Christmas is really a special time, especially for many children. They are always in awe of the magic of Christmas, with the sparkly tinsel decorations, the brightly decorated shops at Christmas time and all the celebrations that are part of the Christmas festivities. Involving your children in Christmas craft activities will bring them absolute delight, especially when they see their handmade decorations hung on the Christmas tree or see someone special unwrapping a gift that they have made.
Beaded Ornaments
All you will need is craft wire and beads. Bend the wire into a simple shape like a circle or heart and thread beads onto the shape. Twist the ends together and then form a loop at the top so the ornament can be hung on the Christmas tree. This lovely ornament will last for years and will be a special keepsake. You can even attach a small tag with the year it was made and the name of the child. Make several and they can be kept and given away as well.
Candle Holders
Recycle glass jars of all sizes. Wrap craft wire several times around the neck of the jar and then make a loop over the top for a handle. A small jar can be decorated with glass paint. Choose a colour theme or stick to a Christmas theme of silver, red and green and decorate with small dots. Place a tea light candle in the base. For the next jar, thread beads randomly onto craft wire and wrap around the body of the jar, finishing by winding the wire several times around the neck of the jar and then looping a handle. Another idea is to attach tracing paper to a larger jar with double sided tape. Use metallic pens to draw designs on the paper. When a candle is lit inside the jar, it will glow through the tracing paper.
Christmas Crackers
Fill a small cardboard tube with a sweet wrapped treat and a novelty. You could also print out some jokes from the internet to make it more authentic. If preferred, a cracker snap can be purchased from craft stores and added. Use double sided tape to stick a large piece of plain coloured tissue or wrapping paper around the tube. Twist the ends of the paper and tie in place. Decorate the paper with Christmas stickers and you have a traditional Christmas cracker. Make sure you have enough for everyone!
Christmas Baking
Children will be delighted to see their baking efforts served up. Use a basic cookie dough mixture and cut out traditional shapes like Christmas trees or stars. Decorate with icing or cachous. You can buy fruit cake mixture ready to bake. Combine ingredients according to directions and bake in baking paper lined small terracotta pots. When cool, adorn with a small Christmas decoration, wrap in clear cellophane with a twist of tinsel, and you have a lovely gift.
Photo Christmas Gifts
Children love having their photo taken, so take some snaps of your child or let them take the photos! They can then add their photo to a Christmas card that they make or a calendar can be printed using several shots. Make sure to use the photo of them with Santa!
Christmas is a joyous time and the excitement of a child is what Christmas is all about. These crafts will encourage them to develop skills and keep them actively involved in the holiday season.
Written by Tara Blair
It was almost as good as dream comes true for Tara when she got an offer as a full-time writer three years ago. Tara loves to share her passion on anything to do with DIY art and craft. This year she is going to hand make some photo Christmas gifts for her family. When Tara is not writing you will most probably find her at her local yoga studio coaching fellow yogis.