Help me track down some beloved books from childhood! Win Karma!
December 4, 2016 11:10 PM Subscribe
In the late 90's / early 00's, my mother bought me a collection of craft and activity books published by (or related to) the magazine 'Highlights for Children'. I have vivid memories of some of the contents due to the long hours I spent poring over each page, but seemingly not anything useful enough to successfully track them down. Maybe someone out there also owned these books and can help me reunite.
What I remember: At least four, five at most, large and child-friendly books containing activities and crafts. I think each book contained a different theme. I remember instructions for how to make sound effects for a radio show, and ideas of what to perform for a radio show, how to record it on a cassette tape. There were costume ideas. How to make masks from paper plates. Games you could play in the dark. Instructions on how to make shadow puppets. It had the usual collection of how to make slime, putty, and paste. There were instructions on how to make a compass using a magnet, a needle, a box of water, and string. I think each book was a different theme. The font was larger, and there were mostly black ink illustrations. These weren't hardcover, but had a glossy and sturdy card-stock type cover that is often found wrapped around educational workbooks.
One book in particular that I'm most excited to see: a large, white, hardback coffee-table style book with crafts and, most importantly, recipes. This one had instructions on how to make wrapping paper for Christmas by cutting a sponge in the shape of circles (for baubles) and triangles (for trees). It was full colour and glossy with lots of pictures inside. There was a recipe for Marzipan that really sticks out. I remember one of the marzipan creations being decorated with individual cloves in a pattern for the picture. Though this one was different, I'm pretty sure it was part of the same publishing collection as the others as I remember receiving them in a bundle at the same time.
Did anyone else have these? I'd bet a limb that they originated from Highlights, but I was pretty young and there's a chance I could be mistaken.
What I remember: At least four, five at most, large and child-friendly books containing activities and crafts. I think each book contained a different theme. I remember instructions for how to make sound effects for a radio show, and ideas of what to perform for a radio show, how to record it on a cassette tape. There were costume ideas. How to make masks from paper plates. Games you could play in the dark. Instructions on how to make shadow puppets. It had the usual collection of how to make slime, putty, and paste. There were instructions on how to make a compass using a magnet, a needle, a box of water, and string. I think each book was a different theme. The font was larger, and there were mostly black ink illustrations. These weren't hardcover, but had a glossy and sturdy card-stock type cover that is often found wrapped around educational workbooks.
One book in particular that I'm most excited to see: a large, white, hardback coffee-table style book with crafts and, most importantly, recipes. This one had instructions on how to make wrapping paper for Christmas by cutting a sponge in the shape of circles (for baubles) and triangles (for trees). It was full colour and glossy with lots of pictures inside. There was a recipe for Marzipan that really sticks out. I remember one of the marzipan creations being decorated with individual cloves in a pattern for the picture. Though this one was different, I'm pretty sure it was part of the same publishing collection as the others as I remember receiving them in a bundle at the same time.
Did anyone else have these? I'd bet a limb that they originated from Highlights, but I was pretty young and there's a chance I could be mistaken.
YES! I think they go back further though. I remember something that originated from Highlights where we punched/cut out paper pieces that fit together (tab a, slot b) and made a fairly elaborate carousel, circa 1978. It wasn't a hardcover book, so probably more like the first type you describe. Please post here what you find.
posted by nkknkk at 6:21 AM on December 5, 2016
posted by nkknkk at 6:21 AM on December 5, 2016
Here is a vintage Highlights craft book that features paper plate masks - does it look familiar?
posted by amicamentis at 1:26 PM on December 5, 2016
posted by amicamentis at 1:26 PM on December 5, 2016
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posted by SeedStitch at 3:27 AM on December 5, 2016