Homemade Christmas Ornaments - Great craft for kids

These Christmas ornaments can be made right in your kitchen, and best of all you probably already have what you need at home. They make a great crafts for kids. You can also let the kids make them to give to family and friends as gifts over the holiday's. Everyone will love them, and the kids feel so happy giving out gifts. Best of all they are really inexpensive!

Recommended age 3+

What You Need

• 4 cups of flour
• 1 cup of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of hot water
• Rolling Pin
• Holiday Cookie cutters or cookie cutters of choice
• Decorations of choice - paint (makes a great base), beads, stickers, glitter, felt ect.
• *ornament hooks if you plan on hanging on the tree*

            

                                                                                                                       

Things you need if wrapping to give as a gift

• Tissue paper
• Ribbon
• Gift Tags

How it's done

Making the Christmas Ornaments

This was made completely by my 5
year old...he likes Blue bells!

• Mix the flour, salt and water together in a bowl.
• Knead the dough
• Roll it out like you would if you were making a sugar cookie about 1/4 inch thick.
• Use your holiday cookie cutters, and cut out the shapes.
• If these will be hanging on a tree use a toothpick to poke the hole for the hook.
• To harden you can  1.bake in the oven at 350 degrees, until hard. or 2. Microwave on High for about 2 minutes.
• Then decorate how ever you want, be creative and have fun.



*If you find the dough sticking to your hands, or cookie cutters use flour to dip the cutter in before cutting out each shape.*

*I personally find baking to work better*

Getting the Ornament's Ready to give as a gift

• Take 1 full piece of tissue paper and fold in half 3 times.
• Place your ornament in the middle of the tissue paper and roll it up, then twist the top like a candy wrapper.
• Take your ribbon and tie it around the top to keep it wrapped tightly
• Use scissors or a pencil and curl the ribbon.

Pine Cone Christmas Tree

Christmas is quickly approaching, only 30 days left until it is upon us! There are many great things about Christmas and one of those things is crafts. Kids love making things and Pine cone Christmas trees are a very fun craft to make.

Recommended age: 4 +

What you will need

• Large size Pine cone
• Glue (preferably one that dries clear)
• Paint (fast drying, non toxic would be best) - Green, Brown and other colors if desired
• Decorations for your tree - choice is yours, paints, glitter, beads, felt, pipe cleaners, construction paper *use your imagination*
• Tree base - cardboard and construction paper, or paint your choice .

Firstly this is to be used as a base idea for making a Pine cone Christmas tree. Use your imagination and let the kids explore!

I would recommend putting down newspaper, or something to keep the mess to a minimum. Also have a place cleared where you can put your Pine cone to dry

1. Paint your Pine cone Green to look like a Christmas tree. If you wish to paint the bottom brown to look like the truck of your Christmas tree. This will need time to dry.
2. While the paint is drying you can cut out a base for your tree from cardboard. This can be whatever size you choose. A used a square base about 6" by 6".
3. Cover your base with what you choose, construction paper, fake snow, paint it. The choice is yours, use your imagination and have fun.
4. Once your paint is dry on your Pine cone you can now decorate your Christmas tree. This can be done however you want.
5. Then you will need to place LOTS of glue on your base and press and hold the pine cone into the glue.

That is all there is to it! For those who want some creative ideas

• You can cut little candy canes out of construction paper or foam sheets (these can be bought cheap at a dollar store!) Also using the same material try making presents, snowmen for the base, presents and even your star or angel.
• If you want to use beads or glitter put a bunch in a sandwich baggy, then put dabs of glue on your pine cone. Put the pine cone into the sandwich bag with the beads and shake. This takes much less time then trying to get them to stick 1 by 1!

Most importantly have fun!