Small Memories

The kids are home for Christmas break and are bored already.  The weather is cold, wet and nasty.  What do you do?  Keep them busy making something with their hands.  Here are some fun craft ideas that kids will love.

Christmas cards are always a great craft.  Provide the kids supplies like construction paper, card stock, scissors, glue, glitter (the bottles of glitter/glue in one package are a very nice low-mess way to dress up a project), pencils, crayons or markers and old Christmas cards.  Let the kids use their creative energy to make wonderful handmade cards that can be shared with family and friends.  By cutting pictures out of old cards, even the younger children can make something really nice (and recycle at the same time).

Snow globes are a favorite holiday project.  If you want to make your own, gather glass or clear plastic containers, like baby food jars or mustard or mayonnaise jars.  Wash and dry them completely.  Gather small plastic Christmas or winter decorations. Try to find some that float. Winter themed stickers or small foam cutouts are also nice. Decorate the outside of the jar with stickers or glue a few of the foam pieces on it.  Attach a couple of the floating pieces (things like snowflakes or stars work well) to string and glue a figure to the inside with the string underneath the figure to anchor it (which will become the base).  Fill the jar with water and some glitter. Carefully glue the lid in place using waterproof glue and let dry.  Once dry, shake it, set it lid down and watch the glitter swirl around.

 Candy crafts can be fun, as well as a tasty gift. A train can be a quick craft that can be used as a decoration or gift.  Use a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers) for the main part of the train.  Use individually wrapped round candy, like peppermints for the wheels. For the front, glue a square candy, such as a caramel with a chocolate kiss on top.  If you add a string, they can be used as a tree decoration.  Experiment with other kinds of candy to create other things, like robots, animals or even angels.

Garland trees can be a great project. This is especially true if there is limited room for a Christmas tree.  Take a large piece of green poster board and cut a circle, with a slit out to make a cone.  Tape it with clear packing tape.  Take an artificial pine garland and wrap it around the cone, completely covering it to create a small tree.  Fasten the ends in place so it doesn’t unwrap.  The tree can be decorated with lightweight paper ornaments that the children can also make.

Create your own fireplace. A cozy fireplace can warm up any room but not everyone has one.  Let the kids make one. Find a large cardboard box and cut an opening in the one side for the fireplace.  Using sponges, paint bricks on the box, leaving space in between to be the mortar.  Paint the inside black if you want.  Paint flames on the inside back section of the box. Use paper towel rolls to stack up in the fireplace as logs.  Decorate the top to look like a mantel.

Get creative and think up your own Christmas crafts as well.  Children will love the fun involved in creating these crafts and so will you.  You can even give the crafts as a gift which will warm even the biggest grinch.

Would you like to make special holiday memories with your family? Do you need activities to help you recreate an old-fashioned Christmas? This old-fashioned cinnamon scented ornament recipe and the display suggestions may be just what you’re looking for.

Ingredients:

3/4 to 1 c. applesauce (not chunky)
1 (4.12 oz.) bottle ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. ground nutmeg

whole cloves (eyes - optional)
1 bag cinnamon candy dots (mouth - optional)
various decorations

Alternatives:

Instead of adding ground cloves into the dough mixture, you can use whole cloves to create a face for a gingerbread man. Before the ornament dries, simply push a whole clove into the dough where you’d like. You can use the cloves to make eyes, nose, mouth, buttons, etc. You may also like to add cinnamon candies for decorations.

**DO NOT use cinnamon candy if you intend to oven-dry. The candy will melt.**

Instructions:

Mix applesauce and cinnamon together to form a very stiff dough. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. In each ornament, make a hole, large enough to insert a ribbon or string for hanging. Carefully place ornaments on a rack to dry. Let air dry several days, turning occasionally. You may prefer to bake the ornaments in the oven at 150 degrees for 5-6 hours. Please make sure the ornaments dry slowly. If they dry too quickly, the edges tend to crack.

Display Ideas:

1. The traditional way to display these ornaments is to hang them on the Christmas tree. There are also other great ways to display these sweet smelling holiday accents. Here are just a few ideas for you.
2. Crochet a chain-stitch garland from red or green yarn. Attach the ornaments to the chain. Drape the chain over hooks, which are located at the edge of the mantle or on a door. You can also use as accents on your artificial fir or holly garland.
3. If you use gingerbread boy or girl cookie cutters, add a hole in the middle of each “hand.” When dry, connect the ornaments in paperdoll style. Thread a narrow but sturdy ribbon in the holes.  Tie a tight bow in the ribbon between the figures. Hang on the mantle, a door, or anywhere you’d like.
4. Arrange ornaments in decorative tins. Occasionally take the lid off to release the cinnamon scent into the room. Consider placing these tins in several rooms in the house for a quick room freshener.
5. To keep the holiday spirit going all day, place one or more of the ornaments in your car. You can add a couple in the back window, glove compartment, door pockets, under the seat, or even hang it from one of the clothes hooks in the back seat.

*Please note that these ornaments are not edible.

Spend time in the kitchen with your kids this year. Whether you choose to make the old-fashioned cinnamon scented ornaments in the shape of gingerbread men or other holiday symbols, your kids are sure to remember the Christmas you made ornaments together.

Recommended:

I have great childhood memories of making cinnamon scented ornaments with my mom. Sadly, the cinnamon ornaments don’t last forever.  For this reason, I created a keepsake ornament based on this activity (pictured  left.)

Click on the graphic to grab one of these gingerbread man ornaments as a keepsake reminder of the time you made cinnamon ornaments for Christmas.

Happy Holidays!