As you prepare for the upcoming holiday events and activities, you may be struggling to get everything together and also let your kids help. Why not enjoy the anticipated day with some fun, holiday-inspired crafts that will add an adorable, decorative touch to your place? Your kids also can give these crafts as gifts to family members and friends. Regardless, it can be fun family time for everyone involved. Here are some holiday craft ideas for you to enjoy with your children!
Pine Cone Christmas Tree
Supplies:
pinecones
green glitter glue
small glitter pom-poms
yarn
gold pipe cleaner
white craft glue
Directions:
Place some green glitter glue on the tips of the pine cone edges. Then add glue to a pom-pom and attach it to an edge. Do as many edges as you see fit. Place the pinecone aside to dry. Next, tie a piece of yarn into a 3-inch loop. Place the loop at the top of the pinecone and glue it down. Then bend a pipe cleaner into a small star shape and trim off excess. Glue it to the top of the pinecone.
DIY Birdseed Ornament
Supplies:
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of water
1 envelope of unflavored gelatin
3 Tbsps corn syrup (light or dark)
4 cups of bird seed
muffin tins, molds or cookie cutters
nonstick cooking spray
drinking straws or stirrers
wax paper
ribbon
Directions:
Combine the flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup in a large bowl. Then stir until everything is mixed thoroughly and looks like sticky goo. Add birdseed and stir until the birdseed is covered thoroughly. Next, spray muffin tins/cookie cutters with cooking spray. Then pack the bird seed mixture into the mold. Use a measuring cup to pack and smooth everything flat without rough edges.
Push the straw or stirrers through the birdseed all the way through (this is the hole for the ribbon). Let the mixture set for three hours. Then remove the straws and slide, or pop, the ornaments onto wax paper. Flip the ornament over so that the bottom is exposed so that it hardens as well. Let them sit overnight and then string ribbon through the holes and tie knots to make loops.
Handprint Santa
Supplies:
construction paper (pink, red, white)
googly eyes
red and white glitter glue
1 small pink pom-pom
glue stick
white craft glue
Directions:
Trace your child’s hand onto the white construction paper and then cut it out carefully. Next, cut a triangle shape from the red paper for Santa’s hat. Then cut a small circle and a flat, cloud-like hat brim from the white paper (for the fluff on Santa’s hat). Glue the small circle to the top of the red triangle and the cloud-like hat brim on the bottom.
Cut a circle or oval from the pink paper for Santa’s face. Use the glue stick to attach the hat on top of the circle. Next, glue the handprint on the bottom of the circle so that the fingers are facing downward (Santa’s beard). Take the white craft glue and add the eyes and glue the small pom-pom in the middle of the face for a nose. Decorate the white paper with the white glitter glue and the red paper with the red glitter glue.
(As an alternate, rather than trace and cut out your child’s handprint, you can help them make a white handprint, using paint, on a green sheet of paper, as pictured above.)
Rudolph Pinecone Ornament
Supplies:
a pinecone
glue
glitter glue or glitter
scissors
pipe cleaner or small twigs
jumbo googly eyes
ribbon, yarn or string
a red pom-pom
Directions:
Add red glitter glue to the pinecone. Glue on the googly eyes and the pom-pom nose. Cut two small pieces of a pipe cleaner; one piece a little longer. Attach the smaller piece of pipe cleaner to the bigger piece (a little down from the very end). The extra length is to attach to the head of the reindeer. Twist into place. Next, wrap the pipe cleaner antlers around the top of your pinecone and tightly twist to secure. (Or, break twigs to antler length and glue to pinecone.) Then tie a piece of yarn or ribbon around the top in a loop for hanging.
Kath Johnson is a loving mother, avid gardener, and marketing guru for LawnStarter Cleveland. When she’s not tending to her organic vegetable garden, she can be found exploring nature by bike or boat.