I was taking a cruise around Flowerland last week looking for something the “Easter Bunny” could bring my daughter. You won’t believe what I found. They still make Shrinky Dinks and Flowerland carries them!
If you don’t know what I’m talking about then let me explain. When I was little, my mom would always throw in one really neat craft type gift for Christmas or Easter. I think she was trying to nurture that creative person in me. One year I got some Shrinky Dinks. Another year I got a Weaving Loom.
Admittedly, I’m not an overly crafty person but I do enjoy fun activities now and then. And as my daughter gets older, I want to encourage and enjoy her creative side with her.
So if you aren’t “in the know,” Shrinky Dinks is a craft project by which you make plastic charms. Essentially, you have pre-cut thin, plastic shapes that you color with special colored pencils. Once you’re done coloring them, you put them in the oven and bake them. They shrink up (thus the name) into hard plastic charms you can wear, hang from your key chain or whatever. The coolest part is watching them shrivel and shrink in the oven.
I also have fond memories of my Weaving Loom. It made me feel so good to be able to make my mother neat potholders with my own two little hands. Hey, don’t laugh; she always said she liked them better because they were thicker than what she could buy at the store. But apparently weaving looms are not just for potholders anymore. In addition to the ‘jersey loop’ variety (which you can use to make afghans and placements as well), Flowerland also carries one that uses yarn. According to the picture on the box, you can make all sorts of things including a purse.
Right now both of these are a little too old for my daughter but it’s great to know they are still available. In the meantime, she’ll have fun with her new ‘fishy’ watering can. (Last summer, she wanted to help me water my plants but she had a hard time carrying my big watering can.)
Keep the umbrellas handy and enjoy the weekend! Talk to you next week!
Mary Gold
