Christmas Tree Card Holder (Update)

Thought you might like to see how great it looks now that it is full! I am so glad I found this idea!!

See the original post here.

Mommy Crafts A....

Stain Glass Nativity Scene From Tissue Paper

Okay, this was totally a "Barbara Brain Storm Idea." Gracie and I were looking through pictures on the web and I came across this picture of a stain glass nativity scene, and I thought "I bet I could make that out of tissue paper and it would look so pretty in the window!"

Well, it does look pretty neat--but it isn't as sharp as I would have liked. I had to trace the shapes instead of printing them out--which would have helped. But I still like it! I used clear contact paper to hold it all together--and when the sun shines, it looks very pretty.

Candy Cane Letters

Mommy Craft

This craft is too easy not to do it for your kids! I saw the idea here, and just had to make them. Of course, how neat would it have been for them to find them on the tree Christmas morning?! But, Gracie loved hers when she saw it the day before.

To make this craft you will need:

• Candy canes ***take off the plastic!***
• Silicone backing sheet/pan OR parchment paper **do NOT use wax paper--live and learn, sigh**
• Oven
• Wooden skewer (optional)
• Ribbon (optional)

Heat your oven to 250. Put the canes on the silicone baking sheet or parchment paper and put in the oven for 10 minutes. TAKE THE PLASTIC OFF THE CANES FIRST!

This is the hot part--but you can do it.

The candy is only pliable for about 2-3 minutes. Shape your candy carefully into the first letter of your child's name.

If you have a harder letter like "E" or "A" you will want to break your candy cane in pieces before putting it the oven. That way you have pieces to stick together to make your letter. I was able to make my "T" for Thomas with the cane intact, but it may have been easier with a long piece and a short piece.

Use a wooden skewer or something else to make a hole in the top while it is still hot. When it cools you can hang in on the tree!

Mommy Crafts A....

Santa & Me Frame

Okay, I know I am cheap, but I will be honest, I made these because we didn't have time to even stop and price the ones at Cracker Barrel when we were there Christmas Eve morning/early afternoon.

But I just had to have them!! So, I picked up a two pack of 4x6 wood frames at the dollar store and got to work. I painted them red, and cut out a Santa hat from craft foam. I added the touches and voila!

I love it! Now, I need to add the pictures I took of the kids and Santa!

Here's a look at the ones I saw at Cracker Barrel:

Handprint Santa

Toddler, Pre-K, K

This one is pretty simple---and looks so cute!!!

To make this craft you will need:

• Construction paper
• White Paint
• Red Paint
• Flesh color paint or mix a very little orange with some white. You want to be able to distinguish the face from the beard.
• A cute hand!

Paint your child's fingers white, the middle to the bottom of the palm skin color, the top of the palm and the thumb almost to the end red, the tip of the thumb white.

Press your child's hand down.

Now, draw facial features. In hindsight I wonder if just doing the eyes and nose would have been cuter, like the beard takes up his mouth?

Santa Hat

Toddler, Pre-K, K

Let your kids make this Santa hat to wear for fun and you can add the beard and they will have plenty of fun pretend time!

Note: You can do this craft WITH your toddler. Mine had a great time putting the cottonballs in the glue, but I spread the glue, and stapled the bands on the hat.

To make this craft you will need:

• Red construction paper
• Cotton Balls
• Glue (Not glue stick!)
• Stapler
• Santa hat pattern

Cut a Santa hat out of one piece of red construction paper. Draw a line along the bottom rim, kind of thick--this is where the kids will put the glue and cotton balls. Then, put glue at the pom-pom part of Santa's hat, he will need cotton balls there too.

Now, while the glue dries a bit--or if you are smarter than me have it done before you start--cut out strips from an addition piece of red construction paper. You need to make a band to go around your child's head. Staple the ends of the band to each side of the Santa hat.

Make your child wait a bit before putting it on, or you will have glue and cotton in their hair if they used to much and it runs ;)

Santa Felt Beard

Mommy Craft

This is just something fun to do for your kids to go along with the Santa hats they can make themselves.

Here is the pattern: (click to make it larger)

Now you may notice that I just cut out the beard part from felt. I didn't dew it, and I just hot glued ribbon to the back to tie it on. If you have more time I am sure a sewn version will look nicer, but this is faster and easier.

Candy Cane Painting

Toddler, Pre-K, K

This craft is perfect for small hands! They can make a huge mess and it still comes out super cute!!

To make this craft you need:

• White heavy paper (construction should do fine, but you may want to put something under it to protect your table)
• Red paint
• Candy cane template
• Tape
  

Draw a candy cane shape on your paper. Use your tape (I used clear tape) to cover different sections of the candy cane. These parts will be white when you are finished.

Let your child have a paintbrush and red paint and let him or her go to town!


When the paint dries pull off (which is what I did) or carefully wipe off the tape with a baby wipe (*I was scared I would get the paint wet again so I didn't try that--but trying to get the tape up wasn't exactly easy. Next time I think I will fold the ends of the tape over to make it easier to start).

Cut out the candy cane shape and "ta-da!"

If you aren't sure about drawing a shape on your own, here's a template for you:

Hand Print Holly Wreath

Toddler, Pre-K, K

While you have the green paint out and the kids are messy--try this one too!

To make this craft you will need:

• 1 paper plate
• Green paint
• Red paint (optional)
• Red construction paper, or ribbon (optional)
• Scissors
• Glue stick (optional)

Cut the middle out of a paper plate. Now, paint your child's hands with green paint and stamp them along the edges of the paper plate ring. You can use their fingers to make holly berries with red and add a bow at the bottom.

Footprint Christmas Tree

Toddler, Pre-K, K

What a cute idea for Christmas. Although you could do this like a winter tree as well and cover your child's footprints in "snow" using glitter or white paint, etc.

To make this craft you will need:

• Construction paper
• Green paint
• Markers for details
• One cute little foot
  

Mommy Crafts A....

Pair Of Matching Reindeer Shirts

Aren't these the cutest?!! I found the idea on another mom's blog. She made on for her young daughter with the bow in the reindeer's hair and thought you could do it with a bow tie for a boy. That gave me the ingenious idea to make matching ones for my kids!

Find the how to, and the reindeer pattern here.

Rudolph Countdown

Mommy Craft

Since Thomas had a Christmas countdown (see Santa Countdown), Gracie needed (uhum, wanted) one too.

So I colored this Rudolph picture and cut out red construction paper noses. I stapled the noses together after writing the number of days left until Christmas. Make sure you stack them 14, 13, 12...until you get to 1. I used heavy packing (clear) tape to stick the last nose to the Rudolph picture.

She pulls off a nose each night, and loves it.

There is still time for a countdown, so if you want to make a Rudolph one--here's the coloring page I used.

Mommy Tip: remind your child to pull off the nose gently. Even stapled and taped on their, it may come off a few times.

Mommy Crafts....

Christmas Themed Hair Bows For Gracie

Mommy Crafts A....

Christmas Tree card Holder

The original idea I found made this tree using ribbon. I didn't have enough green ribbon--but I had plenty of construction paper! I love it--it makes the living room much more festive. I use staples instead of thumbtacks to hold up the branches--to make it more safe for my very curious (and troublesome toddler).

Mommy Crafts A....

A Candy Wreath

Believe it or not I pulled these out of the massive Costco bag of candy my husband bought for trick or treaters. I thought "these would make a great Christmas gift," and they did!

Christmas Countdowns

Toddler, Pre-K, K

So last week was supposed to be our "hibernation" themed week--which I guess I kind of did since I was the third in the family to get the First Grade stomach flu!

Next week I have a "snow" theme ready to go, and like any house hold I will have Christmas crafts and activities through out the month.

Now, I am late getting it on here--but it isonly the 4th of December, so if you haven't started a Christmas countdown with your kids--do so!

I am sharing an oldy, but goody that is great for smaller hands.

If you haven't already made a countdown, or you just want another one, print out the Santa below and mark off the days by adding a cotton ball to his beard each day this month!