Christmas is just around the corner!
The holidays may look a little different this year due to a pandemic, however, it shouldn’t stop us from having Christmas cheer.
As folks are figuring out their Christmas shopping routes and deciding what dishes they would like to serve on Christmas, we can’t help but think of awesome holiday things you can do at home! Plus, all kids love fun craft time - it keeps them entertained and busy. For those parents whose kiddos are doing school from home or are on winter break...you’re welcome.
Xmas Photo Wreath
Every door needs a little sprucing when it comes to Christmas! And what better way to decorate your door with your favorite family photos! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Embroidery hoop
- Family photos
- Hot glue
- Greenery (from your nearest craft store)
- Twine
- Scissors
First, sort through your family photos and pick out which ones you would like to use for this craft! Once you have them all selected, plug in your hot glue gun and get it hot! Get your greenery ready - this will be the first layer to your wreath.
Start hot gluing greenery pieces to your embroider hoop around random spots. You can fill the entire hoop if you like! Then, start applying a small amount of glue to the back of a photo and stick it on the embroidery hoop. Let it cool completely before adding another.
Once your wreath is full, take a piece of twine and cut it to the length of your choosing. You can either tie it to your wreath, or glue both ends to the wreath if you do not have room to tie. And done!
You now have a family photo wreath that you can show off to any visitor that comes to your door. Plus, any relatives that are coming into town to visit will see that first thing and I guarantee it will be a great conversation starter.
Next select your photo and place a small amount of hot glu
Countdown to Xmas Garland
We all know that kids cannot wait until Christmas is here. So, why not help them countdown the day until Santa arrives? This easy and fun xmas craft will keep your kids entertained for days, literally! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Construction paper (preferably green and red)
- Scissors
- Tape
All you need to do is cut 2 inch strips of both red and green paper. Take each strip and tape the ends together so that it creates a cuff or a circle. Then take the next strip of paper and cuff it around your first one. Continue to do this until you create a long chain of green and red! Depending on how many days are left until Christmas, that’s how many rings you should have.
Your kiddos will break one piece of the chain each day to countdown how many days are left until Christmas! You’ll watch your chain shrink for the entire month of December.
DIY Ornaments
Everyone loves to decorate the Christmas tree, so why not decorate it with handmade and heartfelt ornaments? You have so many options on what to create, so we are going to list two ideas that are fun and family friendly.
Polymer Clay Ornaments - This is perfect for hands on elements for your kids. Polymer clay is easy clean up and it bakes in the oven for a short 10 min! All you need to do is make sure you create a small hole with a toothpick in your clay creation. That way, you can tie string or an ornament hook to your art!
Photo Tiles - This is exactly what it sounds like! A tile with a family photo. This simple ornament is perfect for displaying your favorite family photos or to showcase a family member. All you need is a tile, modge podge, a print our of your photo, gloss and a brush. Print out your photo and cut it to the shape of your tile. Apply modge podge to your tile and lay the photo on top. Then apply more modge podge to the top of your photo and let it dry. Apply two more coats and then apply the gloss. And done! Now your photo is safely placed on the tile. Glue some twine or an ornament hook to the back.
Homemade Hot Cocoa Packets
This holiday craft is perfect if your kiddos want to make a gift for someone special! Everyone loves a hot cup of cocoa on a chilly day, and now they can have a hot cup of cocoa that was gifted by you! There are so many flavors you can create and try, but it’s the piecing it together that makes it so much fun. Here’s what you’ll need for a basic hot cocoa:
- Mason Jar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 cup powdered milk
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cups chocolate chips
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Decorative tape or twine
- Peppermint stick (optional)
- Paper and pen
All you need to do is layer each ingredient into the mason jar and seal it up! Place decorative tape around the mason jar or on the lid, tie a bow on top, you name it! Decorate how you like. Then add the special instructions written out to go along with the hot cocoa.
“Directions: mix contents in a large bowl and store in an air-tight container to make 12 servings. For one serving, measure ⅓ cup of mix in a cup and add 1 cup of boiling water. Stir and enjoy!”
Snowflake Wonderland
Looking to decorate your home? Live in a place that doesn’t have much snow (or maybe you have snow, you just want more)? Here is a craft that you and your family can do that is unlike anything else! Just know that you will have to clean up lots of paper clippings!
- Scissors
- Paper (white, blue, gray, silver)
- String
- Tape
Everyone knows how to cut snowflakes, so why not make tons of different ones and decorate your home! You can tape string to your snowflake and hang them all over the ceiling so it looks like it’s snowing, tape them across your fireplace for a pretty garland, or tape one to each bedroom door. Your home will be filled with fun snowflakes that your kiddos can show off to anyone who comes to visit! Plus, there’s something magical about each snowflake you make because they are never the same.
There are so many fun things you can do with your family this holiday season and we are sure you will make amazing memories along the way. So, be sure to capture them. Remember them. Save those moments and store them in your mind so you can relive them again and again. They are precious, just like the holidays!
