Saturday, September 27, 2008

Halloween Kids Crafts - Baking Great Halloween Cupcakes

Halloween Kids Crafts - Baking Great Halloween Cupcakes


Baking cup cakes are great Halloween Kids Crafts. You may not believe me but my little granddaughter that is only 4 years old, has amazing success with cupcakes with very little help from my side. Obviously, they are not "show" quality but very edible. With older kids you can start teaching them to bake better cupcakes.


Cupcakes are fun to make, and even more fun to eat. They're a favorite snack for Halloween parties, or to have around the house for your ghouls and goblins.


Here are some tips for making your Halloween cupcakes irresistible:

  1. Be sure to preheat the oven fully, and bake your cupcakes on the middle rack.
  2. Mix your batter carefully. Be sure not to mix longer than the mix or recipe calls for, and bring your ingredients to room temperature before you add them in. This will keep your batter from being lumpy and make your cupcakes nice and moist.
  3. Use decorative Halloween cupcake cups. These cut down on messes and add a nice touch to your finished treats. If you prefer not to use paper cups, you'll need to grease and flour each individual section of the pan.
  4. Fill each cup 2/3 full. If they're filled any higher, the cake will rise and spill over onto the pan. If not full enough, they will turn out too small.
  5. If your oven heats unevenly, turn the pan around halfway through baking.
  6. Check your cupcakes after the minimum baking time by inserting a toothpick in the middle of one. If it comes out clean, they're done. If not, they need to bake a little longer.
  7. Try pumpkin cake mix for a great Halloween flavor. This goes great with cream cheese icing!
  8. If you don't like the idea of pumpkin cupcakes but want to make them look more festive, add some food coloring to make them orange. You'll have to experiment to get the right shade. In yellow cupcakes, a dash of red may be all that's needed. If you're using white cake mix, you'll need to add orange (or red and yellow). Add a drop at a time and mix well until you get the color you want.


Halloween Kids Crafts - Cup Cake Decorating Ideas:


  1. Orange frosting is great for making your cupcakes look like pumpkins. You could add black frosting accents to make a jack-o-lantern face, or stick a small piece of green licorice in the middle to make the entire cupcake resemble a small pumpkin.
  2. Use a fine-tipped frosting applicator to draw spooky designs on your frosted cupcakes. Spiders, spider webs and ghosts are quick and easy to draw.
  3. Break oval-shaped cookies in half to make tombstones. Stick them upright in the frosting, and write "R.I.P" on them in a contrasting frosting color. This looks especially good with green or brown icing for the "ground."
  4. Top your cupcakes with creepy candies. Gummy worms, candy bones, and chocolate monsters are favorites of kids.
  5. Make spider cupcakes. Use black licorice to make eight legs, and add any kind of small round candies (or use frosting) for the eyes.


These are only a few ideas to get busy in the kitchen with the kids for Halloween Kids Crafts.

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Monday, September 15, 2008

Kids Halloween Crafts - Halloween Beaded Jewelry


Kids Halloween Crafts - Halloween Beaded Jewelry


Kids love dressing up in full costume for Halloween. Remember, very important, that the perfect costume isn't complete without the right accessories! Why not make some beaded jewelry to finish the look? This is one of our really fun Kids Halloween Crafts.


1. Beginners Halloween Beaded Crafts:


There are plenty of simple beaded jewelry pieces that do not require a great deal of skill. You can whip these up in no time, and they can add lots of punch to your costume (or even an everyday outfit). You don't even have to go by a pattern if you don't want to.


Here's what you'll need to make a simple beaded bracelet:

  • Elastic thread
  • Medium sized beads
  • Scissors

This is what you have to do:

  • Cut a piece of elastic about 10 inches long.
  • Tie a knot in one end large enough to prevent the beads from falling off.
  • Then add beads as you like, either randomly or in a pattern that you like.
  • Once you've added enough beads to make the bracelet the right size for your wrist tie the ends together and cut off the excess string.

You can find lots of Halloween themed beads at your local craft store or online. Bat, ghost, and skull beads are great for making fun Halloween bracelets. You can also use this technique to make beaded necklaces. Just decide how long you want your necklace to be, and use a piece of elastic that is 2 to 4 inches longer than that.


2. For The Older Ones - More Advanced Techniques


a. You can also make some nice Halloween pieces by doing bead weaving:


This is often done on a loom, but it can be done by hand as well. It can produce a flat, fabric-like piece, or a three-dimensional piece. Bead weaving requires certain stitches and knots, but it's not that difficult to learn.


Bead weaving is a general term that encompasses a number of beading techniques. Some more specific types of bead weaving include beadpoint, bead embroidery, bead crochet, and needleweaving. All of these can be used to create great Halloween jewelry. Bead weaving is great for making spider earrings and pendants.


b. Another beading technique is wire wrapping.


This involves placing beads on jewelry wire and bending the wire into decorative shapes. Certain tools are required, including a flush cutter, round nose pliers, and bent nose pliers. There are also other tools that are used to do certain techniques and to make wire wrapping easier.


Wire wrapping is great for making bracelets, earrings and pendants. You can use all sorts of fun Halloween beads to make a bold and unique piece. Why not make a matching set?


3. Beaded jewelry can add some splash to any Halloween costume.


It's also great for wearing anywhere you want to show your Halloween spirit but can't wear a costume. You don't have to be an expert to create nice pieces. All you need is some elastic thread, beads and your imagination to get started.

Doing Kids Halloween Crafts is a fun way to spend time with the kids and keep them safe at home.


For more Halloween crafts visit Fun Kids Crafts and Halloween Crafts

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