Super Fun Spring Crafts By Chrissie Weston, Owner of Bare Feet Creations

Super Fun Spring Crafts By Chrissie Weston, Owner of Bare Feet Creations

Bare Feet Creations is a state licensed day care.  Rather than daycare, kids come for enriching two hour “camps.”  Each camp is limited to only 8 children.  Chrissie teaches kids art, crafts, sewing and baking during her monthly camps September-May.  Summer camps are offered during June-August.   Visit “Bare Feet Creations” Face Book page to learn more and sign up.

 

Valentine Simple Garland

This is a very simple, yet adorable craft for kids of all ages to make!  (These are even more fun to make while sipping Shirley Temples as pictured)hearts

 

Supplies:

¼-½ yard of festive burlap (I used read in the photo).  (1/2 yard will make LOTS of banners like the one pictured)

¼- ½  yard pink felt (you can use white, red, or really any color you want)

Yarn for stringing

Aleene’s Fast Grab Tacky Glue (I like applying it with a tooth pick or wooden skewer, as it can be hard to squeeze out of the bottle).

Scissors

Large plastic needle for threading the squares on the yarn (optional)

 

Cut pieces of burlap to about four inches square.  Cut squares of felt about three inches square.  Cut hearts out of the felt.  Apply Aleene’s glue to the back of the heart with a tooth pick and then place onto the burlap background.  Cut two vertical slits in the top corners of the burlap so that the yarn can thread through.  Make these darling banners any length you want!

Bare Feet Creations’ St. Patrick’s Day Gold Fish Crackers

greengoldfish

  • 1 C all-purpose flour
  • 4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 8 oz white cheddar cheese (I recommend Tillamook)
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t fresh-ground pepper
  • A fish cookie cutter, but any shape will do (like a Shamrock?)
  • A few drops of green food coloring
  1. Pulse the flour, butter, cheese, a few drops of green food coloring, salt, and pepper together using a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
  2. Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, and only enough so that the dough forms a ball and rides the blade.
  3. Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.
  4. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray.
  5. Roll the dough out to 1/8-inch
  6. Place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking pans.
  7. Bake at 350 F until golden and crisp – 15 to 20 minutes.

*Note, you can make these crackers with Tillamook Cheddar Cheese and no food coloring year round for that traditional gold fish cracker look.

Homemade Peeps!peeps

In my six years of teaching, this is hands down the kids’ most favorite activity.  I think it is necessary to have a Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer to make the recipe. Make the marshmallow a day or two ahead so it has time to set and cover with plastic wrap (not letting the plastic wrap touch the marshmallow).  This involves boiling sugar, so it is a good idea to make ahead before younger children get involved to avoid possible burns.

                

Bare Feet Peeps

  1. Vegetable Cooking Spray
  2. 1 TBLSP powdered sugar
  3. 2 envelopes gelatin, soaked in 2/3 cup cold water
  4. ½ cup water, room temp.
  5. 2 Cups sugar
  6. ½ teaspoon vanilla

Put gelatin in Kitchen Aide mixer bowl, pour cold 2/3 cup water over and let soften while you work.  Spray a 9” x 13” pan with vegetable cooking spray and coat that with powdered sugar.

Over Medium High Heat melt sugar and ½ cup water together.  Cook until it boils and reaches 238 degrees.  (This takes quite a while, use a candy thermometer and be careful not to get granulated sugar on the sides of the pan.  If you do, use a pastry brush with water to wash down the sides of the bowl).

Pour hot mixture over gelatin and stir with mixer on slow.  When incorporated, whip mixture on medium high for 8-10 minutes or until soft peaks have formed, add vanilla and mix again till blended.  Pour in prepared pan (sprayed with cooking spray, then dusted with powdered sugar) and let sit at least an hour before cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter.  Dust in finishing colored sugars.

 

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