PeterPan Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Mine all seem to be good intentions so far, like the felt ornaments I researched and was too scared to make. Inspire us! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I made the paper star at the top of the tree using a template from about.com. But overall, we are more festive than crafty--ice skating and charitable donations, yes; Let's Pinterest the House, no. :) Pretty much an equal lack of interest and skill. Everything school-related that has a winter or holiday theme just looks too forced for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 We made beeswax candles and are going to start making wool potholders today. We plan to do a gingerbread house and bake cookies the weekend / couple days leading up to Christmas. We might do an angel ornament, pointsetta paper wreath, and a tp nativity scene. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 We started a tradition last year of a "countdown to Christmas"/bucket list idea. We have had a Christmas song dance party, made ice cream cone Christmas trees, made chocolate dipped Oreos, Christmas movies and popcorn, apple code and Christmas books, Christmas lights drive, made Christmas cards and ornaments for a local nursing home. We have thoroughly enjoyed it for the second year in a row! My kids can't wait to read the card each day. :) Here is my Christmas bucket list blog post from last year with the printable. :) http://onemagnificentobsession.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-bucket-list.html We have also been doing The Advent Event, which has you cut and color ornaments each day to string up. The kids are living it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I made the paper star at the top of the tree using a template from about.com. But overall, we are more festive than crafty--ice skating and charitable donations, yes; Let's Pinterest the House, no. :) Pretty much an equal lack of interest and skill. Everything school-related that has a winter or holiday theme just looks too forced for me. Can you link it? We're not buying a star this year and our tree top looks bare. Alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Today my 12yo is carving soap using these awesome Etsy tools: http://www.etsy.com/listing/118909975/handmade-soap-carving-tools We're getting ready to make big paper snowflakes: We're loving this tutorial for making a wreath using old book pages (I have some very old completely thrashed books here :001_smile: ): :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 http://rubberstamping.about.com/od/projects/ss/Paper_Star_2.htm is the star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I've really got to figure out how to do the link in a word… :lol: Does that sentence make sense?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 We need to keep things very simple this holiday. We also need to keep up school work as long as possible (possibly through about the 23rd) because we had to take off a couple weeks for family emergencies. We usually do a LOT of baking and crafting and home made gifts and art projects. We are not going crazy this year. So far this week we have done one winter art project. We read about frost in the Arty Facts Weather and Art science book. We did the project in it to make a winter landscape out of foil, newspaper, saran wrap and sticks and other materials. They turned out cute, and at least everyone feels like we did some winter art. We are taking Sat. afternoon to bake. We are doing white chocolate and peppermint covered pretzel sticks to make as gifts for a few people. I bought large pretzel sticks and white choc. to melt and candy canes to crush. I will microwave the choc. in a large bowl. Kids will dip about the top 3rd of the stick in the choc. then roll them in the crushed candy canes. Put them on foil to dry, and then wrap them up and tie with a bow. Easy homemade gift. Then dd11 wants to make a gift she saw in American Girl magazine. Basically we melt reg. choc. chips and pour into greased ice cube trays. Then we put mini. marshmallows on some and Christmas sprinkles on some. Pop them in the freezer to chill. Pop them out and put a few in a gift baggie along w/a pretty card that explains how to melt the squares into a glass of hot milk for hot choc. and she has some more homemade gifts to hand out. Easy peasy. That is our "baking" this week. I bought cookies to take to parties this year, and I am not making excuses about it. That is the time I have. Next week during a school afternoon we will make a gingerbread house (from a kit) with dn4. I will make some kind of ornament w/dn4 to take home w/her to put on her tree. This may be the first year that my kids don't make homemade ornaments for the tree, but that is going to have to be ok. It has been that kind of year. But I can find some type of paper-y one for dn4 to color and glue together online. Oh, or even better, we could just make some Rudolph candy cane ornaments w/the candy canes and googly eyes and pipe cleaners. We will have to make Christmas cookies at one point. My kids might leave me if we didn't LOL. If nothing else we may spend Christmas Eve whipping up some sugar cookies to decorate for Santa and take them along to Christmas dinner w/family the next day. Not a lot for us, but festive enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelpants Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I'm doing a slacker/cheater "gingerbread" scene with the kids....upside down sugar ice cream cones. green frosting, and candies....and those cute pre-made gingerbread boy cookies in the bag... Lame....My kids will love it. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 For a star, years ago, I made one out of cardboard and foil and glitter glue. I made it because I couldn't find one that our small tree could support that I liked and my Grandma told me how they always made theirs that way. We have ended up using it for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 Not a project I have done, but dh just showed me this link......it looks really awesome! http://digg.com/video/what-you-get-when-you-pour-molten-aluminum-into-an-ant-hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflyer Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I have been keeping up with making the http://truthinthetinsel.com/ crafts. It has been such as stretch for this non-crafty mom that I intend to save them and reuse the same ones for the next couple of years while just reading the verses. We are making our [gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free] sugar cookie cut-outs decorated with sprinkles for the third year in a row. I have always thought that I would start pulling out the icing when DS turns 5. Now that 5 is next year, I am already stressed about the thought of icing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 We went "natural" this year because somewhere in the last move I lost the tree and all the ornaments. DD and I have made about 20 sewn ornament so far out of material and felt. Thinking I may have to break out the new glitter and make a cardboard star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I posted a similar question on the chat board and have gotten a couple of really great ideas that I would not have thought of: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/497592-favorite-christmas-crafts-and-kids/ I really want to make one of those knitted Advent garlands, where you hang up a different small ornament each day, but so far, it hasn't happened. We almost always end up traveling for Thanksgiving, and it really throws off my Christmas preparations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 On the festive side of things, we host an annual Christmas Around the World party with each family choosing a country. They give a short presentation then share a taste of the country plus a game/activity/craft. We've been working on France this week! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 We have done a few things- borax ornaments- The kids love these, and they come out so pretty! And it's sciene too :) salt dough ornamanets- We made them but haven't decorated them yet. gingerbread scented play dough listened to a lot of Christmas music listen to the Sparkle story advent story of the day each day. This is probably the kids' favorite part of December so far. We are going caroling with the Girl Scouts next week. We went to Zoolights at our local zoo. And our town had a Holiday Stroll that we went to as well. So far it has been fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 We are doing Truth in the Tinsel also. I am extremely proud of myself for doing it, I've wanted to do it in the past but felt too overwhelmed by the holidays. I didn't think I'd be able to handle it this year with a baby but when I had a look at it again and realised I had nearly everything we'd need I decided to go for it. Sometimes we skip days and do two the next day, but we're doing it and the kids are enjoying it. With three kids all making ornaments everyday our tree is going to be very full! I also got a gingerbread house kit this year. I've always wanted to do one with the kids, last year I looked up gingerbread recipes but didn't get any further than that. This year I decided if it's ever going to happen we need a pre-made kit! I'm looking forward to doing it this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 On the festive side of things, we host an annual Christmas Around the World party with each family choosing a country. They give a short presentation then share a taste of the country plus a game/activity/craft. We've been working on France this week! :) Love this! What a great idea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homemama2 Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 We are making these super simple ornaments this week that I found on pinterest. We're going to give them to the grandparents. I think they'll be adorable, and they will be done quickly enough that my craft-hating boys won't quit the project halfway through. ;) They are thumbprint reindeer ornaments. The blog they're on is www.littlebitfunky.com/2011/11/20-minute-crafter-reindeer-thumbprint.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 We have done a few things- borax ornaments- The kids love these, and they come out so pretty! And it's sciene too :) salt dough ornamanets- We made them but haven't decorated them yet. gingerbread scented play dough listened to a lot of Christmas music listen to the Sparkle story advent story of the day each day. This is probably the kids' favorite part of December so far. We are going caroling with the Girl Scouts next week. We went to Zoolights at our local zoo. And our town had a Holiday Stroll that we went to as well. So far it has been fun! This is wild! So once they've grown, do you let them air dry? Do they tend to break or are they durable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Let's see.... So far we've made felt train ornaments after reading The Polar Express. We're making gumdrop trees today after reading I Like Winter. I made a Christmas card holder tree out of wire clothes hangers, washi tape, and mini clothespins. It's super, super cute! I made huge snowflake art out of craft sticks and a glue gun, then spray painted them red to hang on either side of my clothes hanger Christmas tree on the wall. We will be making Grinch light bulb ornaments, snowmen made from milk jug lid ornaments, and cinnamon stick Christmas tree ornaments in the next 10 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 The only holiday-related crafts we've done are the ones from Kristin's Crafts for Kids. Not really something I'm good at - craft. :o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsmm Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 borax ornaments- They seem pretty durable. We made them two years ago and hung them in the windows. They are still where we left them two years ago ;) I just let them air dry and hang with a ribbon. Just google borax ornament, or check pinterest. Super easy. We used colored pipe cleaners- red and white twisted to make candy canes, pink hearts, blue snow flakes, a red wine glass for dh :) We also colored the water in some of them. They come out really pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 The only holiday-related crafts we've done are the ones from Kristin's Crafts for Kids. Not really something I'm good at - craft. :o These are nice! Thanks!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lea_lpz Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 We made corn husk doll angels after reading The Legend if the Pointsetta :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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