December - Parent Gifts

I've seen neat trivets done at this grade level and younger.

what you do is get some beans, different colored ones, and the kids put them onto a thin piece of wood precut of course in the size that you want. They glue them on. You spray them after they are dried with a varnish. So they turn out shiny.

Try to get the surfaces level so that hot pots have a place to rest. But really if they aren't flat is is okay.

We make cinnamon-applesauce ornaments. The dough is cinnamon, applesauce, and white glue. We cut out festive shapes with cookie cutters. Then after drying for a few days, we decorate them with puffy paints. They are cute and really smell great.
Also, we make calendars. I make a page for each month of the coming year using Printmaster, customizing pages with some clipart and info. on specific dates. The kids color in the clipart and decorate the pages. I also take a photo of each student in front of a festive background. We mount the photo (with a decorative paper background) on tagboard and staple the calendar on the bottom half. We attach magnets to the back for hanging. We've gotten many compliments on both gifts and the kids really enjoy creating them.

We make wreaths that can be used as an tree ornament if parents choose to, or just as a sort of picture frame if not.

Cut a wreath pattern out of posterboard (with a hole in the middle). Using an Exacto knife is helpful for cutting the hole out.

Have students glue elbow macaroni pasta onto the wreath, leaving space at the top to glue on one piece of bowtie pasta. All the pasta should lay flat (should not be piled on top of each other). Some kids choose to make a pattern with it.

Spray paint the wreaths green and let dry.

Spray paint bowties gold, silver, or red and let dry.

Glue the painted bowties on the tops of the wreaths.

Glue a photo of each child onto the back of the wreath so that the photo shows through the hole in the wreath.

Punch a hole in the posterboard at the top of the wreath and string a piece of yarn or ribbon through it to use as a hanger.

My students have always really enjoyed making these. :)

Use clear glass ornaments - the regular glass balls. Take the tops off, squeeze in a little bit of two or three different colors of craft paints, and then shake gently. Place them upside down in the box with the tops off to allow the excess paint to drip out... when they're dry, put the tops/hangers back on.

It gives the ornament a marbled effect. We always do red/green/gold. Easy and they're very pretty.

My first grade class has done these for the past couple of years and we love it!

RICE WREATHS

What You Need:
long grain rice
white glue
green food coloring
margarine or sour cream container
plastic lid ( from sour cream)
paper clip
red beads, sparkle dust, bows

What You Do:
In a margarine or sour cream container - mix enough glue with about 1/4 cup of rice to make it gooey.

Add food coloring to make a Christmas green and mix well (I give the children plastic gloves so they can use their hands to mix).

Put the mixture on a lid and form it into a wreath. You can also form these on wax paper and leave them to dry.

Stick a paper clip into the back while the mixture is still wet.

Let it dry overnight.

Take it off the lid and glue red beads in groups of three and some sparkle dust and maybe a bow.

You can leave it as is or use the individual pictures and tape them into the middle of the wreath for a great keepsake.

My first graders make a 2008 calendar for their parents. The very front has a picture of the entire class.
I tie all the pages with pretty ribbon.
They turn out really cute.

In the past I have done calendars. We do 12 art projects...generally starting in October, and turn it into a calendar to give to our parents. It can be an overwhelming project if you don't have that much time. Though it is what I have done the last few years, I am thinking of finding something that isn't as time consuming! However, the parents love them and the kids are so proud of their work!

anytime I ask that I have taken to buying markers or crayons during back to school and wrapping those up for Christmas. I also let the kids chose a book I have bought with scholastic points for their present. I do tell them the markers are to be kept at school.
I did not get but 3 packs of tissues and a bottle or two of soap or sanitizer. It has gotten worse each year. I send out repeated requests, but......So it kills two birds with one inexpensive stone!
Mine are making calendars to give to their parents.

What I'm thinking about doing this year is really basic... getting a clear glass ornament and craft paint, then having them put in different colors into their ornament and just twirling it around. I have never done this, it was actually my cousion's idea.. she said she did it one day while bored in college, and it came out really cute... so we will see. Also I send out a letter about supplies when ever I notice supplies are low asap... I have also noticed that it doesn't matter when you send the letters out, reminders will have to be made. So perhaps send one out a week before break and for those who don't bring anything in send another reminder shortly after you return.

Easy, but time consuming... I have done it with 3rd and 4th graders.

Take a circle about the size of a coke can maybe a little bigger. I used my circle cutter shapes from my scrapbooking stuff. I cut the circles out of cardstock.

Cut an inside circle for the pic to show through.

Take green yarn (you will need more than you think per ornament), tie it off, and then start wrapping it over under over under until the circle is completely green. Back it with a full circle and a piece of yarn for the hook. Hole punch red paper for the "berries" and glue a few on. OBTW, don't forget to tape the pic of the kid on the "full circle.

Hope this makes sense. I don't really have a pattern or pic to give you, but pm if you are interested.

The kids have a good time and they look like a bunch of little old ladies knitting at the Senior Center! :D

I also do the cd ornaments. I cut out white cardstock the size of the cd and have the kids write a message to their parents on it. Then we glue it to the side of the cd with the label. On the other side we glue a copy of the picture I took of them at the beginning of the year and then I let them decorate that side with sequins and glitter glue. I usually drill a hole in the top and run a piece of yarn through it to hang, but I do like the idea of putting a magnet on the back. Hmmmm I may change my plans this year.