Quick and Easy Christmas Gift

I know, it is just now May (not even July) and nowhere near Christmas time, but as I have said before, I write as they come to me. There is no rhyme or reason, just that if I don't write it down when it pops into my head, I will forget it!!

A few weeks ago I talked about making Christmas wrapping paper. Well today I am going to share a really easy and meaningful Christmas gift that your kids can make. This can also be use simply as a holiday decoration.

SUPPLIES:
burlap (this can be purchased at a fabric store or Walmart stores in the fabric dept)
2 wooden dowels (the thickness doesn't really matter)
Craft Paint (NOT WASHABLE) - Red, Green and Yellow
old paint clothes (since the paint is not washable, protect your clothing)
hot glue gun with glue sticks
Christmas Ribbon


To begin, make sure that your work surface and child is fully protected as this paint is NOT WASHABLE. Cut the burlap to fit the wooden dowels. Lay the burlap out. Place a bead of hot glue along the edge and center one wooden dowel on top of glue. Continue gluing until the dowel is wrapped completely in burlap. Repeat for the bottom.

Once you have your "wall hanging" you are ready to paint. You are going to want to paint "upside down" meaning you are going to be painting with the fingers up but when hung, the fingers will be pointing down. To do this, you simply place the "top" of the burlap closest to your body and the "bottom" of the burlap away from you.

Starting with the green paint, paint your child's hand completely and paint a row of hand prints near the "bottom" of the burlap (furthest away from you). Make sure that you reload your child's hand with paint often. Making a pyramid, move up one row and repeat, the number of hands getting smaller and smaller. Repeat until you have only one hand print at the top. (see picture for clearer understanding). Wash the green paint completely from their hands and move on the next task.

With the red paint, simply paint the fingertips or the thumbprint in red and have the child paint the "ornaments" on the tree.

For the star at the top, you can either paint freehand with a paint brush or you can use your child's hand print (this time with the fingers facing UP, opposite than the tree). Simply cover the hand in yellow paint and place hand on top of tree. You can also use a star sponge.

After the painting is completely dry, you can write the child's name and date on the bottom of the hanging with a sharpie and glue some Christmas ribbon to the dowel to create a way to hang this wonderful Christmas surprise.

Paper Bag Crafts - Pumpkins

Paper bags are such an easy and inexpensive tool when it comes to crafts. You know the ones I'm talking about. We used to take our lunches to school in them if we weren't cool enough to have the latest super hero or princess lunchbox. The ideas are endless when it comes to using these for crafts. It is, however, best to use brand new ones instead of recycling the ones used for lunch.

For now we are going to talk paper bag pumpkins. These are really great and easy decorations for the fall (I know, it is no where near fall yet, but I just write as they come to my mind). You can line the driveway or the porch with some of these or hang them from the ceiling for a party. Either way, they are really easy and kid-friendly!!

SUPPLIES:
Paper Bags (lunch sized)
black construction paper
green tissue paper
orange paint (tempera or washable paint is best with small kids)
glue stick or white glue
scissors
paint brushes
newspaper (just a few sheets per bag)
rubber bands

To start simply have your child paint the paper bag with orange paint leaving about 1 inch brown at the top. Remember to open the bag so they paint the whole thing. The bottom can be painted or left as is. Remember this is kid-art, it is ok if there are streaks or missed spots. Let them do it!!!

While the paint is drying, use the scissors and cut out a few triangles and crooked mouth from the construction paper. Smaller children will need help with this. It might be easier to use basic shapes instead of trying to cut out a "jack-o-lantern" mouth.

When the paint is all dry, it is time to glue the face on. Using the glue stick (or white glue) have the children place the eyes, nose and mouth onto the pumpkin. Remember, again, this is kid-art. The face doesn't have to be perfect and unless your child is a perfectionist at the age of 2, it will NOT be perfect. It is OK!!!! Let them do it!!!

After the glue has dried, wad up the newspaper and fill the paper bag pumpkin leaving some room to close it at the top. Close the bag and secure with rubber band leaving a "stem" at the top.

Take the green tissue paper and create a "leaf" out of it. You can do this by cutting the tissue paper into the shape of a leaf with a long stem or go abstract and just have some green tissue paper sticking out of the top of the bag. Insert the leaf into the bag so that it is hanging out of the "stem".



For large pumpkins, use brown paper grocery bags, most grocery stores have them. These are great decorations to add to any yard or porch and are a great family fun project!!!

Fun "Stained-Glass" Window Hangings

Do you like those wonderful stained-glass windows that you see in really old houses? Aren't they so beautiful? Well, here is an easy craft for you to make with your children that will mimic the colors of the stained-glass window and still let the light through.

Supplies:
Construction Paper
Scissors
Clear Contact Paper
various colors of tissue paper, cut into small 0.5" pieces


To start, figure out what design you want your Stained-glass window to be. Once you figure this out, draw the picture out on the construction paper and cut out. This should only be the outline of the picture (no details) as you are going to cut out the middle of this as well, leaving a thin frame of the image (see diagram below).

When you have the outline cut out, cut the clear contact paper into a square about 1-2 inches larger than the outline image. Peel back the paper coating and lay the image outline on the sticky side.

Now you are ready to create your masterpiece. Fill the inside of your image with the colored tissue paper (see diagram below). Once you are finished, simply stick the "stained-glass" hanging directly on the window. After it looses it's stickiness, you can "laminate" the hanging with another sheet of contact paper (basically sandwiching the tissue paper/frame between two pieces of contact paper). You can then punch a hole and hang it in front of the window or in the yard.


You can use this for fun decorations for every season. Use a leaf with yellows, browns and orange tissue paper for a fall decor. Use a black snowman outline with white tissue paper for winter. Use a pumpkin with orange tissue paper and black eyes, nose and mouth for a Halloween jack-o-lantern. The uses are endless!!! This is really easy and very little mess. Just keep non-used tissue paper squares in a Ziploc bag for future use!!

More Painting Ideas

Tired of the painting with a paintbrush? Try these fun and unusual objects to make really cool designs.

old toy cars and trucks
marbles
old comb
drinking straw
old toothbrush
old cookie cutters


Suggestions:

Drive the cars and trucks through the paint and then drive them around on your paper.

Roll marble in paint and then using a shoe box top roll the marble across the paper. This is create for stimulating hand-eye coordination. For a fun Halloween decoration, use black construction paper and white paint. Using a plastic container or old coffee can, cut paper to fit inside and roll marble around on the paper creating a "spider web". Simply add a plasic spider ring with the ring part cut off and hang.

Use the comb to create texture in your picture.

Water down some paint and put drops on the paper then have the child blow those drops around using the straw. Watch as the paint dances around the paper leaving really fun streaks.

Flick paint specs onto paper using an old toothbrush. Dip the toothbrush into the watered down paint and using your thumb or finger, run it along the toothbrush with the bristles down toward the paper. Watch as the paint drops in small dots all over the paper.

Dip the cookie cutters in paint and create fun villages or holiday pictures. This is also a great and easy way to make your own wrapping paper for Christmas. Simply use a roll of brown or white butcher paper. Spread the paper out and paint away with various Christmas cookie cutters. Let dry completely. You can do this outside on the sidewalk or driveway in the summer and roll it up ready to use at Christmas.

Look for more unusual things to paint with. Find things around the house that have different shapes and textures.