New Ideas for Christmas

[JulianneP]

Ok so I have worn out all my Christmas Craft idea books and I know Family Fun like the back of my hand I have done the cookies and the soup in the jar ideas several times and I'm aching for something new. I just need a few quick and easy gift ideas for neighbors that my kids can help with.

Anybody want to share a few ideas or fun web sites I can check out. I'm sure other people are in the mood to get Christmas crafts going. I'm done with cards and almost done with shopping so know I need to focus on the liitle touches.

Thanks!

 

[Spinning]

Can't remember the ages of your kids but we did this in the past...
I bought the clear glasss ornaments from Michael's the kind that is blown but flat on 2 sides....I then bought paint pens and had the kids decorate, draw on the glass. Then we trimmed it with glitter...Everyone loved them...and now we are making them again. I want to have them make one each year.

Apple sauce and cinamon ornaments
I don't know the amounts needed but get a small jar off applesauce, Cheap stuff
Get a large size container of cinamon....you now the one that is about 5 inches high
Put the applesauce in a bowl and then start adding the cinamon...keep adding it till it froms a ball like play dough. Not too dry but able to roll it. Roll it out to about 1/4 thickness cut with cookie cutters. I cut straws into pieces and poke holes in the top and let air dry with the straw in it. Then add string...Great sented ornaments!

No sew fleece pillows: just cut two pieces of fleece into a square then cut one inch strips that go in 4 inches... all the way around the pillow. Then start tying the pieces together..double knot them. Then stuff and finish tying.

Sculpy clay: Tons of fun!
You can make anything with it! We did a picture frame last year. Rolled it real thin and put it over a cheap flat wooden frame. Then the kids used molds or made snakes out of the clay pressed into the frame. Bake it and you're done! Check ou their site for ideas!

http://www.sculpey.com/

 

[bananiem]

I have a variation of Spinning's glass ornaments. Use any shape clear glass ornament. Put 2-3 drops of glass paint in the top opening and swirl. Repeat with up to 3 colors and rotate the ornaments periodically to marble the paints inside. (I found egg cartons to be VERY handy!) It takes a couple of days for them to dry. Then add a pretty bow to the hangar. They turn out really nice! My kids were 5 and 7 when we did it. I got the directions at Joann's and they had them again last year. I haven't looked for the directions this year.

 

[Twigs]

I bought a cheap puzzle and cut out a cardboard in the shape of a wreath , outside appox 5" in diameter and the inside circle apprx 3" in diameter. The kids then randomly glued the puzzles pieces all around in a few layers. We spray painted them green and then when that was dry glued on those mylar confetti type things ( some people sprinkle them in cards before they seal them) that were in the shape of ornaments. You could glue pom poms on as ornaments or anything else you have on hand, then we glued a loop of red ribbon to the back as a hanger.

Another project that the kids liked was making reindeer head ornaments christmas lightbulbs. I would buy the replacement bulbs, I forgot what size off hand, but they were appox 2" in length. We glued a small pompom toward the end of the bulb and googly eyes up on the top third of the bulb. I got silver pipe cleaners and twisted that to the metal part of the bulb and bent the ends to resemble antlers and tied on a string as a hanger.

I hope these instructions make sense. Have fun!!!

 

[whirlsy]

I actually want to do this but havent looked up how to do it yet~ friends made this last year so I will ask them how they did it~ they painted different designs on clear plates sprayed them with a clear gloss and made them dishwasher safe. I want to make some that say "Cookies for Santa" and put some homemade cookies on it.

 

[karyn]

A few years back i baked cookies and stuck them in large Christmas mugs. I tried to find snowmen since it is a season stretcher. I think i also added some Christmas candies. I wrapped them in Christmas cellophane. Just used curling ribbon to tie it and tied in a small candy cane. I found the large mugs in the Rag Shop but Michael's might have them. I know it just a different twist to the same old, same old..... have fun!

 

[yummy72]

We've done this one a few times:


In a large bowl (for serving the popcorn in...) add a small inexpensive bear, a small candle and a mini package of tissues...Also include microwave popcorn and "movie" candy and a gift card for a movie rental.

Attach the Following Tag:

MOVIE MANIA FUN KIT
Contents:
A Teddy Bear for watching a horror movie
A Candle for watching a romantic movie
Kleenex for a sad movie

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Another one we did with DD was:

Take a plastic laundry scoop (the kind that comes with your powdered laundry detergent--I use Tide, so it's a big clear/green scoop) wash it out. Fill the inside with pot pourri (or whatever you can think of to put in there) Then we covered the front of the scoop (to hold the potpourri in) with a picture of DD cut to fit. We then glued on some decorative cord around the edge of the picture to make the edges look pretty. Tied on a tag with a pretty bow that said "A Scoop of Love From-----" and finally poked a small hole in the handle of the scoop to add a small cord for hanging. Made a great ornament for the Grandmas.
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SNOWMAN SOUP

In a mug, small sack, container of your choice add:

1 package hot cocoa mix
small bundle of mini marshmallows
A couple of Hershey's kisses (or small bundle of choc. chips)
A candy cane

Add the following poem:

Was told you’ve been real good this year,
Always glad to hear it…

With freezing weather drawing near,
You’ll need to warm the spirit…

So here’s a little Snowman Soup,
Complete with stirring stick…

Add hot water and sip it slow,
It’s sure to do the trick.
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One year we took mini pretzel twists and layered and glued them together in a wreath shape..Then sprayed the whole thing with several layers of laquer and tied on a bow and cord for hanging.
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I think we might do the cinnamon ornaments this year. I usually try to help DD make some kind of ornaments for the grandparents each year.

HTH,
Candi

 

[JulianneP]

Yummy 72 i have been saving Tide scoops for about 2 years now knowing that one day I could use them for something. Thank you! Cute idea! I'm also already doing the snowman soup idea for teachers. i got very cute snowman buckets at Target for 75% off last year and put them away for that reason. But i like your poem better

I love the plate idea and the scupley idea too. I forgot about scuply. Nicholas and Mallory are 4 and 3 so that should be fun too see if they can make anything. The are playdo pro's.

i did the glass ornaments last year and your right they took for ever to dry but they are beautiful!!

For my daughters birthday party we are decorating those fun foam door holders. I wrote Santa Stop Here with puffy paint and them got sticky fun foam shapes to decorate them with.

 

[yummy72]

Julianne-

Glad you found a reason to use the Tide scoops! One year as homeroom Mom, I saved tons of those scoops, then went up to the school and took an individual picture of each child, then had the roll of film developed, and at our holiday party we made the scoop ornaments as gifts for their parents. I had the pictures already cut to fit, the tags "A Scoop of Love From" already printed where they just added their names, and the ribbons aleady cut...All they had to do was assemble them. It was quite a fiasco, I found out not everyone is as cooperative as DD, nor as interested in crafty projects, but for the most part it turned out okay...


Candi