CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES: Crafty idea comes in the mail

Kiddy Crafts gives kids something to look forward to

She's had years of experience as an elementary school teacher and she's always been involved in craft-type projects. So it should come as no surprise Ellen O'Connor started a business which mixes both those aspects.

O'Connor launched KiddyCrafts (www.kiddycrafts.com) in January. A subscription to the service means every month, a child receives a new craft in the mail.

Crafts might involve something like customizing a light switch cover, making a key chain, creating puppets from paper bags, decorating a mask or, for older children, stitching a coin purse.

Projects may require construction paper, buttons, feathers, stickers, sparkle shapes, foam cut-outs and goggle eyes. These materials are placed in the envelope which is addressed to the child.

"Anything that can be crushed, I don't send," O'Connor said. "But I forewarn the parents so they're ready. Like, I'll let them know next month's craft needs a toilet roll holder or something."

Most of the crafts require using glue but never staples or anything that might injure a child. Projects are age-appropriate, geared for youngsters ages 3 to 10.

At special times of the year the crafts take on holiday themes. Projects might include a bouquet of hearts for Valentine's Day, a Halloween spider made from an egg carton or a turkey puppet for Thanksgiving.

O'Connor has an arsenal of crafts, about 250 she estimated, to ensure there are no repeats for a long time.

When a parent first orders a subscription, they fill put a bio -- a questionnaire. This clues O'Connor to the child's favorite color, favorite animal, sport and hobbies. That information determines what crafts are sent to that particular child.

As soon as a subscription comes in, she pulls together a 12-project package. A dozen 8 1/2 by 11-inch envelopes are filled, then filed in bins according to mail date. Because items are already packaged, the envelopes are popped in the mail.

"I send a confirmation e-mail (when someone subscribes)," she said. "That way they know I got their order and I didn't just take their check and put the money in my bank account."

All the work is done at her home near Alta and Buffalo drives.

For those who want to see what O'Connor's crafts are like before buying a subscription, she conducts weekly craft classes at the Desert Breeze Community Center, 8275 Spring Mountain Road. Many of the projects those children work on come from her arsenal of ideas.

She's been teaching crafts at Desert Breeze the last two and a half years.

Subscriptions can be purchased for either six months or 12 months and prices starts at less than $35. KiddyCrafts also offers a basic craft tool set, with items like scissors and glitter, and a birthday party kit with enough crafts for 10 children.

Mary Clarke has been taking her daughter Francis Bigelow to the classes at Desert Breeze for the past year. When Francis turned 3 in January, O'Connor came to the house to do crafts with the birthday guests.

So when O'Connor launched KiddyCrafts, Clarke was the first to sign up.

"At this age, kids just love getting something in the mail," Clarke said. "For me, it was nice to have a fun project for us to do together. For her, she was just thrilled to get that envelope."

Clarke said she intends to give subscriptions as gifts when Francis' friends have their birthdays.

O'Connor and her husband Scott, an engineer who also designs Web sites through his own business Designs@Work, have three children. The two boys are Sonny, 15, and Daniel, 14. When they were little, they enjoyed doing crafts with their mother.

Now, Kayla, 5, helps with the business. Call her the kid-tester.

"She'll often do crafts while I'm putting things together," O'Connor said. "It gives the two of us quality time together."

O'Connor said she hopes the fledgling business, now gaining subscriptions mostly through word of mouth, will go world-wide and really take off.


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