Fun Freetime: Acrylic Block Projects

People looking for children’s projects or craft ideas for themselves can find hours of entertainment with Hy-Lite^® Craft Blocks. Available for sale online with free shipping, the durable acrylic blocks can be used to create imaginative gifts, decorations, and educational projects for children. Each Craft Block comes in a standard eight-inch by eight-inch square size and is three-inches wide. Blocks are fitted with a one-and-one-half-inch sized access hole and have a reusable rubber seal, making it easy to add items inside the Craft Block. Easy to order and delivered directly to the home, the long-lasting acrylic blocks are sold online in cases of six, 12 and 24 and come with free shipping. The lightweight clear wave acrylic blocks are made in the U.S.A. and offer a safe, break-resistant way to create projects for all ages.

Ideas for Children

For children, Craft Blocks open the door to the imagination. Blocks can be used as a mini-fish tank, a terrarium, a collection container or made into a water gage. “Children can add stickers to the blocks or paint the outsides,” says Laura Sikes, marketing and national accounts manager with Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company. “On the inside they can save their small treasures, make the block into a bank or even create their own personal nightlight by adding twinkle lights.  “Taking projects in a different direction, children can use the Craft Blocks to create gifts for family and friends. Perhaps there’s a grandparent who would appreciate getting a hand-decorated block from a child filled with their favorite hard candies or mini-messages of love.”

Ideas for Adults

Children aren’t the only ones who can get imaginative with Craft Blocks. Adults can decorate the exteriors, add twinkle lights inside the block or make “Memory Blocks” by adding unique items like ticket stubs, coins, wine corks or silk flowers. “We’ve seen people create beautiful seaside decorations with sand and shells in the blocks,” says Sikes. “Others have added potpourri or scented cinnamon sticks to create a fast, easy gift. There are also people who put dry dog treats inside the block and add the pet’s name and paw prints on the outside!”

Crafty Ideas

Nancy Rourke hand paints the exteriors to resemble stained glass. She adds lights and sells them at craft fairs, donating the proceeds to her favorite pet rescue in south Florida.

For Sylvia Kearney, the lightweight acrylic blocks make it easier for her to add fake “snow” to the blocks. She also stencils sayings and images on the exteriors. The Minnesota resident uses the blocks for a DIY crafting class she hosts.

Another crafter, Judy Grau, switched from glass block to acrylic blocks for her projects. Grau paints pictures on the outside of the blocks. Then she adds lights to the interior through the plug, and ties beautiful ribbons and bows around her completed projects. She sells them during the year at local craft shows.

Hy-Lite, a U.S. Block Windows Company, is the leading manufacturer of acrylic block, glass block and decorative glass windows. The company's privacy product options include acrylic block shutters, accent panels, radius walls, partition walls and door inserts. Since 1988, the Pensacola, Florida-based company has been committed to providing residential and commercial construction professionals and homeowners with elegant, affordable privacy window designs. For more information, visit www.hy-lite.com.