Friday, 24 July 2015

Klutz Activity Kits to the Rescue


Stacy Lellos, Mom of 3 and GM of Klutz

What is a mom to do when the weather derails a day at the lake with her girls and their friend? Luckily, for this mom, we have many different Klutz kits at home! I suggested we all pick out one kit to do together, but when I brought out the box of books from our craft closet, each child was drawn to something different, telling me to “hold on!” while they read through the one that caught their eye.

I realized that rather than push for us all to do the same thing, the beauty of creating is to find what speaks to you.  Klutz has such incredible breadth it’s easy for each child to find something that ignites their imagination.  For my oldest daughter Sophia, who loves to draw but doesn’t always feel confident in her abilities, Stencil Art was the perfect find. The stencils and designs in the book gave her all the tools she needed to create with confidence.  For her friend Joelle, who takes art classes at school, Face Painting gave her a new medium with which to try her skills; first drawing on her own arm, before convincing Sophia that it would not be weird AT ALL to go shopping later with a tiger painted on her face.
 
As for my little one, Evangeline, the cuteness of Paper Pups drew her attention right away, and dressing them-up in the different outfits made her giggle with delight!  That was until her big sis went to get her face-painted by Joelle, and then, like all little sisters everywhere, she saw the project her big sister started was left unattended and decided to make it her own. :)

 And as with so many Klutz products, she at six, could have success creating with the easier designs included while her 12-year old sister could move to the more complicated designs in the book.  It¹s one of the tenets of our company of which I’m most proud; we make creating accessible for every age and ability.  Our step-by-step, crystal-clear instructions help kids to not feel intimidated to try new things.

The girls had a blast and by the time they finished their projects, the sun came out literally and, from Evangeline’s drawing, figuratively, too!


 

Friday, 10 July 2015

Tiny Stitches, Big Results


Vicky Eva, Klutz buyer, DIY queen, and (most importantly) proud mama

Who says Klutz kits are just for kids? I’ve always loved crafting and designing, as far back as I can remember. Over the years I’ve made purses and jewelry, stenciled walls and ceilings, re-upholstered and refinished furniture, and even wallpapered my bathroom the day before I gave birth. Needless to say, I love all things DIY! I wish I could learn a new craft every day of the week, but with two little ones now, I find little time for my favorite hobbies. Luckily, with Klutz’s Tiny Stitches, I have a good excuse to make time for DIY. I decided to give my baby girl’s clothes and accessories a bit of extra flair (while satisfying my need to be creative).

http://store.scholastic.com/Books/Interactive-and-Novelty-Books/Tiny-Stitches

The simply adorable designs in this book are the perfect inspiration to jazz up those common bibs, onesies, dresses, and even stuffed animals.  I find most items in the market are often too busy and not unique, at least not the affordable ones. But with this kit, I can monogram and create special designs to my heart’s content.

With the needles, floss threads, and embroidery hoop from the kit all ready to go, I stitched a few flowers and leaves on a plain bib—and the result is so much fun.


What better way to give character to a plain white onesie than to jazz it up with a bow! She’s ready to party.



I couldn’t resist making a monogram for her so I sewed mini flowers, leaves, and a butterfly on a cardigan to create a bouquet of loveliness for my sweet girl.



I’m so happy with the result and I don’t think my little Bianca minds wearing mommy’s DIY projects.  These creations are a hundred times more special than the store-bought versions. I cannot wait to start on the next project . . . I’m sure I can find some dresses or headbands of hers that need a little pizzazz.