Wednesday, May 23, 2012

DIY :: Treasure Stones


Do you ever find something you can’t wait to make and then misplace the directions only to find them at a later date and think – “Wow, I haven’t made these yet?” Well, that is exactly what I did with the Treasure Stones recipe.
I reorganized my school closet Sunday afternoon and found this long-lost idea. In fact, I discovered this little project several years ago!
Last night, while the boys were enjoying their time with Dad (watching Top Gear), I put together the Treasure Stones without anyone knowing.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 cup flour
1 cup coffee grounds (used preferably)
½ cup salt
¼ cup sand
1 cup water
1 tablespoon powdered tempera paint (optional)
Toys or trinkets

Let's begin!


First, I mixed all the dry ingredients in a bowl.


Then, I added the water, mixing well. At this point, you can also add the tempera paint, but I did not have the dry variety on hand.


Break off a base-ball sized amount of the dough mixture and roll it into a ball. Make a hole in the center big enough for the treasure. For the bigger treasures, it was easier to plop the dough on the foil, place the item inside, and then cover accordingly.
Fill the hole with the toy or trinket and seal with the dough mixture.
Allow the stones to air dry for a day or two. Mine were ready to go this morning!

I must say, when wet, the natural stones do not look very pleasant, but once they have dried they really do resemble a rock.

These would be a fun addition at a birthday party. If the theme revolved around dinosaurs you could fill them with little plastic dinos; a pirate party could have them filled with gems and gold coins.
My boys enjoyed these this morning. It was a welcome break and a surprise treat during our school day.













They also make for a great sensory tool for those children needing an outlet to explore messy things as well as strong smells, since the stones do smell like coffee.








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