Monday, December 20, 2010

Coffee filter reindeer

Here's a reindeer made from an unbleached coffee filter. Just add brown pipe cleaners for antlers, and draw on a face with markers.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Paper Christmas stocking

Here's a Christmas stocking made of paper and yarn. I didn't have any red paper, so I colored it red leaving a white trim at the top. I put two pieces of white paper together, put them up against a window, so I could trace the same shape of stocking onto the second piece of white paper, so I could color it before cutting out.

After cutting out both sides of the stocking, I put them together, and punched holes around them about an inch and a half apart.

I cut a piece of yarn that was about 8 inches longer than needed to go around the complete outside of the stocking.

A little scotch tape around the end of the yarn, helps it to go through the holes easily to sew the two stockings together. Leave a loop at the top back of the stocking to hang it up.

If you have white and red paper, the stocking might look even nicer in red with a white paper trim. Or red paper with white cotton balls for the trim would be fun too.

Red felt for the stocking, and white felt for the trim, would make this simple stocking stronger, and last for Christmases to come.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Christmas tree ornaments from kids' art






These original little ornaments keep your child's art to decorate your Christmas tree for years to come.

Choose a Christmas picture your child has drawn. Here I choose a snowman.

Decide on a background. If you can see from the picture, I put purple, pink, and light green background. I glued the snowman first to purple paper, and then cut around the snowman leaving about an eighth inch frame. I did the same with the pink and green paper.

Cover with clear contact paper. I cut the clear contact paper twice as big as the snowman. Then I creased the contact paper so that when I removed the backing, I could place my snowman on the crease, and smooth the contact paper up from the crease and over the snowman until completely sealed on all sides.

Trim the edges of the clear contact paper.

Punch a hole in the top, and thread with a loop of yarn, so the ornament can hang on a Christmas tree branch.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Tissue box ornaments




There may be some ornament making materials just waiting to be taken out to the recycle bin. Those holiday tissue boxes sometimes have decorations the right size for tree ornaments. The pretty picture just needs to be cut out, a hole punched, and a piece of yarn strung through the hole for a simple tree ornament.

 Backing can be glued on or not.

This snowman was cut out of the Holiday Prints from Safeway® Softly® Gallery® facial tissue. 

Friday, December 3, 2010

Christmas presents

I read this article How to Give the best Christmas Present to Your Child by TracySmith159 over at eHow and got all excited. It is so true! My daughter has her own standard of mommy time. It's difficult to qualify for it in that just going somewhere with her is not part of her definition.

Yet what she wants is so simple and doesn't cost a cent. Just a few moments of my time to do what she wants totally focused on her. That may include taking a walk around the block together near Christmas to admire our neighbors Christmas decorations.

Time with our children is so cheap and yet so valuable. Just like the crafts we make with them.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Paper bell Christmas tree ornament

Inspiration for this bell came from the snowflake snowman ornament. After cutting out the snowflake design, one happened to look like a bell. If you look at the last picture of the snowman, he is holding this bell.

It's a simple little craft that can be colored any color, but looks nice on the tree.

Draw a bell, and color any color you'd like. Cut it out and put a hole in the top for a loop of yarn to hang it from the tree.