KLUTZ Window Art and Capsters -- review and giveaway

I come from a big Filipino family -- not only are 3 and 4-child families common, we also count first and second cousins as "close relatives". We even address close family friends as Aunt and Uncle (Tita or Tito in Filipino). It's all wonderful, but during the holidays it means we have quite a few presents to wrap!

Since we don't live in the Philippines I don't feel the slightest bit of pressure to buy presents for each and every person I'm related to (that would bankrupt us), but I do like sending presents for some nieces and nephews. One of my go-to presents has always been activity and craft books from Klutz, because I haven't met a child alive who doesn't go crazy at the sight of one of Klutz's fun books. We love giving and receiving Klutz books, and we know it's one present that will always be appreciated.

Klutz recently invited me to review 2 of their ultra-popular books: Window Art Classic and Capsters. When we received the books, it was like Christmas in November for my kids! They dropped whatever it was they were doing and went right to work creating beautiful works of art.

The Basics
Here's a brief description of the Klutz books we received:

Capsters is the ultimate introduction to this new form of pop art. To make a capster, take a bottle cap (included) and add a round piece of art (included), specially sized to fit neatly inside the cap. You might want to add a small charm (included) or perhaps some craft gems and glitter (included and included). Squirt some special goo (included) over your creation. Overnight the goo will dry into a super-shiny, clear, hard coating and — voila — you've got yourself a capster.


Window Art Classic features tried-and-true, ready-to-trace designs along with purple, turquoise, emerald green, yellow, and red window paint. Of course, you can stick your window art on a window, but you can also decorate a shower door, a mirror, or any other glass surface. If you change your mind about where you want your art, just peel it up and stick it down elsewhere. Every room in the house can have a terrific view!


The Bongga
Can I make a confession? I feel somewhat guilty about receiving the Klutz Window Art Classic book -- because we already own our own copy of it, and a copy of Window Art, the follow-up book! Of course, my kids felt no guilt at all about opening up this new copy, since the paints that came with the first two books we bought have long since been used up. My kids absolutely LOVE these books because Klutz makes it so easy for them to come up with beautiful window designs . The book provides plenty of fun designs to trace -- just lay a plastic sheet over the page and trace it over with the Window Art paint. The colors turn out sparkly and vibrant, and they look great on our window! Here are some of the designs my kids came up with:

We stuck them on a window that faces east, so when the sun comes up they throw all kinds of beautiful colors onto the hardwood floor. I love the fact that I can peel them off, without leaving a mark, whenever I want to -- but they look so nice and cheerful, why would I want to?



The Klutz Capsters book, on the other hand, was brand new to my kids; they had never seen it before. Of course, they've fallen in love with it as well, and now they ask Alfie to save the bottlecap whenever he drinks beer! Klutz provides lots of cute designs that kids can punch out and lay inside the bottlecap, and several charms they can lay on top of the designs, and a sticky glaze you squirt on top of everything to seal it and give it a nice sheen (note: when they say "let it dry for 24 hours", they mean it -- do NOT be tempted to touch your work before then, or you'll end up with a fingerprint on the glaze!). It's a lot of fun to do, with surprisingly minimal mess, and it can keep the kids busy for ages. They're not quite sure what to do with the finished product yet, but for now they're having lots of fun with the creative process -- and it's really all about the journey, not the destination, right?


The Blah
I've done reviews of a couple of other Klutz books before, and I always complained about not being able to store the materials easily along with the book. I'm happy to say that these two books don't have that problem -- since there no overly small parts like sequins or ribbon bits, it's easy to keep everything contained within the plastic case attached to the book. The only thing I would add to the Window Art Classic book would be a plastic sheet attached to the very back of the book, that kids can lay over any of the pages; and since it's attached, it won't ever get lost. As for the Capsters book, I'd prefer the punch out designs not to be double-sided, since the kids can only use one side. Once they glue that circle to the bottlecap, the design on the other side is lost forever!


The Bottom Line
You can't go wrong with Klutz books for kids. They make great holiday presents, birthday presents, road trip companions, winter holiday time-fillers and playdate activities! Whether it's Capsters, Window Art Classic or any of Klutz's products, you're sure to find one your child will love.



And now, as a reward for enduring my extremely lengthy ode to Klutz, I'm running an extremely awesome Klutz discount code and giveaway!


Save 25% at Klutz
Use coupon code KZ25 and get 25% off your purchase of $50 or more at Klutz.com. Offers cannot be combined, and code expires Dec. 17, 2010.

Win It!
One lucky Bonggamom Finds Reader will be chosen to receive a HUGE KLUTZ prize pack featuring:

* Window Art Classic
* Capsters
* Headbands & Hairstyles
* Paper Airplanes

(ARV: $75.99)

Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which Klutz books your child would love to receive as a holiday present.This entry must be completed before extra entries qualify.


Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).

1) Sign up to be a Klutz Insider and leave a comment here telling me the email address you used to sign up.

1) Grab my blog button and post it up on your blog (1 entry).

2) Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates (1 entry).

3) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs (1 entry).

4) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(1 entry).

5) Follow Bonggamom Finds on Twitter and tweet this, up to once per day (1 entry per day, leave a comment with the tweet link for each tweet):

Enter to win a HUGE Klutz prize pack (4 books!) on @bonggafinds http://www.bonggafinds.com #giveaways

6) Join any of the giveaways currently running on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for each giveaway you've joined).

7) Write on the Klutz Books Facebook Page and tell them you've joined the giveaway on Bonggamom Finds, and tell them which of their books your child would love to receive as a holiday present.


The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on November 30, 2010; I will draw a winner at random on December 1 and post the winner's name after the winner confirms acceptance. US addresses only. For additional giveaway rules, click here. Good luck!

Disclosure: I received an assortment of Klutz books to review, but was not paid to review them or give my opinions. Product information is provided by Klutz and is clearly indicated as such. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.

80 comments:

  1. My little one would like Invasion of the Bristlebots.

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  2. I think they would love to have the window art classic book. It would give them something to do when it's to cold to go outside.
    chelsreb(at)aol(dot)com

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  3. I'm an email subscriber.
    chelsreb(at)aol(dot)com

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  4. I follow you on twitter as @bmom76, and I tweeted
    http://twitter.com/bmom76/status/4491543721283585

    chelsreb(at)aol(dot)com

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  5. Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger(

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  6. 11/16 http://twitter.com/#!/phxbne/status/4561937765507072

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  7. I think my daughter would also like the Face Painting

    disintegratingstarr@hotmail.com

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  8. Subscribe to Bonggamom Finds updates
    disintegratingstarr@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. Follow Bonggamom Finds on Networked Blogs

    disintegratingstarr@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Follow Bonggamom Finds on Blogger
    disintegratingstarr@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. My kids would like Capsters and Invasion of the Bristlebots.

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  12. I follow you and tweeted (mnsteph)
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/4619470978945024

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  13. My son would love the The Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes and the solar car book
    veniceangel@hotmail.com

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  14. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/4873026638184448

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  15. My daughter would love capsters!
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  16. Email subscriber.
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  17. Follower on GFC.
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  18. I entered the Gund giveaway.
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  19. I entered the betty crocker giveaway.
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  20. I entered the kt tunstall giveaway.
    pjames3309at)aol(dot)com

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  21. I entered the gift bags giveaway.
    pjames330(at)aol(dot)com

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  22. I entered the photo tags giveaway.
    pjames3309at)aol(dot)com

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  23. My son would like the Invasion of the Bristlebots book. Thanks.
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  24. entered the Gund bear giveaway
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  25. email subscriber
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  26. follow your blog
    partymix25(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/5276314009346048

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  28. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/5603667164008448

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  29. I entered the Black Friday Survival Kit giveaway.

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  30. I entered the GUND bear giveaway

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  31. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/6021147850182656

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  32. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/6346825682395136

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  33. they would love the Dr. Frankensketch's
    Monster Drawing Machine
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  34. already a subscriber
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  35. networked blogs follower
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  36. follow on blogger
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  37. follow on twitter and tweeted
    http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/6566541789233152
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  38. I would like to get them the Explorabook (museum) my daughter mentioned it when we were looking at the website. SHe would enjoy any of these books.

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  39. I am a Klutz insider-

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  40. I follow you publicly on networked blogs -Danelle

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  41. I follow via blogger-danellejohns

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  42. I am an email subscriber danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  43. I entered the Fibre One-

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  44. I entered the Petz 2

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  45. I entered fashion Design

    danellejohns at gmail dot com

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  46. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/6745459892682752

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  47. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/6882508301926400
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  48. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/7065062837592065

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  49. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/7459481554255873

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  50. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/7495264029908992
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  51. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/7819716865302529

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  52. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/8153682981949440

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  53. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/8246422289776640
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

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  54. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/8506132955922432

    ReplyDelete
  55. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/8593038251130880
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  56. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/8925995134357504

    ReplyDelete
  57. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/9001635787313152
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  58. My son would love the Lego Crazy Action Contraptions and Paper Airplanes and my daughters would love the Nail Art and Headbands & Hairstyles book! I love that these come with everything you need!

    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

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  59. I signed up to be a Klutz insider

    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  60. I subscibe to your updates by email

    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  61. I follow on Networked Blogs

    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  62. I follow on GFC
    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  63. I entered the Petz Nursery 2 giveaway
    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

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  64. I entered the Style Lab giveaway

    brandielam3 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  65. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/9231666321039360

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  66. Daily Tweet
    http://twitter.com/mnsteph/status/9641465818910720

    ReplyDelete
  67. http://twitter.com/Copperllama/status/9644746947428352
    daily tweet
    copperllama at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  68. Window Art Classic
    natatheangel at yahoo dot com

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  69. Paper Airplanes
    jdrombo AT yahoo DOT com

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  70. I like the paper fashions
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  71. entered style lab
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  72. entered petz nursery
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  73. email subscriber
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  74. follow on networked blogs (michelle b)
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  75. google follower
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  76. twitter follower & tweeted
    http://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/9825564202369024
    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

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  77. This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered, and congratulations to the winner: #11, bmom76!

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