Reindeer games

Need a last minute game to keep the kids busy!?!? Why not invite them to play a reindeer game! I used formula cans but you could use just about anything, boxes, sand pails, etc. I wrapped my cans with construction paper. Glued on a puff ball nose. Taped on a few bent pipe cleaners and we had a bucket toss game!

The kids at my son’s school loved playing it during their Christmas party.


 

Crafting gone wrong.....

I love to make things and that included our Christmas stocking. So a few years back I had picked up some stocking and put our names on them so they would all look the same. Well, then the little surprise showed up earlier this year and now he needs a stocking. No problem! I can do this again, right? WRONG.

Now that I have two kids, my patience are very thin, on everything. So when the package said “set on wool and iron for 90 seconds” I take that to mean 90 seconds. So when five minutes later the letters STILL had not transferred, well I got impatient. I bumped the iron up to cotton and, well, the smoke and smell were almost instant as the stocking melted to the iron! “MOM” my six year old yelled “you need to be patient!” Funny thing that… I tell him that all the time and yet he is the one who over the years has made me impatient.

Lucky for me I was able to scrap the stocking off of the iron and I had not spent a lot on it either. With a trip to the store the next day I set out to once again make our youngest his Christmas stocking. With the iron on wool, I took a deep breath and counted to 90. And this time, this time it worked, just like it was supposed to! I was patient. I followed directions and now my sweet baby has his very own Christmas stocking. I guess I can do it all, just kidding.

Frosty the fridge

I have seen this idea floating around the Internet on various sites and thought, ya know what, I can do that! And I did. It was super simple and you can make one too! I used plates and cups to draw the circles on black construction paper. I then cut a strip of wrapping paper for the scarf and poof, the cutest fridge ever! So what are you waiting for? Go make Frosty the fridge. I promise you will smile every time you go in your kitchen!

Oh Christmas tree

Check out these Christmas tree ornaments we made! They are simple, beautiful, and will look great on our tree. We simply painted three popsicle sticks green and glue them into a triangle. For the trunk we used craft foam. I had some left over jewel stickers we decorated them with, but you could use anything, glitter, paper, etc. For the hangers we looped over a pretty piece of ribbon and glued it to the back. I have a feeling we will be making more of these before Christmas! Why not see what creativity your child puts on their tree......

"Making" Christmas

I am so sick of the commercialism of Christmas. The commercials on television convey the idea that “if you don’t buy/spend X then you don’t love the person your giving the gift to” has about put the baa humbug in my heart. Even my six year old son commented on how much he was tired of hearing about Black Friday. Really? Yes! Even a child is tired of hearing about buying toys. *gasp*

So what to do? After explaining to my son that buying a gift for someone is nice, but making a gift filled with love is better, he quickly jumped on board with the idea of making gifts. We are going to try to make each other gifts this year. I say try, because I already broke the rule and bought my son a gift. But in my defense, he asked for a real vacuum cleaner and it had to be red. I can’t make one of those! And I knew it really meant a lot to him. You see, when he was two he had a red toy vacuum that he loved till it fell apart, so getting him a real red vacuum would mean the world to him.

So, I sat down with my son and asked him what he would like to make each person on his list. It was amazing the creativity that poured forth from him. We made a trip to the craft store for supplies and he quickly got to work. He has the drive of an elf I tell you! We have all ready start quite a few of the projects on his list and still have lots of time to finish them.

The reason I am sharing all this with you is that maybe we can inspire you to “make” Christmas this year. Yes, you will still spend money on supplies, but that is not the point. The point is to teach your children how to put love into a gift and make it more then just a “thing.” My son could have bought his grandma a bird house, but instead he is making one. And I know each time she walks past it her heart will be filled with the love her grandson put into making it, making it more then just a bird house!

I am even going to be so brave as to teach my six year old son how to use a sewing machine as he makes a stuffed toy out of socks for his baby brother. I plan to do a lot of baking of gifts. I mean what fills people with love like a beautiful loaf of bread or extra yummy cookies!?!?! And I am making my son a blow egg ornament from his chicken's first egg she ever laid. He will be beyond excited. My husband is still not on board. Maybe because he fears he is not creative enough, I don't know. But for my oldest and I, it is going to be a handmade homemade Christmas!




 

Terra cotta snowmen

Everyone likes a cute snowman, and we have a craft that will bring a smile to your face. These little snowmen are made from terra cotta pots. We used smaller pots for ours, but really you could use any size you wanted to create these whimsical little fellows.

We started by giving the pot a base coat of white. Working with terra cotta is great for children since the pot sucks in the paint and it dries very fast. Once we had the pot painted white, it was time to break out the creativity. As you can see, no two snowman will be alike, as each person puts their personal touch on painting the face and picking decorations.

I used a baby sock my youngest had out grown to make a hat and scarf for my snowman. My six year old chose puff balls and a pipe cleaner to make ear muffs! Your only limitation on this craft is your creativity. So bust out your craft supplies and make a magical family of snowman to decorate your home this holiday season. These would also make wonderful handmade gifts for friends and family. What grandparent wouldn't cherish one of these cute snowmen made by their grandchildren!

 

North Pole this way......

Here is a neat craft that requires nothing more then a paint stick (free at your local home improvement store), a tongue depressor size craft stick, and some paint! Kids will have fun making their very own sign. Be creative and have FUN!!!

Melting snowman

When it comes to making crafts, we try to use things we already have around the house. This craft, a melting snowman, uses household items you probably already have like paper, twigs, and cotton balls. Remember when it comes to art, there is no real right or wrong. Let your children use their creativity. If they want to use a different material or add something to the craft, let them try! You might be surprised!

So let's get started with our melting snowman...........

Materials

* White paper * Cotton ball * twigs * pipe cleaner * black marker

First cut out a free form snow puddle from your white paper. This can be any shape you want. No two snowmen will look the same! Next, with a black marker put the eyes and mouth on the cotton ball and buttons on the paper for your snowman.

We glued a small bit of orange pipe cleaner for a nose. We also used a piece of pipe cleaner to twist a simple scarf. After a quick trip outside for some twig pieces we were ready to build out melting snowman.

First we glued the scarf pipe cleaner to the paper. Next we put glue on the twig arms and positioned them in the scarf. Lastly we put a generous amount of glue on the cotton ball head and pressed it into place. Placing the head made the arms stand up! Hold the head for a minute and your done! One super cute melting snowman!

Craft stick snowman

There is something special about those "not so perfect" ornaments made by our children that really make a Christmas tree have personalty. Here is a cute ornament idea made out of craft sticks, a snowman face! For this project you need the following (and any other items that your creativity sparks):

Materials

10 wooden craft (Popsicle) sticks
White and black paint (other colors as desired)
Glue
Wiggle eyes
Pipe cleaner








We started by gluing 9 sticks together to make the "face" area. Once the glue was dried, it was time to get out the paint! Painting is my 6 year old's favorite part of any craft these days. We painted the bottom 2/3 of the sticks white and the top 1/3 black. We also painted the 10th craft stick black for the hat portion of the snowman.


Once the glue was dry it was time to put our snowman together. The 10th stick is glued where the colors meet to form the hat section of the snowman. With just some wiggle eyes, sparkly pipe cleaner and paint we created a friendly chap who will look amazing on our tree. For the hanger we used twine. **Hint: put tape over the glue and twine till the glue dries in order to keep the twine in place.

Your tree will be darling with your child's handmade ornament hanging on it. These rnaments would also make precious gifts for the grandparents! So what are you waiting for? Hurry and make some of these cute snowmen faces for Christmas!

Swiper's good deed Christmas tree

Christmas is almost here and many parents are using the "if your not good Santa will not come" comment to get kids to behave. Instead why not try rewarding good behavior with the Swiper's good deed Christmas tree! Every time you catch them being good, they get to add an ornament. How fun is that!?!?

A-mazing maze

Want your child to have some fun and practice pencil skills? Well then print off this cute Bubble Guppies Holiday Maze!

Bass Pro Shop, not just for dad!

I sooooooooooo wish we had a Bass Pro Shop closer to our home. Their Santa's Wonderland 2011 has so many neat things for the family. We are talking FREE city here. Free photos with Santa, free crafts, free games and activities. You have got to check this out!

Have a ball! Ornaments your kids can make.

Check out these super cute and EASY to make ornaments from Parent Magazine. All you need are some clear ornaments and a little paint and your family can make ornaments that will bring joy to anyone who sees them! They are so simple even your littlest family members can make their own.

Umizoomi Chritmas coloring pages

Does your child love team Umizoomi? Why not suprise them with this wounderful Christmas coloring page collection.

Online Christmas match game

Looking to kill some time? Boost your brain? Or just keep the kiddos busy for a bit? Then check out this Christmas Match Game. Just like the Memory game but with Christmas gift boxes. So get clicking and see how well you do!

Merry Mouse

Tell me this isn't the cutes thing ever!?!! It is the Merry Mouse. This easy to make craft/gift would make a nice addition to any Christmas package or as a hand out in your child's classroom.

Awsome deal on a wonderful Christmas gift

Today the NWF is having a sale on their children's magazines! Ranger Rick, Big Backyard and Animal Baby. I have gotten Big Backyard for my son before and he loved it. And at just $10 for a year it would make an awesome gift for the children in your life. That is a 50% savings! So what are you waiting for?

Count down to Christmas paper chain

Well it is December 1st. The month all children loose their minds asking for everything and the biggest question "How many more days till Christmas?????"

What I do to help our son, is make a "count down to Christmas paper chain." Every night he gets to take one link off the chain at bed time. When the last link is taken down he will know the next morning is CHRISTMAS!!!!

It is easy to make, just some construction paper and tape/glue/staples to make the links. It is a fun "craft" and a festive tradition to help the little ones (who don't necessarily understand terms like weeks) to understand how many more days till Christmas.

Dora Christmas coloring pages

Swiper no swiping! These Christmas coloring pages are for the kids! Enjoy these cute printables from Nick Jr. I know we will!

Beaded Ornaments

Looking for a fun Christmas craft that is simple and cheap? How about one that makes memories? Well then it is time to have your kids make some Christmas ornaments of their own. You need only two things, beads and pipe cleaners. Step back and let them be creative and see what type of wonderful ornaments you will have for your tree this year.