Making stickers is a great party activity, combining art with minimum of mess. As Jill Jolton writes at Parenthood.com, this do-it-yourself art project is fun for kids — and inexpensive for adults. But if you won't have time for sticker making, you (or the guest of honor) can create the stickers prior to the party and include the results in the guests' goody bags.
What You’ll Need
- Images— use magazines, old story books and photos
- Clear, unflavored gelatin
- Measuring cup
- Bowl
- Paintbrush
- Paper
How to Do it
- Before the party, collect pictures: Find images in magazines, catalogs and old books. Consider making color photocopies of some of the images, to minimize fighting over a particularly popular picture.
Bright Idea: Older children can create images with the help of a computer graphics program, while younger kids will enjoy coloring in the pictures with crayons or magic markers.
Bright Idea: Older children can cut out the images with round-edged scissors if supervised, while an adult should prepare images for younger children.
- When the images are prepped, pour ½ cup lukewarm water into a bowl, then add one packet (1 envelope = ¼ ounce) of gelatin (don’t add the water to the gelatin, or you may end up with lumps). Stir until the gelatin dissolves.
- With a paintbrush, apply a thin coat of liquid gelatin to the back of the images. Place the images on a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper, sticky side up. Let the images dry.
- Once the gelatin has dried, stickers are ready for use and can be incorporated into collages, stuck on fellow partygoers or parents or even taken home as a party favor.
Note: This is not suitable for vegetarians: Gelatin is an animal product.
