Crayola has always been a name that has represented quality and fun to me; my boys aren’t really into the whole arts and crafts scene these days but when my neighbors daughter spends the weekend or is here during the afternoons, she makes it a point to drag out the huge box of Crayola products. This of course means that she has cultivated a tried and true pout when they tell her they don’t want to color, paint or draw. None of them have been able to resist it yet and, in the immortal words of someone from Star Wars … the force is strong with this one. One of the things she always asks for when it comes to art supplies are stampers, give this girl anything even close to a rubber stamp and you better get out of her way or you will get stamped at some point in time. We went through the Blue’s Clues ones, Sponge Bob and even Dora … but she was ready to move on to bigger and better ones. When we saw these at Big Lots I knew that she would flip over them so I tossed several packs in the cart, in hindsight I should have grabbed them all because most of the time when you see something at Big Lots it usually means it is something that’s been discontinued. Sadly, these great stampers are no longer made by Crayola so if you happen to come across them at a closeout store, don’t think twice about buying them!

Crayola Big Mini Party Style Stampers

If you have a child that loves to use markers or stampers then this is a dream come true. The larger sized barrels of the marker makes it easier for them to use as well as to recap when they are done. The Crayola designers must have really been on the ball when they were working on these because they seem to have covered all the bases – fun colors, cute designs, washable ink and large chunky barrels. It seems a real shame that they no longer make these because, in my opinion, they are a great product that could keep smaller kids occupied for hours. Well, I do have a confession to make, I have several of the Crayola stamper sets so when Annabelle broke open this set I couldn’t resist sitting down and checking them out. Just as I expected, the images come out clear and completely visible [providing you apply even pressure that is], the shapes are fun and party oriented and recapping isn’t a problem.

There are four chunky sized markers in this set and if you have others from the Mini Stampers series you can combine them with no trouble although some of them are a little smaller or larger than these – even so, the different sizes adds a little variety to the design. The designs are party oriented so you can use them to make decorations, invitations or even placemats! A total of eight designs – two to each marker – one at each end; the images are pretty basic but come out clear when stamped with even pressure and you have the following to choose from: a cute cake, ice cream cone, wrapped present, hot dog, soft drink cup, balloon, party hat and cupcake. The colors, which do vary from pack to pack include blue, red, yellow and green – sometimes you will get a blue cupcake other times you’ll get a red ice cream cone, it’s just the luck of the draw unless you go through all the packages and find the color and stamp combination you really like.

The only real issue that I have with these stampers is that you need to press evenly to get a crisp design on paper. Annabelle uses a stabbing motion to press hers out and it’s pretty comical to see her do it, sort of like a bizarre take off from the film Psycho when Norman attacks in the shower scene. How could I resist making the “reek reek reek” noise the first time I saw her doing it – but the truth of the matter is that this is how the image comes out best. If you just press it down on the paper there’s a 50 – 50 chance that you will get the complete image and rocking it back and forth tends to blur the image or leave edge marks. We used these on a lot of different paper, everything from brown lunch sacks to plain white printer paper and with the exception of glossy paper, they all turned out looking great. A helpful hint – take a black permanent marker and make a small notch mark on the outside rim of the marker so you will know where the bottom of the design is, this helps to align the image with others when you are doing a large design or want to make a neat row of items.

The Bottom Line

So far Annabelle has had a ball using these and my own real regret is that I didn’t pick up more packages when I had the chance. I paid a measly dollar for each of the packs and when I checked several websites to see if there were still any up for grabs I found them going for as much as $3.99. Now, these are nice stampers but there are only four colors to choose from and a total of eight unique images – not really worth four bucks if you ask me. The ink is washable and non-toxic so even the younger kids can use these without having to hover over them like a hawk. When I washed Annabelle’s shirt and jean shorts the colors came out without having to prewash or soak them – follow the instructions on the package for the best results but getting to it as quick as possible is my best advice. For great ideas and creative crafts, visit the official Crayola website at www.crayola.com. Be sure to sign up for a free account to get notifications of new products, sales, clearance items and free projects.


As always, thanks for the read!

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2004 Freak369



Other Crayola product reviews ...

• Big MiniStampers • Doodle Pad • Watercolor Pencils • Art & Craft Brushes – 8 Count • Create-A-Kid • Collecting Keepsakes • Halloween Treat Pack • Halloween Boo Bucket • Washable Water Colors – 8 Color • Pencil Pouch • Crayola Crayons – 24 Count • Metallic Crayons • Superfine Markers – 5 Count • Gel FX Washable Markers • Tub of Fun • Crayola Sketch Pad • Point Tip Scissors • Sidewalk Chalk – Chicks & Eggs • Art & Craft Brushes – 4 Count • Twistables – 16 Count • Stack-N-Store Art Tower • Washable Water Colors – 24 Color • Sidewalk Chalk – Animal Assortment • Crayola Lap Desk • Click ‘Em On Washable Markers • Washable Markers – 16 Count • Alphabet & Number Pad • Blunt Tip Scissors • Spinning Desk Top Organizer •





Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): $1.00
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Whole Family