly I grabbed two of them! Two dollars is hardly too much to spend on a little fun! Here are three simple uses for these fantastic little crafty treasures.

1. Red & Blue Ice

Gel food coloring will take a little more mixing than
liquid food coloring.

Gasp! We're going to use these trays as they were intended... but with a little twist. Kids love ice, especially on hot summer days, and the 4th of July tends to be a scorcher. So here's a fun way to make your ice-cubes festive for the Fourth! Simply mix a drop of red or blue food coloring with water in each mold, swirling with a skewer - when they're frozen, you'll have red and blue ice stars!

This is a great way to get your kids to drink that oh-so-important water they need on a hot day. They will marvel as the ice melts and turns their water into fun colors! What color will their water be if they have red and blue ice stars in together? It's also fun to see what will happen when you add these ice stars to different drinks. Will their lemonade go green if they add blue ice stars to it? Let them experiment and try it all out!

2. Patriotic Painting
Need a fun activity for the kids that will keep them sitting still for a little bit while the grown-ups get the barbecue going? Look no further than your trusty ice-trays! Grab some paper, brushes and few containers of water (for cleaning brushes) and get ready to let the kids' imaginations run wild! Use your ice-trays as paint wells and let the kids express themselves with some patriotic paintings. Fill each star with a little paint (red, white and blue, of course!) and let the kids create masterpiece after masterpiece! You can display them all over the house and the kids will be so proud to contribute to the party decorations! The great thing is that with so many little wells of each color, the kids will be able to mix colors all over for lighter blues, purples, and pinks!

I've used acrylic paints, but tempera paints are more washable and might be more appropriate for younger kids.

This makes the perfect activity for kids at your 4th of July barbecue!

Your kids will simply love these fun crayons!
And you will be a super-hero for making them!

3. Star-Shaped Crayons!

This requires a little more planning than the other uses listed above. It's definitely a craft for parents to do, but the kids will simply adore the results! Collect all those broken and forgotten crayons, the ones that just don't seem to make it back into the box, and get ready for some fun.

The first step (the kids will most likely enjoy helping you out with this bit) is ripping off all the paper wrappers from the crayons. Then you need to snap the crayons into little bits. In honor of the Fourth of July, I'm only using crayons that are either a shade of red or blue.

Now use a grater or a vegetable peeler to shave off flakes of white, silver or gold (or all three!) crayons into each star mold. These will turn into little specks on the tops of your star crayons! You could, of course, have red specks on your blue crayons, or blue on your red - whatever you want! Get creative!

Don't skimp on your sprinkles! The more you add, the more festive your crayons will be!

Separate your snapped bits into stand-alone baking cups (you may need to use two for extra strength) and preheat the oven to 275 degrees (f). You only need to leave the crayons in the oven for about 7 minutes, but check on them regularly because they'll smoke quickly if they get too hot. Once they're all melted, simply remove them from the oven, pinch the baking cups to form a spout and pour the melted wax into your star molds. Don't worry about spilled wax, it will snap right off once your crayons are cooled down.

Stick your tray in the fridge and let cool. This could take anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on the size of your ice-trays. Once completely cooled, pop your star-shaped crayons out and get to coloring! Fill a little bowl with your fantastic crayons and place it on a table with stacks of paper at your barbecue (you know, the table where you are currently using your ice-trays as paint wells!) The kids will all hang out at your little activity table and enjoy making fantastic works of art!