Dandelion Crowns {or other Flower Chains}: A tutorial

When dandelions and other flowers, but dandelions especially, grow abundantly where you live making flower chains or flower crowns is a skill you must learn! Princesses and fair maidens need these to complete their outfits. Or even to add a special touch to a tea party.


Step 1: Gather your flowers. We are using dandelions here but any thicker stemmed flower will do like hyacinths, daisies, marigolds, and even tulips. Make sure you have at least 3 inches of stem. Those little ones {that Hershey picked} won't work.


Step 2: Carefully use your fingernail to split the stem in the middle. Don't make the split go all the way down! We just want a hole in the middle of the stem.


Step 3: Stick the stem of a different flower through the hole you created in the stem.


Step 4: Split the stem of the new flower you just poked through and poke another flower into that hole.


Step 5: Continue adding flowers to your "chain" until it is long enough to go around your daughter's {or your!} head.


Step 6: To connect to the first flower, split the stem of the last flower


then carefully poke the head of the first flower into the hole. For larger flowers like marigolds or tulips you will stick the stem of the last flower into the hole of the first flower {so there are two flowers poking into that hole}.


Viola! A flower crown {or flower chain} to wear for the day. Sadly, these only last a day, but they sure are fun!


They aren't just for little girls to wear! {Here I am with Hershey when she was 6 months old}

© 2007-2012 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

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Fishing Tackle Barrel Swivel Bracelets

Did you know fishing tackle can be used to make some of the easiest bracelets ever?

We used barrel swivels with interlocking snaps and added seed beads for color. Barrel swivels come in different sizes - the smaller the number the larger the size. No matter what size you get all of the packages contain the same number of swivels for the same price so its a better deal to buy the larger sizes. We made two adult size bracelets with one package of 12 barrel swivels that cost us $1.25.

Make sure you get the barrel swivels with interlocking snaps. They open and close like a safety pin.

To make the basic bracelet just connect the interlocking snap of one barrel swivel to the bottom loop of another swivel. It only took four swivels to make bracelets for the younger kids {ages 7 on down}, five swivels for the tweens, and six swivels for adult sizes. It's easy to add more swivels if you need to.

To add seed beads you'll need to first straighten the curved end with pliers to allow the seed beads to slide on. They don't want to go around that 90 degree curve!

Add half the beads, then add the next swivel before adding the rest of the beads.

Easy, cheap bracelets that look more expensive than the 60 cents worth of supplies it took to make them}!

© 2007-2011 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

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Sugar Cube Temples

About 8 years ago when I served as Primary President of our ward we put on an activity about the early pioneers and Nauvoo. As part of the activity we talked about temples, how those who enter must be clean and worthy. The kids then built their own sugar cubes temples.

Realizing only my three oldest had ever done this activity we pulled out the sugar cubes during the Sunday morning session of conference. The younger ones had a great time building their temples.

We covered cardboard with foil, filled bowls with Elmer's {white} glue, gave them their own paintbrushes, and let them have at it.

They turned out great!

© 2007-2011 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

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Palm Sunday Donkey Craft

"Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." {Matthew 21: 5-11}



This craft is so easy! Cut out the body of a donkey using brown paper. Let the kids add hair, a tail, eyes, etc. Use two clothespins to create the legs and feet and allow the donkey to stand upright.


Even the littlest, chocolate milked stained face youngster can get involved.

© 2007-2011 Chocolate on my Cranium, LLC all rights reserved

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