Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Mother’s Day Candle Creations

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Mother’s Day is coming fast and if you’re still looking for some last minute gift ideas or crafts I found a few quick candle projects. Most moms love candles so you can’t really go wrong although my mother might not know where the heck to put more.

tin canThings are warming up so outdoor lanterns are a fun option. We always have tin cans kicking around and big coffee cans would be perfect for creating big sturdy lanterns.

You could put a row of them out with citrus candles inside and fight off the bugs at the same time. At CraftBits there are easy instructions for tin can lanterns. If you don’t have a pin hammer handy, a regular hammer will do.

Baby food jarDLTK has an adorable candle holder project made out of a baby food jar. Kids could decoupage just about anything from paper or tissue onto it and have fun personalizing the candle holder by finding pics of her favorite things.

Better Homes and Gardens have several Mother’s Day craft ideas for creating personalized gifts for moms. I love the mugs with handprints and the decorated flowerpot that could double as candle holders.

If your mom is into oil or tart burners, Jane Lake gives us detailed instructions on how to make your own scented candle melts or tarts at All Free Crafts. It’s a great way to use up old wax and you can include a couple of your mom’s favorite scents.

Have some more ideas? Tell us about them!

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Book Review: The No-Brainer Brain Explainer

Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).

This book, aimed at kids in grades 1-4, is colorful and silly but also educational about how brains actually work, with billions of neurons sending electrical and chemical signals around the body.

“Everything we think, feel and experience comes from an electrical relay race, with neurons passing chemical batons to each other,” the book says. “The constant chatter of billions of brain cells creates your entire world.” 

The book compares the brains of mammals to those of crabs (the book is “written” by a crab after all) and notes that crabs have fewer neurons and of course are much smaller, but they have separate parts of their brains that control their eyes and their legs. Crabs are also capable of remembering things, using tools and solving puzzles. 

Some animals’ brains allow them to know more about their world in different ways from humans, such as spiders being sensitive to vibrations in their webs and catfish having an amazing sense of taste, with taste sensors all over their bodies. 

It notes that 95 percent of brain activity goes toward things we do unconsciously, like breathing, walking and catching a ball flying toward us. It also talks about dreams, memory, how our emotions try to predict the future, where brains came from and fun facts about brains. For example, did you know a sperm whale is believed to have the biggest brain of any creature that’s even lived? Their brains weigh 18 pounds, compared to just 2.5 pounds for humans. 

Information on what creatures have the smallest brains, the toughest brains, the most brains and those who actually eat their own brains will delight kids (and maybe gross them out a little bit). They’ll also enjoy learning about the mycelium network of fungi, which is like a brain without a body, and slime molds, which are like a brain without a brain. 

It ends talking about why human brains are so special because we’ve found ways to work together, communicate and build communities on a scale bigger than any other animal. 

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful, silly and informational book about brains!

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $19.99.