Christmas Crafts for Kids
Homemade Christmas Ornaments
Christmas Ornament decorations
Save
the plastic scoops from laundry containers, or koolaid drink mixes. Create
a scene inside the scoop using craft supplies. Spray paint the outside, and drill
a hole through the center of the handle, and insert a ribbon to hang it on your
tree.
Christmas Card Decorations
Cut circles out of old christmas cards to the size of plastic container lids. Glue the cutouts to the lids. Decorate with glue and sparkles, then cut a hole and hang with a colorful ribbon.
Cut circles of christmas card scenes the same size by using a plastic lid. Loop a piece of yarn or ribbon and glue to one of the circles. Glue the other circle on the back. When it is hanging on the tree, there will be a design on both sides.
Make Christmas Bells
Make Christmas bells by cutting an egg carton up. Cover each bell shape with aluminum foil. Use yarn threaded on a large needle, insert through the bottom of the bell, then insert it back thru the top and cut and tie it off. The knot will be on the inside now.
Christmas Tree Streamers
Make colorful beads out of cut macaroni (like ziti) and dunking them into assorted food colors. Drain and dry completely. Pour the beads into individual cups, and let the children string them on yarn. Put the strings on the tree.
Popcorn Balls Garland
Prepare one recipe of Popcorn Balls. To garland your Christmas tree, shape into tiny balls. Using a darning needle, string on baby ribbon.
Make Christmas cookie ornaments Did you know the first Animal Crackers were not made for eating... they were made as Christmas tree decorations!
Homemade Playdough Ornaments
For a great playdough for your children, mix 1 cup of salt, and 2 cups of flour, and add enough water to make a soft dough. Add any food coloring desired. Roll out and cut with decorative cookie cutters. poke a hole in the top, add sparkles or sequins, and let them dry. String on yarn or ribbon and hang on the tree.
Baker's Clay "This is a NON-EDIBLE cookie recipe that makes
lovely ornaments to hang on your Christmas Tree." Original recipe yield: 5 cups
of dough.
INGREDIENTS: 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup salt 1 1/2 cups
water
DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix
the flour, salt and water. Knead dough until smooth. Roll out dough and cut into
desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Once cool paint
with colors, if desired.
Paper Snowflakes
During my childhood years I must have made a ton of paper snowflakes. You know, the kind that you fold the paper into eighths and cut triangles or designs with scissors. After a little practice, you can make some pretty fancy designs.
Yarn Doll
You will need: a ball of yarn, scissors, and a book. Take the yarn and wrap it around the book 50 times. Next, cut the yarn and tie it on another piece of yarn that is already around the book. Then, slide the yarn off the book so that it is in a loop. Cut the bottom of the loop and tie a short piece of yarn around the top of the part that is still connected.
Separate a little of the yarn on each side and cut them as short as you want the arms to be. Tie another short piece of yarn in the middle of the doll to make the waist. Then take two more short pieces of string and tie them at the bottom of the arms to make the hands.
To make a boy doll, separate the yarn at the bottom and tie two short pieces of yarn at the bottom of the separated pieces of yarn to make the legs and feet. If you want a girl doll, don't make legs and feet.
Crochet a Christmas Cross Ornament - crocheted and needlepoint ornaments
Orange Pomanders
A firm orange
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/8 inch
masking tape
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
a fine knitting needle, nail,
awl or scewer
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 feet of 1/2 inch ribbon -
cut in half
waxed paper (grease proof)
Whole cloves (approx 1 oz per orange)
Note: Ground oris root (1 tablespoon) mixed in with the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger helps to preserve the pomander.
Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and oris root (optional). Set aside. Start at stem end of the orange. Wrap tape around the orange. Wrap a second piece of tape in the same manner so that the orange is divided into quarters. Using an a knitting needle or other sharp object, poke holes into the orange next to the tape. Insert a clove in each hole. Make holes as close together as possible creating your own design. Remove the tape. To make extra spicey, roll in cinnamon mixture. This step is optional. Lay ribbon in the space left by the tape. Tie up at the top. To preserve, place in a cool, dark closet wrapped in waxed paper (grease proof) until it is hard and dry - approx 5-6 weeks. It will shrink as it dries and smell spicey for years. These make nice Christmas gifts or a little something to give at any time of the year.
Christmas ideas and Tips
1. To keep toddlers from getting to the christmas tree and presents, why not decorate their old playpen and put the tree and presents in there.
2. If you put your presents under the tree before christmas, keep the kids from knowing whose is whose by attaching numbers. The secret name that goes with the number should be revealed Christmas Day.
3. To wrap an extra large Christmas present, buy a paper Christmas tablecloth. A lot less hastle and cheaper too.
4. Reuse cards you get for any occasion by putting a little household bleach on a cloth and rubbing gently over the handwriting.
5. For a last minute gift, keep a popular book or cookbook on hand, and inscribe it at the last minute.
6. Collect old decorative plates at yard sales, auctions or flea markets. At Christmastime bake cookies and candies, and place them on these plates, wrap in cellephane and tie with a ribbon or bow.
New Pages
Our
Domains were Hijacked! - Read the whole story here. How they were hijacked
and how we got them back.
Everything Made in China?
- How is it that everything in my house has a Made in China tag?
Prepare
for a Recession? - A list of some things we are going to do to try to prepare
for a recession.
We Put Solar Lights in our House
- Why not put outdoor solar lights "inside" the house?
Wind
Turbine Test - We started thinking about how we could build a wind turbine
to generate our own electricity.
Magazines
for Toddlers - I wanted to send some magazines to the grandbaby for something
to do during winter.
