Spotted: Coconut Chia Seed Pudding, and 8 other Uses for Chia Seeds

How could you not love something that’s both a craft supply AND a superfood?

Chia seeds are amazing!

Not only are chia seeds great for you, and easy to incorporate into tons of healthy, delicious recipes, but their ability to sprout and grow in the blink of an eye, in less than ideal circumstances, makes them a lot of fun for you and the kids to play with, too.

To get you started, first check out this recipe for coconut chia pudding from Andrea over at our sister site, Vibrant Wellness Journal. It’s sweet and refreshing, and will absolutely play out as a fine dessert to any audience, even kids.

Then, while you’re digesting those chia seeds and soaking up their nutritional benefits, check out this list of even more craft projects and recipes that use chia seeds:

1. chia seed juice. Play with your favorite juice combinations, but with a ton more fiber and an interesting texture.

2. DIY chia pet. You can make your own chia pet. If you’ve got access to a pottery studio, you can even make the ceramic base!

3. edible slime. Make a chemical-free, taste-safe slime for kids using chia seeds.

4. exfoliating soap. Chia seeds make excellent scrubbies when added to melt-and-pour soap.

5. fairy garden. I’ll tell it to you straight–this fairy garden is freakin’ magical. It looks cute no matter who does it, but if you’ve got a couple of kids to share the project with, then you’re going to enjoy seeing just how much THEY enjoy it.

6. garden in a glass. This is the “adult” version of the fairy garden (although I still think that you should put fairies in it!), suitable for sitting on one’s desk at work and cheering one up mightily.

7. sock head pet. If you don’t have the tools to make your own ceramic chia pet, you can still make this version using a nylon stocking and a terra cotta pot.

8. sugar-free freezer jam. Chia seeds are the secret to getting this freezer jam recipe to thicken up without pectin.

Got any more use for chia seeds, food-wise or craft-wise? Share ’em in the comments below!

[coconut chia pudding image via Andrea at Vibrant Wellness Journal]