A Christmas Tradition

Like hot cocoa and marshmallows after being out in the snow.
Our family has many Christmas traditions.
My house is filled with them.
I actually don't have too many store bought decorations.
With the exception of the fake tree I put up every year.
I am going to post some of them. A lot of these are very child friendly activities that you can do with your children with only a few materials. Some of these are with supplies you may already have on hand at your house. This is just a sampling. ENJOY!

My son made this sock snowman 2 years ago.  Its made with a sock stuffed with
 rice and tied with a rubber band. Then you add all the details with fabric, twigs, pompoms , buttons, googly eyes,  etc...(whatever you can find around the house) Tacky glue or hot glue work the best. Trick is make sure to really stuff the snowman with the rice and put rubber band at top tightly. Then carefully pick spot in middle that is thick to keep snowman from being too floppy.

My daughter made this ornament. We started with clear glass ornaments. 
Took off the top and squirted  acrylic  paint  and glitter glue inside.

My daughter simply used green and metallic red pipe cleaners to make this wreath  ornament.

This tree ornament was made with salt dough.  Rolled out then cut out shape with cookie cutter. Then left out to dry. After it was dry, it was painted with acrylic paint.


Ingredients: for salt dough is simply 1 cup flour, 1 cup salt, add warm water to get right consistency 
Make sure it is not gooey , you want playdough feeling.

Red, white, and brown pipe cleaners

My daughter made this when she was 3 years old. When you scroll down you  will see more examples, and can tell  by details which was done by my younger and older children.
I bought some fake Pointsettas. Then pulled them off the stems leaving a top perfect to fit a wooden bead on it.Then my daughter embellished it with shaped sequins, drew a happy face on with a permanent marker, and added fake hair on top. (glued all together with tacky glue)

A picture in a bag ornament.
Simple....Last year when my daughter was 5 she drew a picture . Then found a bag in my stuff from purchased jewelry. (recycle)
It looks great as ornament on the tree. You could do this with any drawing that you want to save. 

More pipe cleaner art (10 year old)

Bead work on cardboard star bought at craft store.

Clear glass ornament filled with beads and painted  on outside with acrylic paint.

Beads and foil ribbon wreath. One of my children laced beads
 into circle shape then added the foil  star ribbon.

Supplies needed: regular white typing paper, scotch tape, scissors, and patience.
This is cut in sections then taped together. You cut V's in folded squares then pull paper back and forth in opposite directions. My kids went all out with this. They tried to make the tiniest snowflakes, then the biggest ones. I had them hanging from my ceiling all over the house one year. Very inexpensive way to  have amazing decorations.

Model magic clay . Its a product made by play dough.
That you can usually find near the regular playdough.

Painting with acrylic paint an outside of clear glass ornament. I think one of my daughters was 7 years old when she made this.

More detailed Pointsetta ornament.

Fun making paper doll streamers. One of my daughters figured out how to do this one year
by folding one piece of construction paper and cutting people shapes.

Decorated wooden shape that we bought from craft store.

Son was 2 1/2 years old when he made this.
Every two year old loves to sprinkle glitter.

My daughter made this snowman at school with  pompoms,
broken toothpick, ribbon, googly eyes and felt.

Made at ceramic painting place. 

One year we had two sewing machines out and had the kids pick out their own material,
cut out stocking shape and sew it together. Hardest part was the material was thick with the layers
and  it took a while.

Bought cardboard reindeer shapes and kids decorated them with sequins.
 (below you will see another one decorated with beads also.

Snowman made with quilt batting glued over circle shapes. Then buttons, ribbon,
 and hat made out of foam paper, and pipe cleaners for arms.

Gingerbread man made with construction paper, yarn, and fabric.

Paper bag gingerbread girl. Cut out then stapled  together and decorated.

One year we bought mini trees. Some we put lights on others we didn't.
We gave some away as gifts. Put some on tables and counter tops, others up above our kitchen cupboards.

Did this for one of my daughters first Christmas's at a pottery painting place.
 Foot for trunk, and hands for branches

This year my son made this at a Winter construction camp that I taught at Orange Blossom Society.
I gave the kids: sugar cubes, marshmallows, rocks, shells, clay, popsicle sticks, fabric, paint, felt etc...
We drew out a plan and they used the supplies that we had to try and make what they had drawn.
(Below you will see the scene my daughter made also)

Easy activity that my 6 year old made this year at school party. Recycled water bottle with white tissue  paper stuck on bottle. Then they painted elmers glue and water mixture over the tissue paper. After that  they added fabric for scarf, and sequins and pompoms for eyes and mouth.

My sister made this cute penguin made
 out of a light bulb.

Another school project. This is what you can do with all those mismatched puzzle pieces.

Santa handprint on glass ornament. If you look back on my posts you can see  ones on paper.

Had to showcase this wreath. Its literally is just made out of  paper book pages rolled up.
My sister gave me this for a gift this year. Thank you again sis! I love it!

6 year olds computer art.


Merry Christmas!