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Christmas is a time for family to get together, baking and singing carols. It is also a wonderful time for crafts. There are many unique crafts that can be done by adults and children together to make the holiday that much more fun. The crafts can be used in the home for decoration or given as small holiday remembrances or even used as unique gift tags.
The simple crafts which follow all can be made with little or no extra cost. Warm up some apple cider, put in your favorite Christmas music and be creative. There is nothing better than using your hands and heart to create wonderful holiday items.
Ornaments have always been used to decorate Christmas Trees. For years we purchased ornaments in stores, now is the time to make them. Clothespin ornaments are easy to make and require very few supplies. You will need the non spring clothespins, cotton balls, glue, paint, pipe cleaners and gold or silver thread. Be creative and you can buy fabric scraps to use as well as moving eyes or other accessories. From these items, you can create Santa, Elves, Angels and Nutcrackers. The top of the clothespin is the head, with a small torso and long legs. You can use pipe cleaners to create wings or arms. The Santa will require a cotton ball for hair and a beard. The angel can use cotton balls around her feet, to be floating on a cloud. Be creative and have fun. When done, tie the silver or gold cord around the waist of the clothespin and hang from a tree.
Pine cones are typically associated with winter months and subsequently Christmas. This craft is one that can be used throughout the winter season. You will need a Styrofoam ring, craft wire, about 10 - 16 small pine cones, and red and gold ribbon. You can also purchase some holly and other flowers which can be added as optional garnishment. The object is to create a pine cone wreath that will act as a centerpiece to a table with or without a large pillar candle in the center. Note: Never light the candle in the center of the wreath since dry pine cones are extremely flammable. Wrap wire around the base of the pine cone securely and puncture through the Styrofoam, securing the pine cone to the base. Repeat this around the ring alternating the positions of the pine cones to create a pattern or random pine cone placement. Add ribbon throughout either as small pieces placed between pine cones or ribbons. This is personal, if you are more abstract or traditional, your taste will be different and that is why it is a creative craft. Finally, you can add Christmas flowers, a small Santa or other sort of figurine they sell in craft stores to add that Seasonal touch.
If you are having a holiday party and would like to give your guests something to remember their celebrations but can't afford to purchase gifts for everyone, this is the craft for you. You will need old jewelry boxes or small boxes that can be purchased at novelty or craft stores, paint, glue, cotton balls and holiday magazines. This is a fun craft that is also great for kids. Find pictures throughout magazines that pertain to the Christmas holiday and that would fit on the top of the box. They should be smaller than the box to decorate or they can cover the box entirely, it is up to you. Once you have the picture, cut it out and glue it to the top of the box. Decorate with cotton balls as snow, paint, write the year or a name on the box. Make the treat box a reflection of you and the holiday. These boxes are also great for gift bags at birthday parties and can be made for virtually any holiday. When you are done and the boxes are dry, fill with holiday candy, a new State Quarter or some other small token. Now your guests have something special and unique to remember their holiday for this year.
Need a place to put all your Christmas cards but don't want to spend a fortune for a card holder? This craft is a fun way to create a simple card holder. You will need spring clothespins, green paint, heavy duty craft wire, medium size red beads (about 20) and a red or gold bow. You want the wire to be long enough to create a good size wreath, about 20 - 26 inches in length. You can always cut some wire away, but you cant add to it, so go longer and work from that. First you will need to paint the clothespins green. You can paint them all one shade of green or use 2 or 3 different shades, that is up to you. Do this 1 - 2 days before you are ready to put the craft together since you may need to do 2 coats and let them dry inside and out. After the clothespins are ready, you will need to thread them onto the wire. Thread 3 clothespins and then a bead (you could also do 2 clothespins then a bead.) The clothespins should point with the open part outward. Continue this until you have a wreath big enough to hang. Tie off the wire and create a loop for hanging. Use some wire to tie the bow at the top to cover the hanging loop and you are done. Now when you receive a card, turn a clothespin so the open part faces into the center and clip the card to the outside. Your craft is not only pretty to look at but useful too!
This next craft is one that the children can do and have their craft displayed and used by everyone. The craft is napkin holders and you will need cardstock, glue and ribbon. The great thing about these napkin holders is that you can also use them as place cards. The cardstock can be in any color, but for this craft I would recommend the ring color to match your place setting. Cut a four inch long by one inch wide strip for the ring. Glue the ends together and let set. You may decide to have a smaller ring or you may need a larger ring, that all depends on the napkins. The other cardstock could be dark green if you want to have a Christmas Tree on your holder, or yellow, for a star, brown for a reindeer silhouette, or red for a Santa outline. You could also mix and match your tags. You will cut out a shape about one inch or a little more and then either glue this to your ring holder or tie it on with a ribbon. These decorations could be used as name tags if you put your guests name on them. A craft with double duty!
Placemats are another simple and fun craft. These are great for your little guests and for use throughout the winter season at home. You will need cardstock of different colors, glue, pictures from magazines and laminate sheets. Add a truly personal touch to this craft by using pictures from last years Christmas holiday! Cut a piece of cardstock that will be your base and upon which you will put all the other pictures and pieces. Select pictures from magazines and cut out and glue down on the base cardstock. Stencil a name, a year or anything you can imagine. When you are done, laminate and you have a reusable, cleanable and personal placemat.
Finally, a craft that can be used year after year and given as a convenient gift for someone. An ornament keeper box is something that can be fun to make and very useful. You will need a large shoebox, construction paper, cardstock, glue, holiday pictures and laminate sheets. If you can't find laminate sheets or find them too expensive, you could also use clear packing tape. It takes a bit to match up the edges, but it works just as well on a smaller budget. Cover the shoebox with cardstock and decorate. Use magazine pictures, stencils and cut outs. When done, laminate and fill with tissue paper to protect your treasured ornaments. Boxes from holiday gifts are also great for storage. By covering them with cardstock and laminate sheets, you make them more sturdy as well as colorful.
Whatever crafts you can create, have fun and remember that the object of the craft project is not only to create, but to enjoy. The holidays are full of joy and that can be reflected in personally created gifts and objects around your home.
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