5 Days of Christmas: Getting Crafty Together
From making gifts to making decorations, Christmas offers endless opportunities to get crafty. Even if you're not a crafty person, there are so many wonderful ways to enjoy time together while drawing out your creative side. Here's some great ways to gift your presence in a crafty Christmas:
1. Crafty Christmas Snowflakes
When my husband was young, his family would make paper snowflakes together. He is now a master craftsman of cutting out snowflakes. We've carried on this tradition with our kids, and they have become some of my favorite Christmas decorations. They also make beautiful additions to presents. Check out Martha Stewart's instructions for making snowflakes.
2. Edible Crafts
We love making gingerbread houses, cut out Christmas cookies, or dipped pretzels. I love having treats to share with friends and family when they come over. My sister makes popcorn and cranberry garlands each year to decorate her Christmas tree. Whatever you decide to make, everyone can agree that food always makes things more fun!
Wrap it up: Wrap up some cookie cutters or fun sprinkles to add to your Christmas treats.
3. Christmas Ornaments
We like to get the kids a new ornament every year. Both my husband and I have a box of ornaments that we collected over the years from our childhood. Some of our favorite ones are ornaments we have made. This year we're going to make a paper clay penguin ornament from Alisha Gratehouse's Winter Wonderland Mixed Media Workshop. I love having sweet treasures decorating my tree!
Wrap it up: Are you going to let them help choose which ornament to make? If so, just share the idea in a card and have fun selecting your project and gathering materials together. Remember, the idea is presence...so all of that extra time is bonus! I've found that if let go of the control in areas that are not as important, they have an opportunity to take ownership of projects like this, and they tend to be more willing to play along.
4. Christmas Gifts
While you're at it, why not take the time to make some gifts together! There are so many fun little things you can make together that can be gifts for family, friends, neighbors, or teachers. Check out my Pinterest board for some crafty gift inspiration.
Wrap it up: This time you might just set out the Christmas wrapping supplies to inspire some gift giving rather than receiving!
5. Christmas Keepsakes
Why not work on the family scrapbook, or put together a special Christmas album. My cousin makes an adorable month long activity that they call "December Daily." She prepares squares of holiday paper numbered to add pictures, journaling, and holiday memories to throughout the month. At the end, she puts them all together in a cute keepsake to enjoy year after year. I love this idea!
Wrap it up: Wrap the final book you will put your December dailies in, or wrap the materials to make the pages. My girls are finally old enough to really be fun and helpful in projects like this. Put them to work! Enjoy seeing their creations and knowing that this keepsake will be treasured not only for the memories it chronicles, but also for the memories made while making it.
There are so many ways to gift your family with presence through crafty Christmas fun. It's so wonderful to look back and remember the laughs, jokes, and memories made while making some memorable creations.
What are some of your favorite things to make at Christmas time?
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Day 1: Soaking in the Season
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Day 2: Getting Crafty Together
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Day 3: Doesn't Have to Cost a Penny
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Day 4: Gifting Experiences not Things
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Day 5: Snuggling Up with a Good Movie
Be sure to check out the other great posts from iHN bloggers at iHomeschool Network.
Betsy Strauss is an unexpected homeschooler, mother of three, who is in a relationship with a sweet man for life. She loves reading books, drinking coffee, and learning anything with her kids.