Paper Candy Canes

I have to be honest, I am so glad this 25 day challenge is almost over. It is really hard to find time to prepare, make, and clean up a craft and edit the pictures and write the blog every single day! But I shall persevere. Today we are making Paper candy canes.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 sheet construction paper
     - red paint
     - tape
     - gold glitter glue (optional)

You will need to cut out as many candy cane shapes as you want and tape them to a paper bag or scrap paper. Use the tape to block off stripes on the candy canes, so they will stay white. The un-taped parts will be red.

Set your toddler up with the page of candy canes and some red paint. Let them paint a thin layer of red, making sure to cover all the exposed paper. Let him or her experiment with different styles and techniques of painting. Half way through, Roo discovered the "dab" technique :)

Let dry for a few minutes and remove the tape very carefully, so you don't rip the paper. If your toddler wants to add a little gold streak to the candy canes, be my guest!

Finger Print Candy Canes

These are so cute and fairly easy. They make great gifts, too!

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - Scrap paper
     - red and white paint
     - baby finger (possibly the baby, as well)

Paint your child's index finger with red paint and have them press their fingerprint in the shape of a cane, leaving space between for the white prints. Wipe off the red paint and redo with white! I would plan on making extras in case your little one accidentally messes a few up, like mine did :)

 How cute are these?

Peppermint Christmas Cookies

DAYS EIGHT AND NINE:

We spread cookie-making over 2 days because it was a pretty long affair. And faaaaaairly messy. We rolled the dough and cut the shapes the first night, and iced and sprinkled the cookies the night after. Of course, this project is pretty much self-explanatory, but we had to chronicle our experience anyhow.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 roll of cookie dough
     - Christmas cookie cutters
     - 1/2 cup frosting
     - 1 Tbspn water
     - 2 Tbspn Peppermint candies, powdered
     - Variety of sprinkles
   
I suggest making the frosting ahead of time. It is my own concoction, so feel free to change it up as you see fit-  I just happen to love peppermint! Mix the frosting, water, and powdered peppermint candies (smash with hammer until powdered). Set aside. Preheat oven as package indicates.

Time for the fun! Sprinkle the table with flour and plop the dough on there. Show your toddler how to roll the dough and then let them experiment for a while. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour and try again.

When you are ready to cut out the cookies, show your little one how to do it a few times. If yours is anything like mine, this part won't go very well :) She had fun playing in the dough, sneaking bites, and poking at it with her fingers, though!

Time to bake and, if you are ambitious enough to do this all in one night, probably time for a hot chocolate break!

For us this was night 2, decorating. This night went a whole lot better than the cookie cutting fiasco! Give your child a spoon or smooth edged spatula (probably best to leave the knives away for this one) and a bowl of frosting. Let him paint the frosting on, making a huge mess in the process. The control freak in me had the night off, and I let Roo go to town and do this part all on her own. She was actually darn good at it, too.

It seems like as this goes on, each part gets messier and, therefore, funner... or, more fun. I think funner should be a real word. Sprinkles!! Learn from my mistakes and check the holes in the sprinkle lid before handing it over to your toddler. If the holes are small enough, let them shake themselves silly. If they are too big, there will be an avalanche of colored sugar. Trust me, I know these things. In that case, pour the sprinkles in the lid and let them pinch them up and then sprinkle.

This is how Roo's cookies turned out! She did them completely on her own and she had so much fun!

Pipe Cleaner & Bead Candy Cane Ornaments

DAY FIVE:

Today we are making Candy Cane ornaments using pipe cleaners and colored beads. Again, threading is great for developing fine motor skills. This is a great craft for all ages, just make sure to watch little ones so they don't decide to munch on the beads! This kept Roo busy for a good half an hour and it even branched off into a few different things as time went on ;) (See pictures)

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - Pipe cleaners
     - red and white beads

First, cut the pipe cleaners in half. This makes it easier for little hands to work. I separated the beads in a muffin tin, but bowls work too. Fold one end of the pipe cleaner over to prevent the beads from sliding off. Let your little one slide the beads on, hopefully alternating red and white. I decided to just let her do her own thing and not worry about getting the beads in the right order. Fold the other end of the pipe cleaner to keep the beads in place and then bend in the shape of a candy cane. There you have it! The perfect gift for Grandma or Grandpa :)

After the candy cane, Roo decided she wanted to make a bracelet, so Daddy helped! Another fun way to use the same supplies.

Anddddd, after she was done with the bracelet, she wanted to sort all the beads according to color. Such a little organizer :)

VERDICT: Totally fun project. It was right up Roo's alley (she really loves all things small and detailed. This kept her busy for a long time and she found several ways to have fun with it! Here is the final product- I think Nana and Grammy will love it!