December - Christmas Crafts

I just found this idea today. Students trace and cut out 2 matching ones to glue together(rough side out) then decorate to hang from the tree.

Making candy canes from pipe cleaners and red and white beads. Making wreaths using string wrapped around the circle of card board. You make a loop and pull the ends of a little piece of yarn through to keep it snug. I have also used scrap wrapping paper to decopauge wreaths or stockings. They just tear into small pieces and use glue/water solution to attach. A little messy. We also love to make cinnamon gingerbread. They smell good too. An ornage with clovers pressed into it and tied with a bow has a nice smell but is heavy if you are having a mini class tree? Good luck and enjoy

We made these last year and they were really easy. I spray painted the large craft sticks white (at home). The kids cut out and glued felt hats. They used small pom poms, googly eyes and perm. marker to decorate the stick. They turned out really cute.

It has been a while since I have made these, but they are really pretty. Use the craft sticks with notches cut out on each side. You can find them at the craft dept. at wal mart. Glue 4 of them together to look like a snowflake. Once they have dried spread glue across them and sprinkle with glitter.

Reindeer. Use brown contruciton paper to trace foot and hands. Foot is reindeer head and hands are antlers. Use glitterto decorate and googley eyes and for face.

frame: Spray paint puzzle pieces red and green. Glue around a picture to make a frame. Decorate with glitter or sequins.

I am glad you posted I would like some new ideas myself. :)

This isn't really an ornament but it is cute.
One year we made snowmen. we took the small clay pots, a styrofoam ball, 2 small twigs, 1 small rock and small googly eyes,

paint the clay pots white

once it is dry turn it upside down and glue the styrofoam ball on top.

take the small twigs and stick them in the side for arms.

push the small rock in the center of the ball for the nose

glue the eyes on

you may want to use a glue gun.
They were real cute and easy to make.
I got the pots at Lowes.

There you go!
Terri:)
My son gave me a mason jar top frame. They took a mason jar covered with glitter, a red string glued to the inside of the lid and a picture of him on the inside. I think the picture was on felt. they cut the felt to fit inside the top and glued it around the edge.

not light bulbs, but those round, glass ones. if you plan on doing this, you will need to hitail it to a craft store. (i found mine at Target last week.)

you need acrylic (permanent) paint
clear glass bulbs
cut-up straws (about 1/2 to 1/3 length)
egg carton

take short straws (to use as droppers, but droppers would be hard to clean!) and drip 2 different colored paints in a glass bulb (after taking that stupid silver thing off top). swirl the paint around to get marbled effect. *i like to have gold and silver paint and suggest that students do one metallic and one bright color.*

turn globe upside down in egg carton to dry overnight--put silver thingy back on the top.

this is quite easy to do and quick. the only hazards are the paint and the glass. :eek:

oh--the reason i suggested you get to a craft store is to get the bulbs before they disappear--i have a hard time finding red pom poms (rudolph noses), clothespins (rudolph bodies), orange pipcleaners (snowman noses), etc right before a holiday because everyone else is doing the same crafts!

I have made deer out of burn out light bulbs.

1. paint a light bulb solid brown
2. as it is laying on its side, glue (with hot glue) a piece of gold string for the hanger. (when you pick it up with the string/hanger it should be hanging in an anble and resemble a deer head)
3. Go outside and spray each with a coat of clear paint to seal the paint ( I spray the bulbs and have each student to hold thier deer to let it dry.)
4. glue a red pompom for its nose
5. cut brown ears out of a piece of brown foam (like a felt square) and glue on.
6. then take 1 brown pipe cleaner and cut it in half, then take one piece and cut in half again. Take the small pieces and wrap them around each end of the long piece for antlers. Then glue it on right behind the ears (this also helps the ears to stand up.) The hanger should be right behind the antlers and ears.
7. Glue on 2 squiggly eyes

Now you should have a deer head.

I hope this was not to confusing.

I use baby food lids. The kids cut thier pictures in a circle, then glue them on the inside of the lid. Then they put glue around the edge of the picture. Sprinkle glitter inside, and shake out any excess. Then I hot glue Christmas "rope" (found at Wal-Mart at Christmas time) around the edge of the lid and a yarn loop onto the back for hanging. Don't forget to date the back with a permanent marker!

I bought clear plastic ornament balls for the Christmas tree (found them at Hobby Lobby or other craft place). They open up and I placed the picture inside and stuffed the back with the gold (or any other color) shredded confetti paper. Tie the top with a ribbon and hang on the tree!

We make CD picture ornaments each year.
I go to the Post Office and they give me those free cds that are always around, but I can never seem to find when I need them.
The kids decorated them with glitter glue, and I put a picture of them to cover the hole in the middle.
Hot glue a ribbon on top, and you have a beautiful, inexpensive ornament. The silver color also reflects beautifuly with the Christmas lights on the tree!!
Hope this helps...
(I have also made refrigerator magnet pictures with them as well. Lots of uses for those things...)

I make gingerbread houses every year with my students! We partner up with our 4th grade buddies and they help my first graders make them. We have the lunch room save milk cartons for us and we rinse them out and save them. I also have a letter that goes home with a list of what I want and asking for donations. It is so much fun. We use frosting for the glue and have TONS of fun candy for the kids to use to decorate..it is loud and crazy but soooo much fun.

Amy

With my 4th graders. It was very simple and easy! (I found the info here on this website.)

We mixed long grain rice, a few drops of green food coloring, and Elmer's glue in a small bowl. The kids stirred it until it was mixed and then dumped it out on a piece of wax paper. I have a pattern of a circle taped to the table under the wax paper so they could see the correct size. After they dumped the mixture on the wax paper, they used their fingers to put it in a wreath shape around the circle pattern. They then washed their hands, and then put three small red beads on each side for berries. Once dry (overnight), I hotglued a paper clip hanger and one of those cheap, little red bows on the bottom of it. I will now take their picture, glue it to the back, and it'll be a Christmas picture frame ornament. So cute!

The project probably took my kids about 5 minutes to make. I did it with my small, guided reading groups. It worked well. I love the ones that are quick and easy!:s)

How about felt Christmas trees?
You can pre-cut green felt into triangles and add sequins with tacky glue. Use a popsicle stick for the base and to give stability to the back. Voila!

One of my favorite take home ornaments is a handprint santa. Using Crayola Modeling Dough that has been flattened into a pancake and dried for a day or two-trace the child's hand. They can then cut the hand out using children's scissors. The thumb goes at the top-color the thumb and top of the palm red using a sharpie pen for santa's hat. Add a stretched out cotton ball for the fur trim on the hat. Stretch out more cotton balls and stick to the fingers for Santa's beard. Use sharpie pens to draw the face. Poke a hole in the hat, add a red ribbon tied in a loop for a hanger. The foil package of Crayola Dough will do about 4 Kindergartner hands. Ask parents to make your dough pancakes.

Here's one I just made. You take two dog biscuits, one small and one big. You glue the smaller one near the top of the bigger one. Make two brown felt ears and a red tongue, glue on googly eyes and a little black puff for a nose and you have the cutest dog ornament around! Don't forget to add a red ribbon for hanging. I used hot glue but you can try school glue and just give it plenty of time to dry. I don't have a picture, but it's really cute!:s)

We make Royal icing. It's powdered sugar, water, and meringue powder.


Royal Icing Recipe
3 Tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners' sugar (about 1lb.)
6 Tablespoons warm water* Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). Recipe makes 3 cups.
NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.