Bits & pieces

Kids learn to preserve pieces of their childhood in scrapbooks

Seven-year-old Nikolas Mercardo remembered hanging out with Kikaida as he thumbed through some photographs. In one shot he was dressed as a samurai warrior. In another he was a Power Ranger. Mercado had chosen these special photos to use at a keiki scrapbooking class held at Craft Supply in Pearl Highlands.

Classes for kids Craft Supply Classes are free and all supplies are provided. Call 942-5044 to reserve a spot. » Halloween lollipop covers, 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday » Turkey pins, 2 to 3 p.m. Nov. 20 Ben Franklin Keiki Craft Club Free keiki classes are offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. All supplies are provided. » Door hanger favor, Saturday » Glow in the dark pin, Oct. 22 » Teacher's choice, Oct. 29 For more Ben Franklin classes, call Enchanted Lakes, call 261-4621; Market City, 735-4211; Mapunapuna, 833-3800; Pearl City, 455-1909.

At 7, Nikolas doesn't have a long life to comb through, but a scrapbook will ensure that he keeps the memories, even after the superhero phase fades away.

Along with 59 other children, he learned to use paper punches and decorative scissors, how to crop photographs, use accents and borders, how to mat the photos and journal on pages.

Mercado's 5-year-old twin sisters, Alia and Alaina, also attended, covering their pages with jewels, stickers and cutouts that reflected their individual personalities.

Noreen Alaka'i has always been interested in creating her own scrapbooks but just can't find the time. With three young children, she is often stretched in many directions.

But when her daughters, 10-year-old Noelani and 8-year-old Lehuanani, and her 2-year-old son Keanu attended a free keiki scrapbook class at Craft Supply, she was able to dabble in the creative process pages while spending some quality time with her children.

Noelani added pizzazz to her page with floral patterns, palm trees and a sun to accent camping photos. Excitedly, she told her mom that she wants to make more pages at home now.

The store's two locations at Pearl Highlands and McCully are offering free craft classes for keiki on the third Sunday of each month.

They expected 20 kids at Pearl Highlands, but when that number tripled, they added on two more hours of class time. Crafty the Bear even made a special appearance, handing out balloons and greeting onlookers.

"It's amazing what kids can do," said Giona Keefover, one of the class instructors. Crafts provide a means of expression for both adults and children, she added. "No matter how old kids are, they know what they want. They may need help putting stuff on the page, but they have their favorite colors and designs. And, girls got to have the jewels."

One of the best parts: Errors are easily corrected. "Mistakes are never a problem. There is always a way to fix what we have done wrong. ... There is always a way to cover it up," added Keefover.

"It's like starting with a plain canvas ... you keep adding things and create something beautiful," said Laurie Aina, store manager. "There are benefits to teaching kids crafts when they are young."

When adults also participate, it provides a good opportunity for bonding, she added. The end results are versatile. "Everyone has their own source of creativity."

Resourcefulness and recycling are a couple attributes picked up while "scrapping," Keefover said. "We use everything and don't throw anything away. I create my own embellishments with scrap pieces. It is easy and so much fun."