Crafty Quality Time Comes In Erica Moran’s Big Yellow Boxes

By John Voket

Did you ever get to that point during a rainy afternoon, when the kids have consumed all the treats they could handle, watched all the DVDs, played all the video games, read all the books, and are still screaming for something to do? Did you ever say to yourself, “I wish I was one of those crafty parents who could just whip up a project from stuff lying around the house?”

If you answered yes to either of both of those questions, then maybe you need to put in a call to Newtown resident Erica Moran. The local purveyor of dozens of quality time projects has the solution to your dilemma.

And the best part is, you won’t have to go rummaging around the basement for burlap, cutting wood, running out to the store for paint or any other materials or supplies for that matter. It’s all right there for you in the Big Yellow Box!

Ms Moran is a new independent consultant for Big Yellow Box by Crayola, a national in-home selling program from Binney & Smith, maker of Crayola products and based right here in the good old USA (in Easton, Penn). 

“Since this company that has been around for more than 100 years, I know this is no flash in the pan conceptm” Ms Moran told The Bee one recent snowy day as she showed off several of the in-home craft kits, and the projects her young children had already assembled under the watchful eyes of mom and dad.

As a consultant, Ms Moran does the in-home presentations of dozens of unique and simple-to-make Big Yellow Box crafting projects.  Her demonstration parties offer an hour or two during which the “big kids” can relax and let their creative spirit take off.

“Usually I try to have some small project for everyone to do when I come visit so they can take something home,” she said. “It’s also a great way for everyone attending a Big Yellow Box party to learn about how easy and fun the projects can be.”

From ice cream bowls and gumball machines that can be personalized with stencils and paints to garden flags, paint your own soccer balls, handcrafted lamps and wearable art, every activity is designed to ensure success and be functional, as well as decorative.

“Every kit comes with an easy-to-follow project guide, so even a person who doesn’t think they are creative will end up with a toy, craft, or memento that can be played with almost immediately, displayed in your own home, or given as a gift,” Ms Moran said.  “The idea behind these all-inclusive kits is for families to focus on the fun of creating keepsakes together.”

As a mother of two young children, and a former teacher, she was a Big Yellow Box consumer long before she was a representative for the company.

“When I went to my first Yellow Box party in Woodbridge, I fell in love with the product line,” Ms Moran recalled. “I like the fact that the company offered projects parents can do with very young or older children, that older kids can do independently, and they even offer party packs so you can have a group craft for your birthday party,” she said. “Most of the projects also can offer some degree of personalization, so you can deviate from the directions somewhat to really create a one-of-a-kind item.”

Ms Moran proudly showed off a gumball machine put together by her 3-year-old son Joey that she modified to dispense children’s vitamins. And even 16-month-old Molly helped Joey and her father Joe create holiday ornaments that were distributed as gifts to their extended family members last Christmastime.

“There are plenty of practical items for around the house, crafts for girls and boys, even a few things you can build for your pets,” she said. “I have to admit, before I learned about these Big Yellow Box projects I was more inclined to turn on the TV when we were stuck at home. But these really foster great family time for all of us.”

The exclusive line of wearable, useable, and displayable Big Yellow Box products is sold only through in-home parties and are very different from the everyday Crayola art materials that come inside the little yellow box found in stores. For more information about Big Yellow Box, its product collections and business opportunities, contact Erika Moran at 203-364-1761 or at elmoran73@yahoo.com, or visit the website at www.bigyellowbox.com. 

From its earliest beginnings, Binney & Smith has been all about color and creativity. The enterprise came into being when cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith took over Edwin’s father’s pigment business in 1885. Mr Binney and Mr Smith soon realized that their products could bring color not only to barns and businesses, but also schools for the purpose of creative expression. More than 115 years later, color and creativity — along with learning and fun — are the hallmarks of the company.

This creative focus is what eventually gave rise to the Crayola brand. The Crayola name was coined by Alice Binney, Edwin’s wife, from the French word craie, meaning chalk or stick of color, and oleaginous, meaning oily. The first eight-count box of Crayola Crayons was sold in 1903, and the brand has since flourished to include a wide variety of innovative, creativity-centric products

In 1984, Binney & Smith became a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards and has since played the lead role in Hallmark’s personal development strategies. In 2002, a new business called Big Yellow Box by Crayola was created in the interest of furthering personal development and creativity.