Our daughter just loves anything that sparkles, so I knew right away that she would be so excited to try out the new Blingles craft kits. Blingles is a clever way to add some bling to just about anything with a few exceptions, such as fabric. These kits are recommended for children ages 6 and over, but I would say that it would be more suited for those who are 8 and up. Even as an adult, I think some parts of the process need a little practice to master.
We received the Blingles Accessory Pack, which includes 250 gems, the gem pen and mat, a trinket box, a picture frame, a key chain, 2 note cards, 8 stencils, and more. Our daughter was extremely excited to get started and could not decide which accessory she wanted to decorate first.
(Click any photo to enlarge)
We decided to just choose a stencil to get started on creating a design and then decide what to put the design on later. Our daughter immediately knew she wanted to make the design with the two stars. To create a design, simply follow the steps below . . .
Step 1. Place the selected stencil in the tray and then place the gem mat on top of the stencil.
Step 2. Using the gem pen, press the sticky tip onto the colored side of the desired gem to pick it up. Then push it into place on top of the gem mat, while matching up the gems with the stencil. If needed, flip the pen to use the non-sticky tip to reposition the gems on the gem mat.
Step 3. Peel away the center of the a transfer slide and place the sticky side down on top of the completed gem design. Then rub the gems so that they all adhere to the transfer slide when you gently lift the slide up.
Step 4. Tear off one square off the blue glue roll. Then peel away the center. Place the transfer slide on top of the exposed glue area so that the gems are sandwiched between the slide and the glue square. Rub the gems only to cause the glue to adhere to the bottoms sides of the gems.
Step 5. Gently lift off the transfer slide and position it lightly on top of where you would like to apply the gems. Rub the gems only to make the gems stick to the surface of the item you are decorating. Then lift the transfer slide off the gems, which should now be firmly attached to your item's surface.
This is how our first attempt at using Blingles turned out . . .
I was a little overzealous with rubbing the gems on the glue square, so some extra glue got onto the transfer slide, which then transferred over to the item's surface when I transferred the gems.
Having seen the steps above, hopefully you can see that this toy is a better fit for an older child. Our nearly 6 year old daughter did have the patience and the dexterity to create the design with the gems, but it took her a very long time. I had to finish placing the gems onto the smaller star for her because her hands got tired. There was no way she would be able to complete the rest of the steps on her own, but I think a child 8 years old or older would be able to.
Our daughter was extremely pleased with the results and she was very proud because she made most of that design herself. Once we get the hang of it, I am sure we will be creating our own designs without the use of a stencil, like initials for example. In addition to the accessories included in the kit, these gems would look great on cell phones and phone cases, barrettes, earrings and pendants with flat surfaces, and more.
The Blingles Accessory Kit retails for $16.99. Other Blingles kits range in price from $9.99 to $19.99 and can be purchased from major toy retailers, such as Toys"R"Us and Target. To learn more about the entire line, visit MyBlingles.com.
Thank you to Blingles for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon and for providing a second product as our contest prize.
Good luck in the drawing!