Fun for the Kids

This is a great play dough recipe that I thought I would share. Enough said!

Holiday Fun Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon liquid food color

Directions:

In a 4-cup microwavable measuring cup, stir Bisquick mix, salt, and cream of tartar until mixed. In liquid measuring cup, mix water and food color.

Stir in a small amount of colored water at a time into dry mixture until all water is added. Microwave covered on high for 1 minute. Scrape mixture from side of cup and stir. Microwave uncovered 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring every minute, until mixture forms a ball. Let dough stand uncovered about 3 minutes.

Remove dough from measuring cup, using spoon. Knead dough in your hands or on the counter about 1 minute, or until smooth. (If dough is sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons Bisquick mix.) Cool about 15 minutes.

Use dough to make fun shapes. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 30 days. Dough is not edible.

Source: Betty Crocker recipe found here.

Notes: This stuff is an awesome texture and consistency. It is so easy to make, and my kids love playing with it. I like to heat it up for about 15 seconds in the microwave (after it has been refrigerated) each time my boys play with it...otherwise, it is kind of cold to handle until it warms up to room temperature.

Alright...Go Ahead and Play With Your Food

A few days ago, I posted some recipes for non-edible items that kids could play with. But if you want to have your cake and eat it too (or in other words--play with your recipes and eat them too), then these recipes will be right up your alley.

The roses shown above are made out of Tootsie Rolls, and strawberry and lemon Starburst. You can also make chocolate roses by making chocolate plastic. I made some chocolate roses years ago for a Young Women's activity when I was about 15 (using a recipe almost identical to the ones I am sharing here). It was a lot of fun. If you don't want to just make them and eat them for the fun of it, you can make them and use them to decorate cupcakes/cakes.

I recently found a recipe for edible finger paint. I still haven't been daring enough (in other words, I haven't had the energy to clean up the aftermath) to let my 2 year old son do finger painting yet...but that time is not too far off.

I'm not including any recipes for marzipan, but it is a perfect food for kids to play with. In addition to tasting yummy, marzipan can be molded into a number of fun shapes. You can buy pre-made marzipan in the baking aisle at the grocery store, or you can find a number of basic marzipan recipes online. I take the easy route and just buy the pre-made marzipan whenever I use it. You can then "paint" the marzipan with food coloring--or even the homemade finger paint recipe.

While I haven't included any marzipan recipes, I have included a few edible play dough options here.

I'm also sharing some kid-friendly ice cream recipes. Individual portions of ice cream can easily be made in either a can or a plastic bag. They are a lot of fun for kids to make and they are yummy to boot! When I was a kid, we would make ice cream in a can frequently during the summer. My primary made the ice cream in plastic bags just this past summer for an activity. The kids thought it was so cool that they could make ice cream by themselves. I was surprised at how many of the kids wanted the recipe for themselves so that they could make it any time they wanted. I guess requesting recipes didn't seem to be something to me that was common for kids to do! But I can't blame them. If I didn't have this recipe, I would want it too!

In the fall, we made homemade butter using only mason jars and cream. Again, the kids had a blast and were surprised that they could make something like that themselves.

So, go ahead! Have fun with your food before you eat it!

Chocolate Roses

Ingredients:

One-half pound of white, milk, or dark chocolate plastic (recipe below)

Directions:

Begin by kneading your chocolate plastic until it is smooth and supple. If you are using white chocolate plastic, knead it in powdered sugar, and if you are using milk or dark chocolate plastic, knead it in unsweetened cocoa powder. If the plastic is too hard to knead, microwave it in five-second intervals just until it becomes pliable. Do not microwave it too long, or it will be too soft to work with.

Dust your work surface and a rolling pin with powdered sugar or cocoa powder, and roll the chocolate plastic out into a very thin layer, less than 1/8" thick. If you are working with a large amount of chocolate plastic, you might want to divide it in half and roll it out in batches.

Use a small round cutter to cut circles from the plastic. For one full-sized rose, you will need nine circles, and for rosebuds, you will need 4-5. The size of the circle cutter determines the size of your finished rose. A 1.5" cutter will yield a full-sized rose that is approximately 3" wide.

Begin by forming the center of your rose: take one of the cut circles and roll it into a cylinder. Leave a small hole at the top of the cylinder, and a larger hole at the bottom.

Take another circle, and use your fingers to flatten one end of it until it is paper-thin. This will be the top of the petal, and it helps give the rose a more delicate look. Wrap your petal around the cylinder, making the top of the petal level with the top of the cylinder, pressing it at the bottom to adhere the chocolate plastic.

Thin out the edge of another circle to add a second petal to your blossoming rose. The trick to getting a lifelike rose is to slip the second petal underneath the edge of the first one. Add a third petal whose edge starts just under the second one to complete the first layer of petals. If you want to make a rosebud, your flower is now complete. To make a full rose, continue to the next step.

Use the remaining five petals to add a second layer to the rose, thinning the top edges as before, and sliding the edge of each new petal under the previous one as with the first layer. Curl the outer petals back slightly to make your rose bloom. Pinch off any extra plastic at the base of the flower, and re-roll it with the plastic scraps to create more roses.

Allow the roses to sit at room temperature and dry for 24 hours. Once set, they can be stored in an airtight container indefinitely.

Source: About.com, recipe by Elizabeth LaBau

Notes: Again, I love this gal's recipes. She's very in-depth in the way she writes her recipes out though. Read through the entire recipe so that you know what she's explaining and then just have fun sculpting and molding your roses. It's not as hard as the recipe makes it look at first glance.

Chocolate Plastic

This recipe can also be made with milk or dark chocolate. The procedure for milk chocolate is the same, but if you are using dark chocolate, increase the amount of corn syrup to 2/3 cup. Note that you cannot achieve the same coloring effects when using milk or dark chocolate, and that you should roll out milk or dark chocolate plastic in cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

1 lb. white chocolate (or milk or dark chocolate can be used as noted above)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:

Chop the chocolate and place it in a large microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave the chocolate until melted, stirring after ever 45 seconds to avoid overheating the chocolate.

Remove the melted chocolate from the microwave, and stir until smooth. Add the corn syrup and stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the chocolate onto a large sheet of plastic wrap, and wrap it securely. Allow the chocolate to cool and solidify at room temperature, for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Soften the hardened chocolate by kneading it with glove-covered hands, or microwave it in short 10-second intervals until it becomes soft enough to work with. Continue to knead until it is smooth and pliable. Do not worry if your chooclate plastic has lumps--these can be worked out through the kneading process. Dust your hands with powdered sugar if the chocolate begins to stick. At this point, you can divide it and knead different food colorings into the chocolate, if desired. Be sure to change your gloves between batches to avoid muddying the colors.

Dust your work surface with a thin layer of powdered sugar. Roll out the chocolate plastic until it is very thin (about 1/8 inch). Alternately, you can use a pasta roller to make thin ribbons or strips.

Now you're ready to decorate with your chocolate plastic! You can cut out shapes or letters with cookie cutters or a knife, or form the chocolate plastic into ribbons and bows, or use large sheets of plastic to wrap entire cakes or petit fours.

Gather remaining scraps of chocolate plastic and wrap tightly. store in a cool cupboard and use within 2-3 weeks. To re-use, repeat the softening instructions in step 5.

Source: About.com, recipe by Elizabeth LaBau

Plastic Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup light corn syrup

Directions:

Melt chocolate in a large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in the corn syrup. The mixture will become sticky, but keep stirring until very well blended.

Spoon onto a piece of plastic wrap, and wrap tightly. Let stand at room temperature until firm before using. Overnight is best. Use unsweetened cocoa powder on work surfaces to prevent sticking.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by HBIC.

Notes: I included this version of the recipe so that you can see the difference between the way Elizabeth LaBau writes out her recipes and the very much simplified written version. This is basically the same recipe, but it is shortened quite a bit.

Tootsie Roll or Starburst Roses

Ingredients:

5-6 small Tootsie Rolls or Starburst candies
Shortening, optional

Directions:

Unwrap 5-6 Tootsie Rolls or Starburst candies (if using Starburst, use the same color) and put them in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the candy for 10 seconds. Check to see if they are soft and pliable in your hands. If not, microwave in 5-10 second increments until they are soft, but not too hot, or completely melted.

Grease your hands slightly with a little shortening to prevent stickiness. Take a small clump, about an inch around in size, from your soft Tootsie Rolls/Starburst. Make a sort of cone shape, with a larger flat bottom and a slightly tapered pointed top.

Take a small piece of Tootsie Roll/Starburst and flatten it between your fingers. Make it sort of rectangular or triangle shaped, and long enough to wrap around the cone/base of your rose. Wrap it around the cone.

Take a slightly smaller piece of Tootsie Roll/Starburst and flatten it between your fingers. Make this piece petal-shaped; slightly rounded on top. Place it against the side of your base, keeping the petal fairly closed, meaning don't let the top curl out. Make two more petal shaped pieces. Take the second piece and slightly overlapping the first, put it on your base. Follow with the third piece. The three pieces should go all the way around the rose base.

Make five more petals. Apply them as you did the inner petals, slightly overlapping each one. when five petals are attached, they should go all the way around the rose. Using your fingers, gently bend the tops of the petals outward, so the rose is more open.

Tips: Fruit-flavored Tootsie Rolls can also be used for more variety in color. Keep the petals thin for a more realistic appearance, but not too thin, or they may sag downwards.

Source: ehow.com (if you would like to see some step-by-step pictures, click here.)

Edible Peanut Butter Play Dough

Ingredients:

12 oz peanut butter
6 tbsp honey
1/2 cup (to 1 1/2 cups) nonfat dry milk powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Add more dry milk, if needed, to keep it from being too sticky.

Source: About.com, recipe by Barbara Whiting

Edible Play Dough

Ingredients:

3/4 cup creamy or chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1-2 tbsp honey

Directions:

In a bowl, combine peanut butter, milk powder, and oats.

Add enough honey to form a molding consistency. Kids can use dough to form fun shapes and animals, then eat them.

Store dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups. 10 servings. 2 tablespoons per serving.

Source: Taste of Home Test Kitchens.

Peanut Butter Play Dough

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup honey

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in an air-tight container.

Source: OurBestBites.com

Homemade Finger Paint

Ingredients:

3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups cold water
food coloring

Directions:

Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan. Add cold water and combine with a whisk. Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens to a thin pudding consistency. I recommend stopping the cooking process a little before it's the consistency you'd like because it thickens upon standing. Once removed from heat, cool and then separate into bowls and color as desired.

Spread out big sheets of freezer/butcher paper or newsprint and let the kiddos go to town.

Source: OurBestBites.com

Soup Can Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Clean soup can
Medium size plastic bowl
Ice cubes
1/2 cup rock salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring

Directions:

Place can in bowl and surround it with ice cubes. Sprinkle rock salt on ice cubes only. Pour milk into can. Stir in sugar and vanilla. Continue stirring for 15-20 minutes or until mixture thickens into ice cream. Then eat!

You may add diced fruit, crushed cookies, or candy, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. for additional flavors.

Source: This is a recipe that we've had since we were kids. I'm not sure where my Mom got it from.

Ice Cream in a Bag

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rock salt
1 pint-size plastic baggie (1 per child)
1 gallon-size plastic baggie (1 per child)
Spoons
Ice (large bag)

Directions:

Have the kids line up as you put vanilla, milk, and sugar into their pint-size bags. Then close those bags and seal them shut with duct tape. In the gallon-size bags, put about 2 cups of ice (fill the bag half way) and add the rock salt on top of it. The pint-size bag goes on top of the ice and then you can close the big bag. Shake the bags for 5-20 minutes, or until the milk mixture reaches the consistency you would like.

This is best as an outside activity because you will almost always have leaks while you are shaking the bag.

Cut off the tops of the pint-size bags and the kids can eat right out of the bag, or cut off a bottom corner of the bag and squeeze the ice cream into a cup or bowl.

Source: I found this in a random online search and neglected to write down the source.

Notes: I doubled the recipe. I used quart-size and gallon-size bags, 1 cup of milk, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla per child. The kids loved it!

Ice Cream in a Bag

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 pounds ice cubes
2 1/2 pounds coarse salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla until well combined. Pour mixture into a 1 quart resealable plastic bag. Squeeze out all the air and seal to close.

In another large bowl, mix together ice and salt. Fill a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag 1/3 full with ice mixture. Add bag with cream mixture and continue adding ice and salt mixture until bag is filled; you may not need to use all the ice and salt. Seal to close.

Shake the bag about 10 minutes until cream mixture is no longer liquid. Let cream mixture rest, covered with ice for another 5 minutes, or until firm. Serve immediately.

Source: Martha Stewart website. The recipe comes from Saul Griffith's "Howtoons: The Possibilities Are Endless!"



I just posted the recipe for snow ice cream last month, but I thought I would include it again here because it fits the topic of kid-friendly/fun recipes so well (much better than it fit in with the blog post it was featured in: "Summer Soups").

Snow ice cream is so easy to make...as long as you have the right supplies! You just have to have a nice, fresh, pollution-free snowfall! There's no specific recipe either, because it's all about the right consistency and flavoring the ice cream to your taste. But here's the gist of it:

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

Freshly fallen snow
Milk, to taste
Sugar, to taste
Flavoring of choice, to taste (vanilla extract, almond extract, other favorite extract flavoring, Italian Soda Syrup flavor of choice, etc.)

Directions:

Mix snow, milk, sugar, and desired flavoring together until you reach your desired consistency and taste. Use less snow if you want more of a shake-like consistency. Use more snow if you want a thicker ice cream. It's as easy as that!

Source: My grandma used to make this for my Mom and her sisters when they were kids. Then, my mom made it for us when we were kids.

Notes: You know, snow ice cream is one of the best things about winter. It brings back so many childhood memories for me. It just tastes soooooo good. The basic way to make it is to use vanilla extract for a basic vanilla snow ice cream. But I've used Italian soda syrup and made hazelnut and white chocolate snow ice cream so far this winter and those were super tasty too. So, get creative and have fun. If you're craving snow ice cream during the summer, you can satisfy your craving if you own an ice shaver or ice shaving machine. You can also make a snow slushy/snow cone and skip the milk altogether. You can mix the snow with Italian soda syrup, snow cone syrup, or soda pop until you find a consistency you like. I tried this with some sugar-free raspberry Italian soda syrup and it was really yummy--and a lot lighter on the calories too!

Homemade Butter

Ingredients:

1 pint heavy cream
Airtight container (such as a mason jar)

Directions:

Fill airtight containers approximately half full with heavy cream. Securely cover containers and shake until thickened (anywhere from 10-30 minutes).

Source: Allrecipes.com, recipe submitted by DD123

Notes: Once the butter separates from the buttermilk, pour out the buttermilk and either serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to re-use, allow butter to come to room temperature prior to serving to allow for easier spreading.

Homemade Butter

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Pour cream into a food processor or blender. Process for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates. Strain off the liquid. Season to taste with salt, if you like. Press butter into a small bowl with the back of a spoon to further remove liquid.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Brian Perspect

Notes: This is the lazier (but noisier) version to make homemade butter. It's not as much fun for kids and not as good of a workout. But if you don't mind the noise from the blender, it's a lot easier on your triceps!

Kids' Stuff: Recipes to Play With...Not to Eat!

When I was a kid, my Mom did a lot of fun things with us. She took us on "field trips" all over Utah during summer vacation and on Saturdays during the school year. She also did kids' crafts with us.

I had to make some salt dough for a Primary sharing time object lesson. Making the salt dough took me back to my childhood and my memories of some of these kids' crafts that we made. So, I thought it might be fun to share a few of them (as well as some new discoveries).

My son isn't quite old enough to appreciate (or avoid eating) these kid crafts yet...but it won't be too long before he is old enough. Kids grow so fast!

I'm sharing a few versions of salt/play dough. I'm also sharing a fun way to reuse crayon pieces by making your own crayons (I know that for me at least, the way my son uses his crayons, they don't stay in one piece for very long). I also found a fun recipe for homemade water colors. Oh, and we can't forget silly putty and bubbles! What would childhood be like without those?

Oh, and just a warning...none of these recipes are edible (I know I already mentioned that, but I'd rather mention it too many times and be better safe than sorry!).

Salt Dough

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup cold water

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix table salt and flour together. Gradually add 1/2 of water and mix to desired consistency. Knead the dough on a flat surface, adding more water as needed (up to 1 cup--but be careful not to make the dough too moist).

Once the dough is made, you can divide it up into small portions and color it with a few drops of food coloring--knead the dough until the food coloring is evenly incorporated. You can add a little more flour if the food coloring makes the dough too moist.

You can keep the dough in an airtight container (such as tupperware or ziplock bags) and store it in the refrigerator to use as play dough.

You can also form the dough into shapes and dry and bake them to preserve it. Or, you can roll it out with a rolling pin and use cookie cutters to cut out a variety of shapes and place the shapes on wax paper to dry. You can make hanging ornaments this way too...just make sure to pierce a hole through the dough with a toothpick while it is still moist.

Allow the shapes to dry for a day or two, turning them over periodically to speed up the drying process. After the shapes dry, you can use sandpaper to smooth any rough edges.

You can speed up the drying process by baking them. Bake the cut-out or sculpted dough in a 200 degree F oven until hard. Baking times will vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the dough. Make sure the dough is completely baked. You can cover the dough with aluminum foil if it starts to darken before completely baked through.

Source: I found this particular recipe (I added in a few of my tips and additions above) by doing a Google search on salt dough. I found this recipe on some family website (though now I can't remember the specific site). It was submitted by Chris Dunmire.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat!

Rainbow Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1/4 cup McCormick Cream of Tartar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
McCormick Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick Assorted Neon Food Colors and Egg Dye
Wax Paper

Directions:

Mix flour, salt, and cream of tartar in medium saucepan. Add water and oil; mix well. Add 20 drops of desired food color.

Cook about 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture holds together (have a grown-up do the cooking).

Remove from heat. Scrape dough onto wax paper to cool. Knead slightly until dough is smooth.

Store in airtight container. May be kept for 2-4 weeks.

Test Kitchen Tips: To avoid stained hands, wear latex gloves.

Add 2-3 teaspoons of McCormick flavored extract, such as vanilla, strawberry, or raspberry extract, for a yummy scent.

Do Not Eat.

Source: McCormick website.

Bisquick Bug Fun Dough

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Original Bisquick mix
1/4 cup salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon food color

Directions:

Stir Bisquick, salt, and cream of tartar in 4 cup microwaveable measuring cup until mixed; set aside. Mix water and food color in liquid measuring cup.

Stir a small amount of colored water at a time into dry mixture until all water is added. Microwave uncovered on high for 1 minute. Scrape mixture from side of cup and stir.

Microwave uncovered 2-3 minutes longer, stirring every minute, until mixture almost forms a ball. Let dough stand uncovered about 3 minutes.

Remove dough from measuring cup, using spoon. Knead dough in your hands or on the counter about 1 minute or until smooth. (If dough is sticky, add 1-2 tablespoons Bisquick.) Cool about 15 minutes. Use dough to make shapes and designs. Store in tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

Not edible! It's play dough!

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Crazy Crayons

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists. Encourage kids to come up with combinations: a blue and white blend for drawing the sky, for example, and a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Ingredients:

Kitchen knife
Old crayons
Mini-cake tins

Directions:

Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs.

Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15-20 minutes.

Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop out.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: You could also cover a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place cookie cutters on top. Fill the cookie cutters with crayon pieces and bake as directed above.

Oh, and this isn't edible. Don't eat it!

Water Colors

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon glycerin
6-8 small paper cups
McCormick Assorted Food Colors and Egg Dye or McCormick Assorted Neon Food Colors and Egg Dye

Directions:

Mix vinegar and baking soda in small bowl. Slowly add cornstarch and glycerin.

Pour one teaspoon into each paper cup. Let dry overnight.

After they've dried, add food color. The color isn't as deep when it dries, so remember to add a lot of food color.

Dip a small paint brush into some water, and then into your paint. Use good construction paper that will soak up some of the water when you paint.

Test Kitchen Tips: Glycerin may be found in arts and crafts supply stores and some grocery stores. Allow the painting a long time to dry...put it in a safe place while drying.

Source: McCormick website.

Notes: Not edible. Don't eat.

Silly Putty

Ingredients:

1 cup glue
1/2 cup liquid starch
Food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Pour glue into a bowl. Gradually add liquid starch while whipping mixture with a fork until a ball forms. Once mixture is incorporated, you can add food coloring, if desired.

Caution: Not edible. Do not get on fabric or carpet.

Source: We've had this recipe since I was a kid...so I'm not sure where it came from. But I know that if you do a Google search for silly putty recipes, you can find a ton of similar (and exact) recipes for this.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat.

Bubbles

Ingredients:

6 pts distilled water
1 pt liquid dish soap (such as Palmolive)
1 pt glycerin

Directions:

Combine water, liquid dish soap and glycerin. Let set overnight.

Notes: Not edible. Do not eat.

Bubble Wands and Bubble Solution

Note: Blowing the perfect bubble depends on equal parts science and magic. With a few twists of wire, you can make fantastic bubble wands and spend long, lazy days practicing your technique.

Bubble Solution

Ingredients:

10 cups water
4 cups dish-washing liquid
1 cup Karo corn syrup

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Bubble Wands

Ingredients:

Large wands:

Plastic-coated wire coat hangers
Floral netting or plastic-coated chicken wire
Wire cutters
Needle-nose pliers
Scissors

Small wands:

18-guage cloth-covered wire
Glue

Directions:

For large wands, you'll need plastic-coated wire coat hangers and either floral netting or plastic-coated chicken wire. Hold the hook at the top of the hanger, and pull the bottom down so that it forms a circle. Cut away the hook and twisted neck of the hanger with wire cutters; you should have about a 31-inch length of wire. With needle-nose pliers, twist a tiny hook into one end of the wire. Bend that end around, and hook it on the wire about 9 inches from the opposite end, forming a 7-inch-diameter circle. Squeeze the hook with pliers to fasten, and straighten the end to form a handle. Cut an 8-inch-diameter of floral netting. With pliers, fold the netting's edge tightly around the frame, snipping off any sharp ends.

For small wands, use 18-gauge cloth-covered wire cut to a length of 15 inches. Bend the wire into a lollipop shape, securing the end of the wire where the loop meets the handle with a dab of glue. To make a star, divide the circle into five even increments, then crimp with pliers. To make a heart, crimp only the top center of the circle.

A tin can, with its top and bottom removed, also makes great bubbles--carefully trim any sharp edges, dip one end in solution, and pull through the air to make one long bubble.

Source: Martha Stewart website.

Notes: You can also simply save old bubble wands and bubble containers once you have used the bubble solution. Just refill it with your homemade bubble solution.

Not edible. Do not eat.