Crafting With Kids: Recycled Greeting Card Cones

Now that I've recovered from the big crazy cake adventure, I wanted to share something else my oldest and I did for the birthday party: cones to hold candy made out of recycled greeting cards.

A story that my boy and I really enjoy reading together is A Birthday For Frances by Russell Hoban. In it, there's a description of the table set for the birthday party guests, where each place features a little basket of candy. He'd been asking me for months already if we could do the same thing for his birthday.

I wanted to do something easier (and cheaper) than baskets, and was inspired by the little cones in Gifts From the Kitchen from the Company's Coming series and by this tutorial from Martha Stewart. (I don't usually follow Ms. Stewart, as I don't have the patience --or perhaps, talent-- for her projects, but I could simplify this one.)

marthastewart.com

Our own quick-and-easy version:

1. Use a bowl or saucer of an appropriate size to trace a semi-circle on a recycled greeting card (Christmas cards, birthday cards, etc.).

2. Cut out the semi-circle and overlap the corners of the straight (i.e. not curved) side to make a cone.

3. Fasten with one or two staples.

4. Cut out a short strip from the same card to make the handle, and attach it to the cone with a staple at each end. And voila! A lovely paper cone!

Now, just add the candy. (We put the cones in a muffin tray to keep them more upright.)

A little bit of taste-testing going on here...