Handprint Christmas Tree

I'll admit, I have no "during the project" pictures for this one, because we did this while T was at work and I'm not Superwoman. Painting my toddler's hand and doing the handprints was job enough for me without trying to take a picture of it, too :)

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - green paint
     - paper bag or large construction paper
     - yellow paper or paint
     - baby hand (baby is optional)

There is a hard way and an easy way to do this. Let's say I learned the hard way. Set the paint and paper up and paint your toddler's dominant hand liberally. You want to make sure you have enough room to do three handprints across the bottom. Reapply paint as needed. Top the bottom row with 2 handprints in the middle row. Follow with one handprint on the top. Let dry and add a star (paint, paper, whatever you choose) and a tree trunk, if desired.

Red Christmas Tree

This craft uses a left over template from some Christmas gifts I made and leftover poms from several other crafts we have done. Roo loved that the tree wasn't green like it usually is. She finds it funny when things are silly colors.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 cardboard "tree" shape
     - red paint
     - tacky glue
     - a few poms

This craft is really plain and simple. Let your toddler paint the tree to their heart's content. Let dry for a few minutes.

Let your toddler decorate with poms and glue. Roo says "boop" with each pom she adds :)

Spaghetti Ornaments

This one is pretty unusual but my girl loved it!

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 cup cooked spaghetti
     - red and green paint
     - glue
     - waxed paper
     - glitter (optional)

Mix about 1 tsp paint and 1 tsp glue with half of the spaghetti, and do the same with the other color and other half of the spaghetti. Draw two circles on the waxed papers and have your toddler transfer the noodles to the 2 circles and arrange them however they want! If you want to add glitter, do so when the paint is still wet.

Let dry overnight or longer. Add a string through a strong part of the ornament and hang on the tree. Now, these aren't the most "attractive" ornaments we've made, but Roo sure had a ton of fun messing around in the noodles!

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?

Bubble Wrap Christmas Tree

This is a super cute, really easy craft. Also, you can adapt it for so many different Christmas themes (Santa, Wreath, etc.) and colors.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - Bubble Wrap
     - Paint and brush
     - construction paper or paper bag

Before you begin, cut out the shape of the Tree. Set your child up with the Bubble Wrap and paint and instruct them to cover the wrap with paint. Let them play around with this for a while, the more paint the better.

Place the Tree on top of the Bubble Wrap and press firmly. Your child can help rub the back of the Tree to transfer the paint. Gently remove the tree and let dry.

If you want, you can decorate the tree or add a cute star on the top like we did (ok, I did that part haha).

Thumbprint Christmas Lights

DAY THIRTEEN:

Super excited about this craft. This is something you can redo every year and see how your child grows!

What you need:
     - acrylic or finger paint (at least 4 colors)
     - sharpie
     - 1 baby thumb (if the rest of the kid is attached, that works too)
     - paper

Before you start, draw a squiggly line from one end of the paper to the other. This will be the strand for the lights. Put only a few drops of each color of paint in a shallow container. We used baby food lids and introduced only one color at a time to avoid mass chaos making a mess. Depending on how old your child is, they can do the next part on their own or you can help them. Dip your toddler's thumb or index finger in the paint and position the print just above the strand line. Do a few of each color.

Let the paint dry completely. For us, this turned into a perfect opportunity to make a family painting, using the rest of the paint. Roo hijacked all artistic attempts and we turned out with this masterpiece! 

After the paint has dried, ground the floating light bulbs to the strand. I added Roo's name, age, and the date so we can keep this as a memory :)