This post was sponsored by WaterWipes chemical-free baby wipes as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. #WaterWipes
Doesn’t it always seem like the best crafts for kids are the messiest crafts for kids? We just made a Thanksgiving craft that the kids were super excited about, but not as excited as I was to have chemical-free WaterWipes around to help us clean up!
First and foremost, WaterWipes are chemical-free. That in itself puts them leaps and bounds ahead of most others on the market in the eyes of parents who want natural baby products. With only two ingredients – 99.9% purified water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract – this premium European brand is sure to gain lots of fans in the US.
A Twist on Applesauce Ornaments
Applesauce ornaments are an old favorite. They only require 2 ingredients (cinnamon and applesauce) and once you bake and dry them, they last for years. We’ve hung them on our tree before, but this year I wanted to try something different – leaf-shaped Thanksgiving placeholders, personalized with everyone’s name. A sweet gift from the kids to show thanks to their Grammie for preparing the meal, in keeping with the reason for the holiday.
But cinnamon? Been there, done that. For Thanksgiving, I was thinking more along the lines of pumpkin spice! It’s got all the great warmth and coziness of cinnamon, with a little extra seasonal spice to keep things interesting.
And keep things interesting, we did! My son got down and dirty with the dough, mixing it up the only way that gets the job done right: by hand. He had a blast, until he reached his mess threshold and said, “Mom, I think I want to be done now.”
Ew. Don’t touch my doorknobs.
Good thing we brought the wipes outside! We have been keeping extra packs of WaterWipes in all kinds of places lately. The diaper changing station, for one, but also in my bag, the car, Gram’s house, and anywhere else we might encounter a mess. Which is pretty much everywhere.
Don’t let me scare you, please. This craft really isn’t all that messy. It’s manageable, but I do recommend doing the big mix outside. That cinnamon tends to get a little unruly.
So take a little time to get your craft on…then use WaterWipes to get it off!
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 bottle cinnamon (approx 2.5 oz)
- 1 bottle pumpkin spice or a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger (approx 2.5 oz)
- cookie cutters
- disposable drinking straw
- ribbon
- metallic paint pens
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Mix applesauce and all spices in a large bowl, using hands to incorporate if needed. Once a smooth ball of dough is formed, turn ¼ of dough out at a time onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Working in batches, roll dough to ¼-1/3 inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Cut dough into desired shapes. Use straw to cut holes into ornaments if you plan on inserting ribbons for hanging.
- If cut-outs stick to parchment, don't try to pick them up. Just cut as needed and arrange parchment on baking sheet. (They will come off after baking.) Bake ornaments for 2½ hours at 200 degrees, then cool on a wire rack. Let stand 24 hours or until completely dry.)
- Insert ribbons through holes to hang. Decorate with metallic paint markers, if desired.
A little more about those WaterWipes…
As parents, we want to do everything we can to create a clean and safe atmosphere for our kids – and that includes the products we choose for them. The ingredients in baby products can be hard to keep track of, but putting WaterWipes on your shopping list takes one thing off your worry list.
You might be wondering if they’re durable, and if they even work. In short, yes. Just as well as any other wipes I’ve ever used in my 6 years of changing diapers, and they’re not loaded with fragrances. Perfect for sensitive bums and gentle enough for those prone to diaper rash, and ideal for cloth wipes mamas who like disposables for travel!
You’ll notice that WaterWipes are not interfolded like other brands. This is because folding the wipes separately allows the environment inside the package to remain sterile. And somehow – I have no idea why – when I leave these wipes open by accident, they don’t seem to dry out like other brands. Please tell me I’m not the only one who does that (a lot.)
Find WaterWipes at Giant, or check here to see where to buy WaterWipes near you, then stock up for messes big and small.
Get social with WaterWipes on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. They love to make new friends!
That is a neat way to make ornaments. I bet these smell awesome.
Those ornaments are so stinking adorable! I never would have thought to make them from applesauce pumpkin dough. I bet they smell amazing!
I’m so excited to find out that a store near me carries the water wipes now! I love those things! I keep them in my car all the time for any messes while traveling. Or to clean up my daughter’s face before she heads off to the bus each morning. I love that they are chemical free.
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What a cute idea to make place cards for Thanksgiving! I really want to try making these just so I can smell them. I’m addicted to the smell of cinnamon. Yummy!
I LOVE these ornaments! I’m always looking for a new one to make with my kids each year and this is going to be it for 2015!
I simply love this idea. Even though our Thanksgiving has passed here in Canada this will be something to remember to try come next year.
Stacie recently posted…My Dietainment Story #StopDietainment
What a fun craft idea and one that I am going to do with my girls. They will love squishing the dough in their hands and making fun ornaments.
Those are just darling. We have the week off of school surrounding Thanksgiving, so this will be a perfect time to make this with the kids.
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I always wanted to make something like this with my kids. Maybe I will this year.
I love fun crafts that serve a decorative purpose. We have to try this.
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What a cute idea! I could see making these as gift tags for family members presents. Love this.
Sarah recently posted…My Son Wasn’t Interested In Learning At Kindergarten Until I Showed Him This
What a fun craft for the kids to make for the holidays. And what a perfect way to use those wipes to clean little kids hands after they’re done.
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This is such a pretty craft idea! I love making ornaments and this looks like an extra special fun bunch!
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i love how natural and pretty these are. what great little homemade gifts for the grandparents too. so they don’t dry out if i leave them open which i do all the time! i’m gonna have to grab a pack for the car and then maybe i’ll switch since i have 2 kiddos in diapers.
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I think homemade decor is top notch! It shows how much love someone puts into what they do. I bet these smell delicious! I’m not sure I could stop my son from trying to eat them!
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Such a great clean-up method with those wipes. More importantly though. how cute are those ornaments?!
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These ornaments are super cute and I bet they would love amazing on the tree.
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