Christmas Crafts

Pretzel Wreath

Need: Little Pretzels, Glue, Ribbon

Directions: Glue pretzels together so they form a circle -like a wreath. Glue a second layer on top of that making sure the pretzels on this layer meet in the center of a pretzel on the bottom layer. Hang with a ribbon.

Candy Cane Reindeer

Need: Candy Cane, Glue, Brown Pipe Cleaners, Small Wiggle eyes, Small Red Pom-Pom, Thin Ribbon - optional, Small Bell - optional

Directions: Bring pipe cleaner under curve (neck) of candy cane and then twist to tighten into a V shape. Bend into a Z shape to look like antlers. Glue on two small wiggle eyes and the small pom-pom for a nose. String the bell through the ribbon and attach it to the candy cane. You may need to use a hot glue gun - with adult help.

Paper Plate Wreath

Need: Paper Plate, Glue, Crayons, Green and Red Tissue Paper, Misc. Craft Items - such as fabric scraps, beads, etc.

Directions: Cut the center out of the paper plate to make a wreath shape. Color the plate green. Crumple and glue green tissue paper on paper plate. Use red tissue paper and other supplies to decorate.

Christmas Card Holder

Need: Gallon Milk Jug, Brown Paper (or paper grocery bags), Glue, Crayons, Large Red Pom Pom

Directions: Take the gallon milk jug and cut off the top section, just below the handle. Cover with brown paper. Trace the child's hand on another piece of brown paper, cut them out, and glue on as antlers. Draw eyes and mouth, and attach the big red pom pom for the nose.

Christmas Trees

Need: Green Construction Paper, Glue, Red Paint, Misc. Collage Materials

Directions: Cut out Christmas tree shapes. Decorate the Christmas tree by dipping a finger in paint and making fingerprint ornaments or using various collage materials, such as glitter, buttons, fabric scraps, to decorate as desired. 

Pasta Christmas Wreaths

Need: Small Paper Plates, A Variety of Different Shaped Pasta, Craft Glue, Green Paint, Glitter, Tinsel Bow

Directions: Cut center out of the paper plate. Glue pasta noodles around the outer ring try to completely cover the paper plate. Let glue dry and then  paint the desired color and glitter. Embellish with a bow of tinsel.

Egg Carton Tree

Need: Two Egg Cartons, Large Piece of Paper, Glue, Paint, Misc. Craft Items - such as fabric scraps, beads, etc.

Directions: Cup the egg cartons so you have one row of 6 cups, one row of 5 cups, and so on to 1 cup. Paint the outside of the egg cup green. When the paint is dry, glue them on a large sheet of paper as follows: Glue the 6 cup row on the bottom of the paper, just above that glue the 5 cup row, and so on until you have used all the cups. It should look like a triangle when you are done. Decorate with misc. craft items

Triangle Reindeer

Need: Popsicle Sticks, brown paper, wiggle eyes, Glue, and a Red Pom Pom

Directions: Put 3 Popsicle sticks together to make a triangle.  With the point facing down, the top stick should be placed lower to make antlers, glue ogether. Cut brown triangle face to fit and glue on popsicle triangle. Glue red pom pom on the point for a nose, and glue the eyes on the brown paper triangle face half way up from the nose.

Reindeer

Need: Paper Grocery Bag, Glue, Crayons, Red Pom-pom, Ribbon, Garland

Directions: Trace child's shoe and both hands onto the paper bag. Cut them out. The shoe is the reindeers head, and glue on the hands to be the antlers. Glue on the pom-pom and ribbon, and decorate as desired. Then take a small piece of garland and glue it between the antlers for hair.

This isn't just a Reindeer
As anyone can see
I made it with my hands and feet
So it’s a part of me!
This Reindeer comes just in time
To brighten up your day

And bring you lots and lots of love

For a Merry Christmas Day!!

Days Til’ Christmas Bell

Need: paper cup, aluminum foil, ribbon, jingle bells, red and green construction paper

Directions: Decorate a small paper cup with aluminum foil. Tie a jingle bell inside. Use at end of paper chain for counting days until Christmas. Have students make patterns with their red and green loops, counting how many they need until Christmas Day.

"How many days till Christmas
It’s mighty hard to tell
Take off a link every night
When Sandman cast his spell
And Christmas Eve will be here
By the time you reach the bell."

Glitter Stars & Bells

Need: Cardstock or cardboard Box, Glue, Glitter, Ribbon or Yarn, Misc. Craft Items - such as fabric scraps, beads, etc.

Directions: Cut star/bell shapes out of light weight cardboard. Put the glitter in a plastic sandwich bag. Paint the star/bell shape with glue, put it in the bag with the glitter and shake until it is coated. Let the stars/bells dry. Poke a hole in the top and tie ribbon or yarn.

Christmas Stockings

Need: Construction Paper, Glue, Cotton Balls, Old Toy Catalogs, magazines

Directions: Trace a picture of a stocking on construction paper and cut. Use cotton balls to trim the stocking on the top. Use catalogs and cut out pictures of what you
want for Christmas, and glue to the stocking.

Hand Print Wreath

Need: Thick, White Fabric - cloth napkins work well, Red and Green Paint, Wooden Dowel, Ribbon or Yarn

Directions: Lay fabric flat on some newspapers. Using hands dipped in green paint, form a circle on the material to look like a wreath. Let the green dry. Dip one finger in the red paint and make holly berries on the wreath. Fold over the top of the material to form an opening to slid the dowel through. Tie the ribbon or yard onto the ends of the dowel to hang it from.

Pine Cone Christmas Tree

Need: Pine Cones, Green Paint, Glue, Misc. Craft Items - such as Yarn, beads, etc.

Directions: Paint the pine cone green. When the paint is dry, glue on yarn, beads, etc for the decorations.

Handprint Christmas Tree

Need: Green, Red, and Yellow Construction Paper, Crayons, Pencils, or Markers, and Glue  

Directions: Trace and cut handprints on green paper, a yellow star, and red hearts small enough to fit on the hand print. Start gluing one handprint at the top of the page and with the fingers pointing down. This is the top of your tree. Use the rest of the handprints fanning out to make a Christmas tree. In the star write I love....then in each heart let the kids pick special people... mommy, daddy, friends, grandparents, pets, dolls, etc. Glue star on the top and a heart on each hand.

Christmas Tree Mobile

Need: Green Construction Paper, Glue, Tape, Crayons, Yarn, Misc. Craft Items - such as fabric scraps, beads, etc.

Directions: Cut three large triangles out of green construction paper, each ½ size bigger than the last. Tape long pieces of yarn onto the back of each triangle so they hang just below each other in a tree shape. Cut a square out of brown paper to hang below the largest triangle as the trunk. Decorate the tree as desired.

Handprint Reindeer

Need: Brown paint, heavy paper, wiggly eyes, red pom pom. red glitter, brown pipe cleaners, and ribbon

Directions: Paint the child's hand brown and have them make a print (fingers spread wide) on a piece of heavy paper. Let it dry completely. The thumb becomes the head. You create the reindeer palm up. Glue a wiggly eye on the thumb and put a tiny red pom pom or red glitter glue on the end of the thumb for the nose. Punch a hole in the part of the thumb closest to the hand and put a short brown pipe cleaner in and twist it for the antlers. punch another hole at the bottom of the palm and tie a ribbon through.

Christmas Angel

Need: Construction paper, glitter, coffee filter

Directions: Make the body out of a triangle and a circle for her head. Fold a coffee filter in half and glue on a black paper. Then glue the body and then the head. Make a face on the head. Put glitter on for her halo.

Holiday stockings  

Need: red paper or felt, hole punch, curling ribbon, old Christmas cards, wrapping paper, glue

Directions: For each child cut out 2 stocking shapes from red paper or felt.  Punch holes around the edge of the stockings and have children stitch thru the holes with curling ribbon.  Cut up old Christmas cards or holiday wrapping paper to decorate the stocking.

Pine Needle Painting  

Need:  Pine Needle Bunches, paint, paper

Directions: Supply the children with a pine branch, with pine needles on it, instead of a paint brush.

Tree Garland Bird Feeders 

Need: Yarn, fruit loops cereal, making tape

Directions: Put tape around one end of the yarn to make a needle. (This keeps the yarn from fraying.) Then tape the other end of the yarn to the table. Have the children lace the fruit loops onto the yarn. When it is full tie off both end. Then take the fruit loop garland outside and hang it on the trees. The birds will eat the cereal. A few days later go out and cut the yarn into small pieces and hang back on the tree. The birds will use it for there nests.

Pipe Cleaner Ornaments

Need: Pipe Cleaners, Tri-cornered beads, Ribbon - optional

Directions: Thread the beads onto a pipe cleaner so they nest together. You can bend to shape a candy cane, a wreath, a star, etc. You can also punch holes in ribbon and weave it onto the pipe cleaner, between each bead.

Hand Tree

Need: Construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors

Directions:  Trace 23 hands onto green paper. Cut them out. Have the tree form a triangle. Begin with a wide row across the bottom fingers pointing down (5 hands) and another row of five angled in a little. Then four, then four angled in a little… Then 3, then 2, then 1. Put a star on top.

I’m A Star Ornaments

Need: Poster board, star shape, gold glitter, picture of child, and
scissors.

Directions: Cut out 2 star shapes for each child, but cut a hole in the middle of one. Let children decorate how they want and add gold glitter. Have them glue their picture to the star with the hole, and then glue the solid star to the back

Care Package

Directions: Place everything listed below in a little baggie with a slip of paper with the following written on it:

" A Care Package To Help You Do ... "Whatever It Takes" "

A STICK OF GUM - to remind you to stick with it.
A CANDLE - to give you light when you feel burned out.
A CHOCOLATE KISS - to remind you that someone cares.
SMARTIES - to help you on days when you don't feel so smart.
LIFESAVER - to remind you that everyone needs help once in a while.
A SNICKER - to remind you to see the funny side -- there is one!
A ROSE - to remind you to take time to smell the flowers.
CONFETTI - to help you celebrate the good times.
A PENNY - with thanks for sharing your thoughts.
A BAG - to help you keep it all together.

(a little birthday candle, the glitzy confetti stuff you spread on a table, a very tiny cloth rose from a bunch you can buy at craft stores, the "smarties" candies that come in a roll)