5 Things Friday: Five holiday crafts for kids

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take some time to sit down with the kiddos for some crafting. These projects require basic supplies and little skill, but can make great gifts for grandparents.

Thumbprint Reindeer

Personalize your holiday card with a family of reindeer made from your family’s thumbprints. Or let one child made all the faces.

Materials

Paper

Brown paint

Brown marker

Googly eyes

Red and black craft foam (for noses)

Glue

Scissors

Directions

Stamp thumbs in brown paint and press on your paper. Allow to dry.

Draw antlers for the reindeer. Glue two googly eyes on each reindeer. Cut small circles from craft foam for noses and glue on the reindeer.

Source: www.meetthedubiens.com

Juice Can Santa

Any cylindrical container will work to create a retro-looking Santa Claus. You can also cut down wrapping paper tubes. Create different sized Santas and cluster them together for a table centerpiece.

Materials

Felt or fleece in red, black, and two shades of pink

Tacky Glue

Red pompom (for nose)

White pompom or foam ball (for hat)

White trim (for beard)

Can or toilet paper roll

Scissors

Directions

Cut a rectangle of red felt that is the same height as the can or tube and long enough to go around plus one half-inch. Glue felt to container, overlapping the excess.

Cut a half oval from the light pink felt to create the face. Glue the straight edge along the top of the can.

Cut the white trim long enough to edge the face. Glue in place.

Cut two black circles for the eyes and glue into place. Glue on the red pompom.

Cut two circles of darker pink for the cheeks and glue in place. Cut a mouth from the scraps of red and glue.

Cut a triangle with a curved bottom out of the red felt to create a cone for the hat. The hat should be as long as the container and fit over the top when the edges or glued or sewn together. Glue the white pompom or foam ball on the tip.

Source: www.thatartistwoman.org

Hand and Foot Angels

There are a lot of craft projects featuring children’s hand and footprints. You can also trace their hands or feet on construction paper instead of using paint.

Materials

Blue, yellow, white, red and brown tempera or acrylic paint

Foam plates

Heavy white paper

Sponges and paintbrush

Glitter glue

Black paper or paint (for eyes)

Red fine-tip marker

Sequin stars (optional)

Clean-up supplies (bins for washing feet and hands, towels, drop cloth)

Directions

Pour blue paint onto foam paint and press foot into paint. Press foot onto paper to make angel’s body. Footprint should be centered with toes close to the bottom of the sheet.

Pour yellow paint into foam plate. Press hand into paint with fingers slightly spread apart. Press hand print onto each side of footprint to create wings (can use one hand for both wings or both hands). Let dry.

Use blue paint and brush to paint arms.

Mix skin-toned paint by combining white, red and brown paint to desired shade. Cut sponge into small circle for hands and stamp on end of arms using skin-toned paint.

Cut larger circle out of sponge for head. Stamp head at the heel of the footprint using skin-toned paint. (Hands and head can be painted with brush instead of sponges).

Paint hair using brown or yellow paint and brush or sponge. Use glitter glue to make halo. Let dry.

Cut or punch two circles from black paper for eyes and glue on. Draw on mouth with red marker. (Face can be painted instead.) Glue sequin stars around angel if desired.

Source: www.www.thatartistwoman.org

Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree

A simple project for preschoolers. Attach a ribbon to the finished tree to make an ornament.

Materials

Glue

Popsicle sticks or colored craft sticks

Pompoms or other craft supplies to decorate

Directions

Paint the Popsicle sticks green or leave plain. Cut the sticks into different lengths. Arrange six smaller pieces on one vertical stick to create Christmas tree. Glue sticks down and let dry a few minutes. Decorate branches with pompoms and glue. Let dry.

Source: http://itsgravybaby.com

Puffy Marshmallow Snowman

Turn snack time into craft time. Create a snowman out of mini marshmallows and decorate using whatever craft supplies you have on hand.

Materials

Paper

Mini marshmallows

Glue

Decorations, like pompoms, pipe cleaners, pretzel sticks, googly eyes

Markers, crayons or puff paint

White paint

Glitter (optional)

Directions

Draw three circles with glue. Place marshmallows in glue to create snowman’s head and body. (You could draw circles with pencil and dot with glue as you go).

Decorate the snowman. You can glue on pompoms for buttons, twist pipe cleaners into a scarf, and add pretzel sticks for the arms. Add facial features using googly eyes, puff paint or markers.

Decorate the background by dipping one marshmallow in white paint and stamping snowflakes, or make fingerprint snowflakes. Sprinkle wet paint with glitter, if desired.

Sources: http://happyhomefairy.com and http://itsgravybaby.com

Tags: shesays, family