Star of Wonder, Star of Night

This year (2011) the epiphany is being officially celebrated on January 2, but the traditional day for the epiphany (and the end of the 12 days of Christmas) happens on January 6, so you still have some time to celebrate the epiphany with your kids. Try celebrating with stars!

 This Beautiful Star can be crafted out of leftover

wrapping paper! Find the directions on Family Fun.

Make these Paper Stars with The Magic Onions. 

Make these Crispy Cheese Stars with Family Fun

as a fun epiphany snack! 

Craft these Fold and Snip Paper Stars with Family Fun.

I love these little 3D Paper Stars from Family Fun!

Craft Stars from toilet paper tubes with Muffin Tin Mom.

Find directions for making this Wired Star over on Family Fun.

Combine your crafting skills with a little science to Craft these Stars.

Directions on Family Fun.

You could even give you daughter a cute Star Hairdo

with Princess Hair Styles. Isn't this so cute?

Or you could try making these Northern Star Cupcakes.

If there's one cookie cutter shape I'm willing to bet you all have,

it's a star. So just take your star cookie cutter and go crazy on 

whatever you're eating. Like these Star Sandwiches from Ideals to Life.

If you're looking for some different epiphany crafts, don't miss my round ups of King Crafts, Crown Crafts, or Crown Cakes. Happy celebrating, everyone! 

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Mardi Gras King's Cake~ Make Your Own Colored Sugar!

There are a lot of King's cakes recipes out there for Mardi Gras, and they all seem to have something in common- the deliciously colored sugar sprinkled on top! I personally think that what they charge for colored sugar in those little spice jars from the baking section is practically highway robbery, so I make my own! :-)


Here's how you do it. Put some regular, white sugar into a tupperware container with a lid, and drip a few drops of your desired food coloring into it.


Put the lid onto the container, and shake it until the color is fully mixed with the sugar.

Remove the lid to reveal your very own
(and very cheap) colored sugar!

Voila! Colored sugar, easy peasy!

Looking for some King's Cake recipes to go with your awesome sugar?

Here's a recipe from Brooklyn Farmhouse.

I think this cupcake variation from
Inner Citings is just too adorable!

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Epiphany House Blessing with Chalk

It's traditional to bless your home on the Epiphany. You don't need a priest, you can do it yourself! Click here for the blessing of the chalk, and click here for directions on how to bless your home.

If you're feeling particularly crafty, you and
your kids can make your own chalk for
blessing your home! :-)

See an example of a blessed door on flickr.

Remember that the numbers change depending on the year, so for 2010, this is what you will write on your door in chalk:

20 + C + M + B + 10

*The "20" is for the beginning of the year, the 3 letters are the first Initial of each of the kings, and the last 2 numbers are supposed to be the last half of the year.*

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3 Kings Epiphany Crafts

Here are some fun crafts for the epiphany! Don't forget to add your kings into your nativity sets, and sing "We 3 Kings" while you're at it! :-)

Family Fun has a cute Wise Men Craft!

You can print and color these kings from my nativity set.
Needed Links (here) (here) and (here).
Here's another 3 King Craft option from Family Fun.
Here is an absolutely beautiful selection of
epiphany coloring sheets.

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DIY Crowns

Here are some ideas for you to make a crown with or for your kids. There are many reasons you might make crowns throughout the liturgical year, one of them being for the epiphany, which just happens to be coming up very soon :-)

I loved this crown! Click here for directions.

This Crown is made from a Coffee Sleeve.

This Lace Crown is a little more involved than most
of these, but the results are striking!

These instructions come with a printable
crown template.

I liked the cotton balls around the bottom of this crown.

If you're feeling really crafty, you can try this tutorial
with Little Birdie Secrets and sew a crown.
But when push comes to shove, if you just don't have time
to make a crown, be sure to stop by Burger King for lunch. ;-)

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Epiphany Crown Food Ideas

I found all kinds of crown cakes, king cakes, king breads, and everything else under the sun for celebrating the epiphany. So whether you're celebrating on the 3 or the 6 this year, I hope these ideas are useful for your epiphany party!

Try Making Family Fun's Crown Cake for the Epiphany.
I also found this Cute Crown Cake on from Bright Ideas.
Here's a recipe for Epiphany Almond Cake.
In Mexican tradition, Rosca de Reyes (or Three Kings Bread)
is served on the Epiphany. Get a recipe here.
I found these adorable Crown Cookies on
a Picassa Web Album.
Check out these Crown Sandwiches.

And if you're in need of some crown-shaped cookie
cutters, find them here:
Crown Cookie Cutter (Large)

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