Kids Crafts with Cool Brands

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how important it is for kids to have opportunities to be creative. I have a 7 year old daughter who loves to make things with me. I try to find projects for her that she can do, she has done a few simple sewing projects, some embroidery, and lots of paper and felt crafts. I make a lot of stuff with yarn, usually crocheting, but for some reason I haven't attempted to teach her that yet. I just worry that she isn't quite ready, or maybe that I just won't have the patience to help her.

When I had the opportunity to try out the Knit's Cool knitting studio I thought it would be a great chance for her to try out some yarn crafting. When I told her about it she was so excited, every day she would come home from school and ask me if her crafting stuff had come yet. When it came she couldn't wait to get it open and try it out.

The first thing that she wanted to make was a pink headband like the one pictured on the box. She got everything out and set up, picked out which charm she wanted to put on the headband, and she was ready to get started. The box says it is for 8+ and she definitely needed some help getting started but once I showed her what she needed to do she was able to do it herself really well. There were a couple of places that her stitches got a little loose but it still turned out really great. It was really cool because you don't need to hold the needles or the yarn so it is so much easier for kids than trying to figure out how to hold everything. Also, there is a little counter so they can keep track of how many rows they have finished.

One of my favorite things when making crafts with kids is seeing how proud they are of what they made. She couldn't wait to wear her new headband to school the next day (messy hair and all, I guess I should have fixed her hair before taking her picture). When she was only about halfway done with hers she was already planning what colors of yarn she was going to use to make headbands for her little sisters.

We also got to try another Cool Brands product, Text Cool, which is a bracelet maker. My girls all love jewelry so they all loved that kit, and it was really easy to use. My 7 year old put it away in her room that she shares with her 4 year old little sister and the 4 year old got it down and made a bracelet all by herself. It wasn't perfect and her sister wasn't very happy about it but she thought it was pretty awesome. Pretty soon everyone in the house had new bracelets. Even the boys wanted to get in on the action. They all thought it was a lot of fun to pick the words and emoticons to put on the bracelets.

My husband and I share an office so often he is in sitting at his desk working on his computer while I am sitting at mine working on a project. One morning he got up early and went in the office to work and Eliza went in with him, set up her bracelet maker and went to work. He said it was like having a little mini me in there with him as he worked on his computer and she sat next to him making bracelets for everyone she knows.

This time of year is the perfect time for these kits too, she can make her own gifts to give to friends and family members. Or, if you have a crafty kid they would be great to give them as gifts for Christmas.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.