It is Christmas Eve… and all my hoods are in their beds and fast asleep… Excited about tomorrow and thrilled at the last few days of fun we have had together.
At this time of year we are often overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done… over the years we have whittled that list away… and this week we had a chilled week that I planned to do a couple of tasks while the kids worked on their own projects. I strategically left projects out for my kids and they were having so much fun that I joined them for every single one of them… and we still managed to have Christmas Dinner on the table timeously!!!
Keep in mind that for little folk the best things in life – are play dough, things you can stick and painting…
- Little People and a Tree:
- Salt Dough Cookies:
- A Host of Angels:
- Easy Paper Chains:
- Oranges and Cloves:
- Easy Wreaths:
- Worked on a Nativity:
- Spicy Christmas Cookies:
This craft has kept my little people busy for days… whenever we needed to get something done we offered something new to add to their tree. We began with plain card from a big old box and a masking tape tree, then crayons, then paints, then glue and anything that could be stuck… then stickers, we could keep this going a while… there is space for gifts and glitter… heaps still to do!!!
An easy recipe…
Mix the ingredients together (I toss it in the mixer) and make a stiff dough… roll it out and add cookie cutters!!! Literally two seconds of preparation and hours and hours of fun!!! Leave in a low, low oven until they are dried out… this can take a couple of hours. We have trays of them dried and ready to be painted on Christmas Day…
My girls could make fabric puppets all day and everyday… draw your outline on cardboard – a cereal box will do. Select their clothes and outfits from the fabric scrap bag… some slightly watered down project glue… and glue away… when the glue is dry snip them out. If you want to hang them then pop a thread through them and if you want to use them as puppets then glue a wooden skewer on the back of them.
You might think this is just a little dull, but I tell you the truth – kids love machines… you can use tape and you can use glue sticks… but as soon as my kids are able to use a stapler they can think of nothing better than making paper chains. And paper will do: magazines, gift wrap, craft paper, any paper… cut it into strips and let them go!!!
You need to live with a well trained zester for this bit of craftiness… Make some swirls and twirls on your oranges and add some cloves… the smell is fabulous and they look so, so pretty!!!
This is just a circular piece of card board, glue and tissue paper. Squish and squash that tissue paper… spread heaps of glue and stack it up… and up!!!
A little bit everyday… build it up until you have… the whole story!!!
And the se7en + 1th…
This is the one and only tradition that my kids never ever want to give up!!! They love it, the mess is extreme… and the fun and the memories – totally worth it!!!
I feel the time is fleeting so much more as my kids get older… honestly, making paper chains and cookies with my little guys are just so much more a priority than all the things that are supposed to be important.
Hope your Christmas is spent making memories!!!
These are all so awesome. Love them. And taking your last lines to heart. Hope you had a lovely lovely Christmas! Lots of love!
Wishing you the most WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!!! I hope all the love and joy and creativity you share comes back at ya in 2013!!!!! Your projects and your kiddos always always always make me smile! THANKS for the gift of YOU!!! xoxoxoox
Hay Corli and your little gang… Merry Christmas to you all on the furthest side of the world!!! Hope you have had a magical time together… lots of lekker love from all of us!!!
Katherine Marie… you are just amazing, thank-you for the sweetest comments… and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your whole family all together… lots and lots of love from sunny Cape Town!!!