Holiday crafts for kids and toddlers

Are you looking for something to make with your kids?  I always am.  Especially for gifts.  Once you have kids, gifts for grandparents and aunts and uncles and great-grandparents and godparents become a cinch.  Who wouldn’t want a cute ornament made by a kid?  Decorating for the holidays is fun and economical.  These were the crafts we tackled last year.

As always, crafts can be adjusted for the age and ability of the child.  The older the child, the more the kid can do.

Picture Ornaments

(I thought this was a cute craft.  I make a different ornament with the kids every year and give them out as gifts and keep them for my own tree.  I liked the idea of saving a picture of the boys on my tree.  The boys enjoyed making these.  Anything with glue is fun to them. Younger kids can decorate the ornament.  Older kids can trace and cut as well as decorate.  My children (6, 4, and 1) are not fantastic cutters, so I cut.  I got the idea from here.)

Things you need:

• Card stock
• Jar lid recommended 3″ lid
• Another round lid slightly smaller (to cut the pictures)
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Photos
• Glue
• Pens, markers, paint, stamps (anything to decorate the front)
• String, elastic cord, something to hang up the ornament

What to do:

Fold the stock paper.  Make a simple ornament shape by tracing the jar lid and leaving the fold intact with the topper of the ornament.  Cut out ornament.  Decorate the front of the ornament with paints, stamps, whatever or do the activity below.  Using the smaller round shape, draw a circle on the photo, and cut it out.  Glue the picture on the inside of the ornament.  You can glue the string in place or just tie it.  (I’m a rebel.  I didn’t use glue for the string.)

 

Reindeer fingerprints

( I got the idea from Spoonfuls, the same site that brought you the craft above.  I wasn’t able to find the directions.  I thought these were so adorable on the cards.  But I thought they would be awesome on the photo ornament.  A fingerprint to match the picture to show how small they once were.  The boys LOVED this!  They got to get messy.  Evan and Sean (6 and 4) drew the antlers and glued the eyes and nose.  I helped the one year old.)

Things you need:

• Card stock
• Brown washable (I can’t stress WASHABLE enough) ink pad
• Brown marker
• 5mm googly eyes (for small fingers)
• 1/4 in black or red pom poms (for small fingers)

Have the child make a fingerprint with the WASHABLE brown ink.  Finger or thumb.  After the ink dries, have the child draw antlers.  Then have the child glue eyes and a nose.  Our craft we did just one.  If you’re making a card or have a large ornament, do more than one.

Making reindeer

Holiday Wreaths

(I stole this from my BFF and her holiday program at her church.  I was suppose to run this craft and got bumped.  In my disappointment, I decided to do this with my boys.  I did the hot glue.  They decided where to put the decorations.  If you’re A personality, I don’t recommend this.  We made an ugly wreath, but it was done with love.  The boys LOVED this.)

Things you need:

• Cheap fake Christmas wreath
• Cheap decorations like mini christmas ornaments and bells (I bought ours at the dollar store and Walmart.)
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue
• Ribbon (optional)

What to do:

Lay the wreath down.  Heat the glue gun.  Have the kids place the decorations on the wreath.  Glue the decorations.

That is a kid approved wreath

For more craft ideas:

http://faemom.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/christmas-ornaments-for-kids-preschoolers-and-toddlers-to-make/

http://faemom.wordpress.com/2008/11/30/christmas-crafts-for-kids-toddlers-and-babies/

http://faemom.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/winter-and-christmas-crafts-for-toddlers-and-children/

http://faemom.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/more-christmas-crafts-for-children-toddlers-and-babies/

http://faemom.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/christmas-crafts-for-kids-preschoolers-and-toddlers-part-2/

Christmas ornaments for kids, preschoolers, and toddlers to make

Christmas is coming.  The goose is getting fat.  I love prepping for Christmas.  Evan and I are brain storming for this year’s ornaments and crafts.  I’m not sure what to do for the families.  Here are some ornaments we made last year.  We had a blast making them.  Depending on the age and the ability of the child will depend on how much work you do.

Mini Christmas Trees

(I remember doing something similar when I was a Brownie in Girl Scouts. It’s an easy, fun, and messy project.  Evan (5) and Sean (3) really enjoyed making them.)

What you need:

Pine cones

Green spray paint

Glue

Glitter

Paper plates

Ribbon

Spray paint pine cones green.  Once the pine cones are dry, pour glue in one paper plate and glitter in another.  Have the child roll the pine cone in the glue and then in the glitter.  Let the pine cone dry.  Glue ribbon to the pine cone to make a loop.  Allow to dry.

Glitter Shells

(I saw this in a Martha Stewart magazine.  The hard part is putting a whole in the shell; you’ll need a drill, preferably a dremel drill.  It was easy to adopt for children.  I’m thinking I want to try other shells this year.  The boys loved making these.  I loved playing with my dad’s dremel drill.  If only I had a real reason to get one.)

Things you need:

Shells (We used clam shells)

Dremel Drill

Glue

Glitter

Paper plates

Tooth pick

Ribbon or string

Drill a hole in the top of the shell.  Have the child dip the shell into the glue.  Have the child cover the shell in glitter.  (We did most shells in one color as well as mixing two colors together to get a neat effect.)  Clear the hole of glue and glitter.  Allow to dry.  Thread the whole with ribbon or string.  Tie the ribbon to make a loop.

Clay Ornaments

(These are so easy, simple, and fun.  Toddlers can even do it.  Now that I think about it, I might have the boys make more this year and work on decorating them in different ways.  The boys had lots of fun.  Keep on eye on these.  They can burn quickly.  Evan prefered the burnt ones.  I was less than thrilled.)

What you need:

Polymer Clay

Something to cut clay in a circle (I used a plastic Easter egg.)

Rubber stamps

Straw

Cookie sheet

Tooth pick

Foil

Ribbon

Have the child knead the clay for at least two minutes.  (For younger children, you may have to work with it too.)  Roll the clay flat to about 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick.  Cut out circles.  Use the straw to cut out a hole in the top.  Have the child press a rubber stamp in to the clay.  On the back of the clay, write the child’s name or initials with the year.  Cover a cookie sheet with foil, and place the ornaments on it.  Bake in an oven or toaster oven as it says on the directions. (275°F for 15 mins.  I think mine baked in 10 mins.)  Let the ornaments cool.  String ornaments with ribbon.

More craft and ornament ideas

Christmas crafts for kids, preschoolers and toddlers part 2

Winter and Christmas Crafts for Toddlers and Children

More Christmas Crafts for Children, Toddlers, and Babies

Christmas Crafts for Kids, Toddlers, and Babies

A Perfect, Summer, Kid-friendly Dessert

I have a debt of gratitude I owe Anissa Degrasse.  She submitted a recipe to Taste of Home magazine that the boys and I love.  It’s a great recipe to make with the kids.  I let the boys pour and mix.  And it’s a wonderful treat to eat.   It’s my cheating ice cream.

Now I’ve made a few changes to the recipe, but I’ll publish Anissa’s original.  I have yet to use vanilla pudding because I buy mainly chocolate or pistachio (which I use only for a special cake).  Since I was using chocolate pudding any ways, I dropped the chocolate chips.  I know.  Me the chocoholic. 

Now I have an idea.  I think this would be a great recipe with other flavors, so if you try it with another flavor or a different type of pudding (because I’m thinking of a certain blogger who has pudding day and who is organic and vegetarian), please come back and share.  We could make our own book!

Pudding Grahamwiches*

1 ½ cups cold fat-free milk

1 package (1 oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix

1 carton (8 oz) frozen reduced-fat whipped topping, thawed

1 cup of miniature marshmallows **

24 whole graham crackers, halved***

5 Tsp miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 mins.  Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.  Place chocolate chips in a shallow bowl.  Fold whipped topping and marshmallows into the pudding.  (I folded in whip topping first, then marshmallows.)  Spread over half of the graham crackers.  Top with the remaining crackers.  Press edges of each sandwich into the chocolate chips.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap; place in an airtight container and freeze.  (I strongly recommend wrapping them in foil.  I haven’t yet placed them in an airtight container.)  Remove from freezer about five minutes before serving.  (Who can wait five minutes?)

Yields: 2 dozen ***

*Anissa, sweetheart, we need to come up with a better name.  Anyone have suggestions?

**Last time I made these I decided to wing it and put in half a bag miniature marshmallows before I thought something wasn’t right.  But they turned out good.

*** I have yet to make just two dozen.  So keep a few extra graham crackers on hand.

Making crystals

It’s summer, and we all need things we can do with our kids.  So how about something fun and educational?  Like crystals.  Salt crystals are quick and easy.  Sugar crystals are slow and tasty.  Both are fun.

Salt crystals

(I was amazed how fast these crystals grew.  In less than 24 hours, there were actual crystals you could see.  I tried adding food coloring to the solution to make a colored crystal, but we still ended up with white crystals.  After several days, I took out the crystals and let the boys touch, dissect, and destroy them.)

Things you need:

• Table or Epson Salt (2 or 3 Tsp)
• 1 cup of water
• Pot
• Spoon
• Jar
• Pencil
• String
• Paperclip, washer, or pull-tab of a soda can (I was desperate.)

Tie a piece of string around the middle of the pencil.  Tie the other end of the string around the weight (aka paperclip or washer).  Make sure the weight doesn’t touch the bottom of the jar.  Pour a cup of water into the pan and bring it to a boil.  Add salt a teaspoon at a time, stirring, until you cannot dissolve anymore salt.  Pour the salt water solution into the jar.  Place the pencil across the mouth of the jar, allowing the weight to dangle into the solution.  Do not touch.  Allow the crystals to grow for several days.

Sugar crystals

(These were much tastier.  But they took For-Ev-Er.  It took about a week to see any crystals, and it’ll take three weeks to have a crystal worthwhile to eat.  Last year I tried a recipe that doubled the amount of sugar so that the crystals would form faster.  It didn’t work.  Patience is a virtue.  A sugar crust formed on the top of the solution before the crystals started to form.)

Things you need:

• Two cups of water
• 1 cup of sugar
• Pot
• Spoon
• Jar
• Pencil
• String
• Weight like a paperclip, washer or pull-tab of a soda can

Tie one end of the string to the middle of the pencil.  Tie the other end of the string on the weight.  The weight should be able to dangle in the jar without touching the bottom.  Wet the string and roll it in sugar.  Boil two cups of water.  Stir in sugar a tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is dissolved.  Pour the sugar salt solution into the jar.  Place the pencil on the mouth of the jar allowing the weight to dangle in the solution.  Place the jar out of reach and wait for the crystals to form.

Chinese New Year’s Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers and Toddlers

Yup, Chinese New Year is upon us, and I thought “Hey, this year, we’ll make a big deal and teach the boys to appreciate the Chinese culture.”  Then I learned it was on Valentine’s Day, and my mom said, “We’ll still do Chinese New Year; we have some great recipes and the color is red.”  Then we looked on the calendar and learned it was on a Sunday, which is the day my grandma cooks.  Yup, there’s no way she’ll do a Chinese celebration.  Catholic holidays come first.  But that doesn’t mean we aren’t doing crafts to get ready.

The rice painting and chopstick decorating are great for all ages.  They are simple and easy.  I even did rice painting with Sean back when he was a year and half.  Simple.  But the fortune cookie and dumpling crafts are harder.  They are not suitable for toddlers, and if you have old partially-dried glue (not that I would loose the cap and let the glue sit capless for months), your preschooler will hate these crafts.

Remember the ability of the child will determine how much the adult will or will not do.

Rice Painting

(I can’t remember what site suggested that I sprinkle rice on the paint for a “sparkle” look, but I tried it any ways.  It didn’t sparkle, but it gave a new texture that the boys LOVED.  Keep the excess rice; I have an idea!) 

Things you need:

•       Smock
•       Paper
•       Paint
•       Paint brushes
•       Paper plate or pie tin
•       Rice

Put the child in the smock.  Place the paint on the plate or in the tin.  Put down the paper.  Have the child paint.  When the child is done painting but the paint has not dried, let the child sprinkle rice on the wet paint.  When the paper is dry, tap off excess rice.

As for the excess partially or fully painted rice, it works well in a sand art.  Just have the child glue a pattern and then sprinkle the dried painted rice on the wet glue.

Decorated Chopsticks

(We did this when I worked with the Girl Scouts.  For the girls, they had a choice of decorating the chopsticks for hair accessories, which they could paint all the way down to the end, or chopsticks, which they could only paint half way down.  My boys are sword fighting with them.  Markers just wouldn’t do; so we HAD to use paint.  Because the boys are young, I didn’t break the sticks apart until after they were done decorating.  Older kids can decorate with them split.)

Things you need:

•       Wooden chopsticks (you can get them at the grocery store or grab them at a Chinese restaurant)
•       Markers or paint
•       (if your using paint) smock, paint brush, dish for paint

Give the child the chopsticks.  Depending on the child’s ability, break them before or after the decorating.  Let the child decorate the sticks.  If you’re stuck for inspiration, go online and look at all the neat ones for sale.

Felt Dumplings

(Sean didn’t want to participate, but Evan did.  This craft would have worked out a lot better if I hadn’t used glue that was a little dried out.  After Evan was done, I tried doing the craft with a glue gun, which worked well as long as you didn’t burn your fingers in the process.  The boys are excited to add new food to their kitchen.  I got the craft here.)

Things you need:

•      Tan felt
•      Scissors
•      Something to trace circles about 3” diameter (I used a can juice lid.)
•      Marker
•      Hot glue gun with glue or craft glue

Trace circles on to the felt.  Cut out the felt, keeping the trimmings.  (You may want to make the trimmings smaller for easier use.)  Have the child place a small pile of trimmings in the center of the circle.  Have the child glue all around the outer edge of the circle.  Fold the dumpling.  Hold in place.  If you want to leave it that way, fine.  Or you can make the indentations.  For those of you that used craft glue, wait until the glue dries to make the indentations.  Fold slightly the dumpling on the sealed part to make the indentations.  Use a drop of glue for every fold.

Felt Fortune Cookies

(These turned out super cute.  I think they are more suitable for children older than four, but then Evan was still frustrated over the glue.  The boys love playing with them.  I got this craft here.  And it has pictures {Even though I take step by step pictures, I can’t figure out how to upload them to the computer.  Sigh})

Things you need:

•      Tan felt
•      Scissors
•      Something to trace circles about 3”  diameter (Again I used a can juice lid.)
•      Marker
•      Slips of paper
•      Pen
•      Hot glue gun with glue or craft glue

Have the child write or draw a fortune on the paper.  Trace a circle on the felt.  Cut out the circle.  Have the child fold the circle and place the fortune inside next to the fold with the ends of the paper sticking out.  Glue along the inside of the edge without gluing the paper.  Close and hold until glue adheres.  If using craft glue, wait until the glue is dried before following the next step.  Fold the felt so that the two ends meet and the middle pops out, resembling a fortune cookie.  Place a drop of glue in the middle of the crease and hold cookie until the glue sets.

Valentine Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers and Toddlers, Part 2

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and my blog is being slammed by people looking for Valentine crafts.  (And some of them started right after Christmas!  Who are you highly organized, far-seeing people?!  I’m not worthy of you!)  I just couldn’t do the same old crafts, so I scoured the internet, racked my brain for some interesting crafts.  Zeemaid actually sent me this cool link about making a clay pendant, but I never went to get the clay.  Mommy fail.  But I hope you enjoy the other crafts.  Keep in mind that the younger the child, the more work you need to do to help the child; while older children will be able to do more of the craft than I plan for.  My sons are two and four when they did these crafts. 

If you’re looking for more Valentine’s Day Crafts, check out my other post.

Heart Lawn

(Nothing says love like grass, right?  Ok, you figure out how to grow roses from a sponge.  The boys LOVED dumping the grass seed on the sponges.  They are waiting anxiously for the grass to grow.  You can change the shape of the sponge to use any time.)

Things you need:

• Sponge
• Marker
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Scissors
• Water
• Plate
• Grass seed
• Plastic wrap

Use the heart-shape cookie cutter to trace a heart on the sponge.  Cut out the heart.  Wet the sponge to make it damp.  Have the child pour grass seed onto the sponge.  You can use a bowl and spoon to make it less messy.  Cover the sponge with plastic wrap.  Check every few days to make sure the sponge is wet.  As soon as you see grass poking out, remove the plastic wrap.  In about two weeks, you should have a little grass lawn. 

Sewing Heart Magnets

( I modified a craft I did in Girl Scouts all those years ago to make it easier on the boys.  And a tad less feminine.  That’s really the problem with a lot of Valentine crafts.  The boys enjoyed “sewing,” and Evan creatively made more of a net instead of going around the heart.  It turned out great, so let your child experiment.  I used a four inch cookie cutter.)

Things you need:

• Red craft foam
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Pen
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Ribbon ( we used white)
• Tape
• Magnet
• Glue

You can buy pre-cut foam craft hearts, or you can make your own.  Trace a heart-shaped cookie cutter on the read foam.  Cut out the heart.  Hole punch around the heart.  For younger kids, make fewer holes.  Cut the piece of ribbon to two to three feet.  Tape the end to make it a needle, making it easier for younger children to sew with it.  Tape the other end on the back of the heart.  Have the child sew in and out of the holes.  (My son is two, and I held the heart so he could put it in the hole; then I turned it over, and he pulled the ribbon tight.)  After the child is done sewing, tape the end to the back.  For older children you can have the ends meet in the front in a bow.  Glue a magnet on the back.

3-D Heart Flowers

(I modified a Martha Stewart craft for this one.  I hope she doesn’t mind.  The boys thought it was really fun.  If you would like, have the child decorate the hearts before making the flower.)

Things you need:

• Red, pink or white construction paper
• Heart-shaped cookie cutter
• Pen
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Pony bead
• Pipe cleaner

Trace the heart-shaped cookie cutter on the construction paper, making four to six hearts.  Cut out the hearts.  Hole punch the hearts at the tip of the heart.  Have the child thread the pony bead onto the pipe cleaner, leaving about an inch of pipe cleaner above the bead.  Bend the pipe cleaner down and twist, securing the bead at the top of the pipe cleaner.  Have the child thread the hearts (how many the child wants) onto the pipe cleaner to the top under the pony bead.  Knot the pipe cleaner underneath the hearts.  Have the child spread the hearts to form a flower.

Winter and Indoor Crafts for Kids, Preschoolers, and Toddlers

Many of you are stuck inside right now and have been for a while.  So I thought this would be a great time to do some craft ideas.  These crafts can be used for all ages, just adjust how much you do for the ability of the child.  Older kids can do more; younger kids can do less.

Chalk Snow Scene

(Some of you might remember that I did this last year too, but I figured it was worth the repeat.  Both boys got into this although they made blizzards.)

Things you need:

• White chalk
• Blue or black construction paper
• Hairspray (optional)

Have the child draw a snow scene on the construction paper.  Spray hairspray to “glue” on the chalk if you want to keep it around for a while.

Variation:

The child can color with all colors of chalk on white paper, teaching him/her about impressionism.

Epsom Salt Snow Scene

(So why not make a 3D snow scene?  This can be messy.  Sean really didn’t care to participate, so he just did a few dots.  Evan went crazy.  The scenes turned out very cute.)

Things you need:

• Blue or black construction paper
• Glue
• Epsom salt
• Glitter (optional)

Have the child make a snow scene with the glue.  Let the child pour Epsom salt onto the glue.  If you want to make it extra special, let the child add glitter.

Variation:

Using silver glitter glue, let the child create a starry scene with blue or black construction paper.

Shells

(Some of you are sick and tired of snow, so let’s pretend to be on a beach with shells.  These were a lot of fun and clever.  The boys enjoyed them.  I only tried markers and glitter glue as mediums, but I’m sure you can do so much more.  I’ll try more and let you know unless you beat me to the punch.)

Things you need:

• Large pasta shells (uncooked)
• Markers
• Glitter glue (optional)

Have the child decorate the shells, telling him/her how each shell is different.

Another fun thing to do is allow your child to color on a window with dry erase markers.  As an added bonus, my boys love to clean windows, taking turns spraying the window with window cleaner and rubbing it down with paper towel.

Christmas crafts for kids, preschoolers and toddlers part 2

Here are a few crafts we’re working on at Faemom’s.  All crafts are kid friendly.  Depending on the age and the ability of the child will depend on how much the child can and how much you do.  Stay tune because I’m still working on hot coco mix, dipped cookies, shell ornaments, pinecone ornaments, and decorative candles.

Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

I know.  I know.  I published this last year, but I never got around to doing them last year.  I did do them two years ago.  So I did them this year, and I learned a lot more.  Evan (4) and Sean (2) helped mix the clay, roll the clay, and cut the clay with cookie cutters.  This is an easy recipe to multiply or divide.

Things you need:

½ cup applesauce

½ cup and 2tbs of cinnamon (this doesn’t have to be exact.  I just found I needed a little more cinnamon to make it less sticky.)

Bowl

Spoon

Wax paper

Rolling pin

Cookie cutters

Straw

Ribbon

Mix the applesauce and cinnamon.  You want a clay consistency, not too sticky, not too dry.  Roll the clay out in between two sheets of wax paper.  Roll it to a ½ in to 1/3 in thickness.  Too thick and it’ll take forever to dry.  Too thin and you can’t get it off the wax paper.  Cut out shapes with the cookie cutter.  Use the straw to make a hole for the ribbon.  Carefully remove the ornament with a knife and your fingers.  (This is when you realize it’s too thin or sticky.)  Move the ornament to a fresh piece of wax paper to dry.  (Because we’re in cramp quarters I placed mine on a wax papered cookie sheet, so they could be easily moved away from little hands at any time.)  If you need to leave the project, you can save the clay in a plastic container with a lid in the fridge for at least a week.  Let the shapes dry for two to three days.  Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie.

Metal Juice Lid Ornaments

I made these in Girl Scouts years ago.  Then I saw it online last year, and I thought it was a nifty idea.  Of course, you have to have metal juice lids, which can take some time to collect.  This is defiantly an older kid project.

Things you need:

Metal juice lids

A small wood board

A nail

A hammer

Ribbon

Marker (optional)

If you like, you can draw the dots of on the lid before you nail.  You can see the marker after you’re done, but mine looked better than when I free-handed it.  (Of course, that could just be me.)  Put the lid on the board.  Place the nail over the lid near the top.  Hammer the nail through the lid.  Since this is where you’ll run the ribbon, you might want to make this your biggest hole.  Continue to make holes of the design you want.  I made initials.  When finished, thread the ribbon through the top hole and tie.  (I am curious to see if these can be painted or polished, which will be an experiment for another time.)

Chocolate Dipped Spoons  with Marshmallows

I saw this somewhere in an old craft magazine.  Since I couldn’t find the magazine again, I just winged it.  Children can help dipping the spoons.  Because mine kept trying to eat the chocolate, they were forced out of the kitchen.

Things you need:

Plastic spoons

Melting chocolate (you can go with chocolate chips, but I went and bought chocolate made for making candies)

Bowl or jar

Wax paper

Plate or cookie sheet

Mini marshmallows

Different colored chocolate (optional)

Spoon or chocolate bag (optional)

Melt the chocolate according to the directions on the bag.  I prefer the double broiler method because I’ve burnt chocolate before (not good).  Dip the spoon to cover the bowl part of the spoon.  Wipe the back of the spoon against the bowl or jar to get excess chocolate off the back.  Place the spoon on the wax paper covered plate or cookie sheet (depending how much room you have in your freezer).  Place marshmallow into chocolate.  Repeat with other spoons until plate or cookie sheet are covered.  Place in freezer until chocolate is hard (anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes).  Dip spoons in chocolate again.  Place back on the plate and back into the freezer.  If you would like, you can melt more chocolate like white or colored to drizzle on the spoons.  When spoons are hardened, dip them for a third time in the chocolate.  If you want to, drizzle the chocolate over the chocolate spoons.  Put into freezer until hard.

This can be done without the marshmallow as well.  You can also flavor the chocolate too.

Gingerbread Men Ornaments

Every year I like to make an ornament with the boys.  This year we’re doing two.  This is the first one.  Both boys, at 4 and 2, were able to do this and had a lot of fun doing it.  I’m sure an 18 month old would be able to make these too.

Things you need:

Brown craft foam (I bet this would work with felt or brown paper)

Gingerbread man cookie cutter or template

Pen

Scissors

Craft foam stickers, markers, crayons, fabric paint, paint, glue, glitter, whatever you want to decorate with.  All things I have mentioned will work.

Hole puncher

Ribbon

Trace the gingerbread cookie cutter or template on the craft foam.  Cut out the gingerbread man.  You may punch the hole for the ribbon now or after the gingerbread man is decorated.  Have the child decorate the gingerbread man.  (Since my boys wouldn’t put eyes on if I didn’t do it, I did that with craft foam dots.)  Punch hole for the ribbon if you haven’t yet done so.  Thread ribbon through the hole and tie.

 

Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

This is something we did do last year.  Like three days before Christmas.  I thought if I posted crafts three days before Christmas, someone would shoot me.  But you have to keep young hands busy somehow or else they would be wrecking the tree, getting into the presents, finding the presents, opening up the cookies meant for Christmas.  Evan was three, and Sean was eighteen months.  Evan could do both kinds of candy canes.  Sean did better with stringing the beads as long as I held the pipe cleaner.

Type 1

Things you need:

Red pipe cleaners

White pipe cleaners (You could use green if you like.)

Take the pipe cleaners and twist them together.  Then take the pipe cleaners and form a hook to make it look like a candy cane.

Type 2

Things you need:

Red or white pipe cleaners

Red or white or green pony beads (whatever color is opposite of your pipe cleaner)

Take the pipe cleaner and thread the pony beads on it, leaving space in between to look like stripes.  Take the pipe cleaner and form a hook to make it look like a candy cane.

Need more ideas?  Check out my other posts on Christmas and winter crafts for kids.

Christmas Crafts for Kids, Toddlers, and Babies

More Christmas Crafts for Children, Toddlers, and Babies

Winter and Christmas Crafts for Toddlers and Children

Preview

This isn’t the real post, but for those of you that have been wondering if I dropped crafts, I did, but I think I had a great reason (you know, vomiting, fatigue also known as morning sickness).  But now that Christmas is coming and, well, the economy has hit us, we’re doing craft gifts this year.  Yea!  Plus I now have energy and only vomit after a serious round of coughing.  (Stupid cough!  I hate you!)  So I thought I would give you a heads up on the crafts this year.

Homemade hot chocolate mix

Chocolate dipped spoons with marshmallows

Chocolate dipped cookies

Apple sauce cinnamon ornaments (love these)

Artwork tiles by Evan and Sean

Now the last ornament I’m in a debate: Gingerbread men (made with cardboard and “decorated” by the boys) or Snowmen (made with styrofoam balls and beads) or maybe both.

So stay tune.  Or heck, give a vote or an idea.

Father’s Day Crafts!

Father’s Day is coming next Sunday, and I have been wacking my brain to come up with some great craft ideas.  If I had had a muse, I would have had this out last week, like I WANTED to, but my dad is hard to shop for; my husband is hard to shop for; my father-in-law is hard to shop for.  If it wasn’t for this blog, I would have gift carded the whole affair. 

Last year, we made t-shirts that said “You’re the best Dad (Papi) (Papa) hands down.”  I then put the boys’ handprints on the shirt with their names and ages underneath. 

Another tradition I started last year due to reading a Family Fun issue was to take a picture of the boys every year in the shirt (or outfit) their dad wore on the day of their birth.  Fortunately the husband wore the same shirt for both births.  Unfortunately I found it in a pile of dirty clothes last year.  I wonder where it is now.

This year I plan on making my dad chocolate cookies for Father’s Day.  I’m sure the boys would love to help.  We also did a few crafts.

 

Picture Frames

(This is a great craft with lots of variety.  The boys and I did this one last year.  They had a blast.  The husband loved it.)

What you need:

• Unfinished thick picture frame (the thicker the better to give room for toddler creativity)
• black or white paint
• finger paints
• paint brushes
• sealer or top coat
• sand paper
• smock

First sand and prep the picture frame.  Next paint the background color with white or black paint.  Once the background paint is dry, have the child paint the frame.  After the painting is dry, paint the sealer or clear top coat to protect the painting.

Variations:

For older children, a regular unfinished frame works well too.

The child can stain the frame.

The child can paint it black and the sponge paint it with gold, silver, or any other favorite color.

The child can paint it black and put stickers on it.  Glow-in-the-dark stars look really cool.

The child can paint it a solid color and glue rocks, shells or buttons on the frame.

The child can decoupage the frame with material, color paper, magazine articles.

 

Craft Foam Picture Frame

(I was trying to find a twist on the picture frame idea because grandparents and parents just love pictures.  The boys really liked decorating the frames.  Evan had a unique twist on the stickers as he used Halloween spiders.)

Things you need:

• Craft foam
• Scissors
• Pen
• Markers, stickers, anything you want to decorate with
• Glue (craft or hot)
• Picture
• Magnets

Trace out a square for the picture on the craft foam.  Cut out the square.  (I left an inch and a half around the picture for the frame.)  Have the child decorate the craft foam.  Glue the picture in the frame.  Glue magnets on the back of the frame.  (I picked up decorative magnets for a buck at Michael’s.)

 

Magnet Artwork

(I have read several places about taking those magnet business cards and doing something with them, like gluing pictures on them.  I decided on art work for the boys to do.  As my b0ys love coloring and stickering, they enjoyed doing this.)

Things you need:

• Business magnets
• Craft foam or construction paper
• Markers, stickers, anything else you want to decorate with
• Scissors
• Black marker
• Glue (craft or hot)

Trace the business magnets on the craft foam or construction paper with the black marker.  Have the child decorate the shape.  Cut the shape out.  Glue to the magnet.  (I have also heard of moms who make a scan of the child’s artwork and print it in business card size.  This would work for the magnets too.)