Tag Archives: kaleidoscope

How to Use Kaleidoscopes to Inspire Your Home Decor

Kaleidoscopes have been used by artists, interior designers, and even fashion designers for centuries. KaleidoscopesToYou.com offers a variety of kaleidoscopes that you can use to help choose the decor in your home. From the materials, the shapes, designs and beautiful images produced, kaleidoscopes can you help decide a number of different aspects about your home decor. You will find some of the most unique, quality, affordable and widest selection of kaleidoscopes for sale at the online retailer with years of experience, KaleidoscopesToYou.com.

Kaleidoscopes can help you choose colors to paint your home, or include in your various linens or fabrics. They can also help you pick different designs or patterns for wallpaper, fabric, linens, rugs, etc. With an eye-full of color and design from a magical kaleidoscope, your home’s decor will be sure to not only be unique, like your beautiful kaleidoscope, but will also be sure to impress any guests. Take inspiration from these beautiful creations and the colorful images they create and paint the same vibrant designs into your home decor.

Kaleidoscopes are more than just a beautiful decoration piece or a kid’s toy. They have been used for years to inspire many different types of artists and professionals. KaleidoscopesToYou.com is sure to have a piece that will be able to inspire your design eye and allow the creative home design juices flow. KaleidoscopesToYou.com also offers other beautiful pieces to decorate your home include Fenton Art glass pieces, glass marbles and much more.

Admiring Exquisite Handmade Kaleidoscope Artistry

Kaleidoscopes are an art. There’s no doubt about it. It’s astonishing to think about how many people are absolutely fascinated by them. People of all ages from all over the world are captivated by their charm and whimsy. The kaleidoscope offers an unparalleled visual and tactile experience, so it’s no wonder that artists and craftsmen from around the globe are compelled to create their own unique versions.

At KaleidoscopesToYou.com we’re proud to offer handmade kaleidoscopes made by dozens of talented artists. Each artist has their own unique approach to creating a kaleidoscope, from the materials they choose, to the shapes and sizes of their final designs. There are no two kaleidoscopes or kaleidoscope makers who are exactly the same. This makes the world of kaleidoscopes as varied as the visual displays contained within them.

From large handmade parlor kaleidoscopes by Steve and Peggy Kittelson, to Jerry Farnsworth’s wooden kaleidoscope crabs, there are surprises around every artist’s corner. If you think you’ve seen kaleidoscopes before, we encourage you to explore our artist section. We know there is something new and unique waiting for you there. In fact, there is probably something you’ve never seen before. Since new kaleidoscopic artists are popping up all the time, we are always finding exciting new talent to feature on our site. Stop by today and explore the fascinating world of kaleidoscope art at KaleidoscopesToYou.com.

Why Shop Here at KaleidoscopesToYou.com

Summer is coming to a close in a few weeks, meaning school will also be starting up very soon. With that said, some kids get excited to see their friends and teachers again, while others may be more nervous starting a new school or grade. When your child is nervous to head back to school, you’ll do anything to make them feel a little better and take that unnecessary stress off their shoulders. So how exactly do you get them excited to head back to school? We suggest you try with a new back to school gift, such as a kids kaleidoscope from KaleidoscopesToYou.com.

A wonderful kaleidoscope is a great way to help your child get excited for the new school year. They’ll be excited to take their new toy kaleidoscope with them to class and recess. They can share the fun colors with their new friends and be the hit at show and tell or recess time. If your child is nervous for the school year, talk to them about picking out their very own kaleidoscope as a back to school gift. You can spend time together choosing the perfect one and waiting patiently for the mailman to bring it to the door. Visit KaleidoscopesToYou.com for a wide selection of kaleidoscopes for sale, you’ll be sure to find the perfect for your child for back to school season!

How do you get your child excited to head back to school?

Build the Perfect Halloween Goodie Bag with Kaleidoscopes & Healthy Snacks

Want to spice up this year’s Halloween goodie bags? Why not toss fun kaleidoscopes for kids into some goodie bags? Today’s parents are becoming more health conscious with their children and most of them enjoy seeing a healthy snack or toy in their Halloween treat pail. Also, giving a child something that will last for longer than a chocolate bar will be more exciting to the little one.

There are many great health conscious ways to treat little trick-or-treaters who stop by on Halloween. It’s important to give them something prepackaged and not homemade as many parents are very cautious about those types of treats from strangers. There are many great prepackaged foods at the grocery store you can pick up for Halloween night.

Here are some fun ideas to make your Halloween treats healthy and fun:
” Kaleidoscopes
” Fruit snacks
” Individual size bag of pretzels
” Animal cracker boxes
” Chocolate chip granola bars
” Dollar bills
” String cheese
” Cereal bars
” Sunflower seeds
” Sidewalk chalk
” Boxes of raisins
” 100 calorie pack snacks

See how easy it is to create a great Halloween goodie bag with exciting, new items? Kids will love them because it’s something different, and parents will love them for being healthy and fun for their children. Check out our selection of kaleidoscopes for kids under $5 at KaleidoscopesToYou.com. What a fun way to brighten a child’s Halloween night!

The Perfect Back to School Gift

Summer is coming to a close in a few weeks, meaning school will also be starting up very soon. With that said, some kids get excited to see their friends and teachers again, while others may be more nervous starting a new school or grade. When your child is nervous to head back to school, you’ll do anything to make them feel a little better and take that unnecessary stress off their shoulders. So how exactly do you get them excited to head back to school? We suggest you try with a new back to school gift, such as a kids kaleidoscope from KaleidoscopesToYou.com.

A wonderful kaleidoscope is a great way to help your child get excited for the new school year. They’ll be excited to take their new toy kaleidoscope with them to class and recess. They can share the fun colors with their new friends and be the hit at show and tell or recess time. If your child is nervous for the school year, talk to them about picking out their very own kaleidoscope as a back to school gift. You can spend time together choosing the perfect one and waiting patiently for the mailman to bring it to the door. Visit KaleidoscopesToYou.com for a wide selection of kaleidoscopes for sale, you’ll be sure to find the perfect for your child for back to school season!

How do you get your child excited to head back to school?

The Perfect Summer Favor: Kaleidoscopes

Summer is here and so are the parties. The weather is perfect for outdoor bridal showers or children’s birthday parties. With parties all the time in the beautiful summer weather, it can sometimes be hard for your party to stand out and be unique. We have the perfect solution. To be sure that guests remember your party above all the rest, send them home with a unique favor, a kaleidoscope.

The kaleidoscope is perfect as a favor for a number of different events this summer. Give them to all the children at a child’s birthday. They will be mesmerized by the beautiful, changing colors and mom and dad will be happy that it’s not more sugary treats. They are perfect for a fun rainbow themed party, even a pirate party as a colorful little pirate scope. No matter what the theme, the kids will love their new kaleidoscope that will keep them entertained for hours to come. As for bridal showers or baby showers, kaleidoscopes are another wonderful favor for guests. Don’t send them home with sweets they don’t eat, or useless little trinkets. Let your guests enjoy the wonders and amazement of a kaleidoscope party favor. Guests will be sure to talk about your unique favors for weeks to come. The summer is full of bright and beautiful colors, so why not take advantage to play on those colors with a wonderful kaleidoscope favor.

To add that extra special touch to your kaleidoscope favor, you can personalize them yourself. There is a link available that allows you to download and print designs to attach to the exterior of the kaleidoscope to say thank you to your guests or to personalize them for each guest. We also offer kaleidoscopes that we can personally customize with your name or image for any event or party. To impress your guests even more, you can have the date or your name printed on the inside of the kaleidoscope. This allows the guests to see the name or date as they enjoy the array of colors of their kaleidoscope.

Make your next event stand out with a kaleidoscope favor from KaleidoscopesToYou.com. Find all your kaleidoscope needs, including toys and custom kaleidoscopes along with kaleidoscope jewelry and many more unique gift ideas.

3 Tips to Make Your Business Stand Out

Competition is intense no matter what industry your small business falls into. The goal for any business, large or small, is to be noticed and remembered over the competition. One way to do this is through unique branding products or services.

So, how do you promote your business is ways that are memorable and can help convert possible customers. We suggest three ways for unique branding to get your name in the hands of as many people of possible, and more importantly, to be remembered in a positive light.

1. Personalized Kaleidoscopes as Corporate Gifts

” Don’t send important clients or hopeful employees or customers home with boring pens and stress balls, send them home with a kaleidoscope with your business logo and information on it. That client or employee will be impressed with such a unique gift. More importantly, they are sure to remember your business at the top of their mind for future reference. Such items are also perfect for giveaways at various corporate or community events.

2. Social Media
” Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest are beginning to play larger roles in the success of many businesses, especially small businesses. These social media sites allow small business to create a community around their brand and create relationships with their clients. The closer a customer or potential customer feels to a business, or feels that the business truly cares, the more likely they are to convert to actual customers and be loyal customers.

3. Be Personal
” So many businesses seem so distant and far from personal. Be sure to connect with your clients and customers on a personal basis as much as possible. Send holiday gifts or coupons, send emails for their birthdays, etc. Customers don’t want to give their money to cold, money hungry business executives, they rather support small, caring, and personable business that care about them. Loyalty is the biggest way to make your company stand out in the eyes of customers and future clients. Loyal customers are the best form of advertising there is.

How do you make your business stand out in the minds of customers and potential customers?

Love Summertime!

I just love summertime. Especially early summer right now when the corn is up and the fields and trees surrounding our gallery are every shade of green. This is the season that inspired many of Grant Wood’s paintings. In fact, he spent his last summer painting at Clear Lake, IA only 30 miles away from us.

Summertime inspires some lovely and playful kaleidoscopes too. Butterflies, dragonglies and all things summer have a way of showing up in and on scopes.

Luc and Sallie Durette have a new way to show of the beauty of the butterfly. Their great handheld scope, the Cosmo can now feature an inlay of wood with a beautiful butterfly inset.

Durette Cosmo with Butterfly Inlay

Durette Cosmo with Butterfly Inlay


The intricate mirror system mimics the folding of wings too.
Interior Image of Durette Cosmo

Interior Image of Durette Cosmo


Watch the video demonstration at this link!
Durette Cosmo Kaleidoscope with Butterfly Inlay

If you live far from the ocean as we do in Iowa, The Shell Collector by Judith Paul is a lovely way to capture the spirit of the sea.

The Shell Collector by Judith Paul

The Shell Collector by Judith Paul


Interior Image from Shell Collector Kaleidoscope

Interior Image from Shell Collector Kaleidoscope

And if you need a quick souvenir after your summertime trip to the beach, take a look at this motif in the Jazzy Kaleidoscope!

Summertime Jazzy Kaleidoscope

Summertime Jazzy Kaleidoscope

We love Summertime here at Kaleidoscopes To You so much we try and capture a bit of it inside kaleidoscopes whenever we can!

Art and Summer Kaleidoscope projects

Love summer with all its spontaneity. We started our first creative project with the kids in April. We were inspired by the Trashtastic Yard Art competition at the Charles H MacNider Art Museum. Our family started the concept of building a pedestal outdoor kaleidoscope from recycled parts.

Karl took one child to the Saab Graveyard at Meyer Saab. There they found gaskets for the eyepiece and a fabulous transmission gear shaft that makes up the central part of the pedestal. Karl took our other child to another junkyard where even more parts were found. The next evening, I did a U Turn to pull a couple of ceramic urns out of a ditch. Those are in the backyard because they just didn’t fit the scope.

Extra parts from a C Bennett liquid suspension object cell were adapted into the these car parts with a new, longer mirror system. This YouTube video is of the scope from which we scavenged the object cell. Flag Liquid Suspension Kaleidoscope by C Bennett

A couple of old disc blades out of my Dad’s farm machine shop and an AWESOME rusty capitol column also found in a dusty corner…..

Funky Junky Trashtastic Kaleidoscope

Funky Junky Trashtastic Kaleidoscope

So we invite you to come explore the arts in North Iowa with us either in person or virtual! We also have another little hidden gem here in North Iowa. The Unionhurst Gallery is the only gallery in the world that features the paintings of Atlanta Sampson.

And a fabulous renovation has reopened the last standing designed hotel by Frank Lloyd Wright; the Historic Park Inn. At Kaleidoscopes To You, we may be out in the middle of a cornfield, but we are surrounded by diverse history and art.

Value of Kaleidoscopes

Value is a concept I’ve been thinking about recently. Value is not the price you pay but what greater benefits you receive for the product for which you parted with some of your treasure.
We are often asked what creates a great value in a kaleidoscope. Value comes from quality materials, good construction, an aesthetic quality that is personal as well as the rarity of the piece.
Some friends were Facebook chatting about a $50 butter dish from a high end kitchen retailer. For $50, you could select a Spirit Kaleidoscope by the Collier Studios. This scope creates great value by using ABS plastic for the housing and FeMo clay for the interior object cells. No skimping on the mirror system or optics however and you have a great scope with a 2 mirror system.
by the Colliers”]Charcoal Spirit Interior Image by the Colliers[/caption]

Spirit Kaleidoscope by the Colliers

Spirit Kaleidoscope by the Colliers

For $100 (or a bit more), you can get a decent pair of shoes. For that same price, you could select a fabulous stained glass kaleidoscope by a number of artists such as Kathleen Hunt, David Sugich or Joanne Jacobs.

For $200, you can have a great meal in a great restaurant with fabulous wine. Or you can have an extraordinary signed, unique piece of art by Judith Paul or kaleidoscope jewelry by the Healy’s.

Healy Sterling Silver Kaleidoscope Necklaces

Healy Sterling Silver Kaleidoscope Necklaces

So value is your own personal judgment as to what is precious to you. Here at Kaleidoscopes To You, we search out the best values in scopes so that you have the best balance of optics, art and price in your kaleidoscopic experience.