Make Memories with Holiday Activities For Kids

December 13, 2017
Written by:
Guest Author
Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, you’ll probably find yourself doing more holiday crafts than usual. That’s because holiday crafts aren’t just for the “fun” of being crafty; they’re also very practical in terms of making DIY holiday decor, gift wrap, and even fun treats. This holiday season, gather the kids around the table and dig into some holiday crafty fun!

Homemade Gift Wrap

During the holidays, it always seems as though we never have enough gift wrap! Before you run out of the store-bought kind, why not create your own? You’ll be able to create exactly the right amount for your personal needs. To make this super simple craft, you’ll need butcher paper, a paper plate, paint (tempera or acrylic), a hand towel and/or paper towels, potatoes, a paring knife and, if you have one, an apple corer (the old-fashioned kind). Slice your potato in half (whichever way you want) and pat it dry with a hand towel. Using the paring knife, draw the shape of your choice, such as a star, cross, circles, or any other easy shape. From there, use the apple corer to “carve” away from the area outside the shape. In the end, your shape should rise above the rest of the potato so you’re able to use it like a stamp. After patting your potato dry again, pour paint onto the paper plate. Dip the potato stamp into the paint, then stamp directly onto the butcher paper. Once it’s dry, you’ll have beautiful gift wrap you can use for plenty of special people!   

Mess-Free Glitter Candle Jars

One of the best parts about crafting with glitter is that it’s shimmery and fits in nicely with everything holiday related. A downside to glitter is that it tends to get everywhere. With these glitter jar candle holders, we’ve eliminated the mess for you! To get started, you’ll need a clean glass jar, glue, a flat acrylic brush, a paper plate (to shake excess glitter onto), a tea light candle, and, of course, glitter – in any color that matches your Christmas decor. Start by squirting glue into the clean jar and spreading it around with the brush. Remember to get every spot because the glitter will only stick to the areas with glue. Once you’re certain you’ve covered every area with glue, sprinkle a generous amount of glitter inside the jar and swirl it around to get complete coverage. That’s it! Let your jars dry and insert a tealight candle and you’re done! Tip: add some rice to the jar to give the candle a little height, which will make it easier to light.

Pipe Cleaner Holiday Craft Ornaments

In case you’re wondering what to do with those pipe cleaners and pony beads (or wooden beads) you may have been hanging onto for years, here’s a perfect way to put them to good use! Really, you can make any shapes out of these and string pony beads straight onto the pipe cleaners. Just make sure you loop the pipe cleaner through twice at one end so the beads don’t fall off. Once you do that, string on as many pony beads as you’d like – leaving about an inch at the end to twist it shut – and then shape the pipe cleaner into a simple shape. A star, a circle (like a traditional ornament) and a triangle (like a tree) are easy enough for preschoolers to do. If you want to get a little fancier, you could create a snowflake out of pipe cleaners first, then string the pony beads on it. To do so, cut 7-8 pieces of pipe cleaner that are each about 5” long. Make a “+” out of two of them, twisting around the center so they stay together. Turn so you have an “x” shape and twist another pipe cleaner around the center. Repeat until you’ve used all the pipe cleaners (or as many as you’d like). When you’re satisfied with your shape, add beads and you’re done!

No matter what shape you settle on, use a small piece of ribbon (or a plastic hanger) at one end of the shape to hang it on the tree. Enjoy your holiday craft for years to come!

Photo Snow Globes

These unique snow globes are a decorative way to store and cherish holiday photo memories for many years. For this holiday craft from Parenting.com, you’ll need a clean mason jar, photos, scrapbook paper, spray paint, acrylic paint, hot glue, glitter, white pompoms, and any other embellishments you’d like to add. Start by spray painting the lid to your jar to prime it for the acrylic paint, then give it two coats of acrylic paint and set aside to dry. Cut a piece of scrapbook paper the height of the inside of your jar and a little shorter than the width of the jar. Cut your photos to the size you’d like to display them in your globe, then fold up about ½” from the bottom. To help stabilize it, make sure you give your photo a sharp crease (a bone folder comes in handy if you have one). Apply a small amount of hot glue to the folded portion of the photo and place it in the jar.

 

To further help stabilize your photos, place the white pompoms around the photo. You can cut each pompom in half to create a more realistic look and glue those down after you spread them apart a bit. You could also use quilt batting or stretched apart cotton balls for this step. If the lid is dry, finish embellishing it (tie a ribbon around it, glue gems to the lid, etc.) and screw it on the jar.

References:

#CHRISTMAS DIY DECOR, #EASY CHRISTMAS CRAFTS, #EASY KIDS CRAFTS, #HOLIDAY CRAFTS, #KIDS CRAFTS