Old Christmas Card Ornaments

Did you get so many Christmas cards this year but don't want to just toss them in the trash when the season is over? That's my problem too... Here is a great way to reuse them and turn them into seriously cute ornaments.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - old cards
     - large circle (bowl, lid, etc.) to trace around
     - glue
     - glitter
     - hole punch
     - string

You can choose the size of your ornaments by tracing any circle you can find, large or small. Cut out (or if you have an older kid, have them cut out) the circle, and punch a hole at the top. Draw many thin circles of glue around the outer edge. Let your child go to "Glitter Town" as we call it. Apply extra glitter to allow for some falling off along the way.

Let dry and thread the string through. You are done! I love these :)

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!

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).

Glitter Princess Wands

Ok so this one has nothing to do with Christmas, but Roo is in a big princess phase, and while shopping for Christmas craft supplies, we came across some awesome wands and I just couldn't say no. I'm a weakling- I know.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - Pre-made foam wands from the $1 store
     - glitter glue
     - finger or acrylic paint
     - assortment of decorating choices (stickers, puffs, etc)

Now, if the store near you doesn't have these wands you can EASILY make them by cutting out a shape from foam and adding ribbons and a plastic dowel. This is a really hands off craft, even for my not-quite-2-year-old. I set her up with a little bit of paint, the wand, and some stickers and let her do her thing.

After she was done, I took the liberty of adding a glitter border to make the wands a little more "magical." Here is how they turned out:

Glitter Christmas Cards for Sandy Hook Elementary

DAY FOURTEEN:

After the devastation in Newtown, CT yesterday, we decided to send the staff and students at Sandy Hook Elementary a little Christmas Cheer. We wanted to do more then just "send prayers and love." We wanted to actually touch their hearts, to TRY to restore their faith in humanity. It isn't much and I'm sure we will be just one of millions, but it is the least we could do.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - paper for templates (1 sheet, quartered)
     - paper for cards (4 sheets, folded in half)
     - glue
     - brush
     - glitter
     - 4 large cookie cutters

Before you begin, you will need to cut out templates by tracing the cookie cutters and cutting out the INSIDE paper without damaging the outline. Place the template on top of the card. Have your child paint the glue inside the template. Remove the template and let your kiddo go to GLITTER TOWN. Make sure he puts a good amount of glitter, so you can clearly see the shape. If you are making a candy cane, use tape to block off the white areas while you use the red glitter and vice-versa. Tap the cards over the sink to remove any loose glitter. Let dry.

If your child is old enough, allow him or her to decorate the cards further with stickers and markers. Make sure to put a personal touch on the inside of the card including a first name and age or your child (if you feel comfortable with that). This gives a much more personal connection for the recipient.

If you want to reach out and comfort the hurting, and I strongly urge you to do so, please send your cards to:

Sandy Hook Elementary School

12 Dickenson Drive

Sandy Hook, CT 06482

Foam and Glitter Ornaments

DAY TWELVE:

I know we have been making a lot of ornaments lately, but they are so fun and make great gifts! Not to mention the fact that before these crafts, I only had about 10 ornaments for our tiny little tree ;)

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 Sheet of Foam paper (or as much as you want to make)
     - glue and brush
     - glitter in variety of colors

Before you begin, Google a few ornament templates and choose your favorite. Transfer the template to your foam paper and cut them out. Put a hole punch on the top of each ornament. Loosely tape each shape to a paper bag.

Let your toddler paint on the glue. You want a good amount so the glitter can stick, and you can't take too long or the glue will dry.

Then let your little one shake the glitter like a polaroid picture crazy. Hopefully your floor won't be covered when you are done like mine was! You can do each one a different color, all multi-colored, or even create patterns if you have an older child. Roo's ended up all multi-colored, not surprisingly.

After you and your child are satisfied with them, take them outside and spray them with a clear adhesive. This will prevent the glitter from flaking off any time you touch or move them. Let them dry overnight. Loop a 5-6 inch ribbon through the hole punch and hang on the tree!

Recycled Reindeer

DAY TEN:

Today is another project using leftovers. I just wrapped all the Christmas presents with paper grocery bags (cute, free, and good for the earth!), and I had all the handles left over. I knew I could use them to make a cute craft, so I created this reindeer.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - Paper plate
     - 1 red pom (or reuse a lid and paint it red)
     - 2 grocery bag handles
     - brown craft/acrylic paint
     - 2 quarter sized white circles
     - 2 hole punch sized black circles

This is another quick and easy project. Set your toddler up with a small amount of brown paint and a brush. Loosely tape the plate to a paper bag to avoid getting paint on your table. Let your little one paint the plate to their heart's content.

Time to take a break while the paint dries a little. Then, apply the glue in the right place for the nose and eyes to go. Let your little one put the nose and eyes in place. Your reindeer might end up with googley eyes if you don't turn them to face the same direction. Again, let dry.

 Meanwhile, you have to do some antler-makin'. Unfold the bag handles and cut one in half. Use tape or glue to position the 2 halves on the 1 whole, as seen below. Staple the antlers to the back of the plate and paint over the staple marks to hide them. There you have it!

AFTERTHOUGHT: You could totally make this into a mask by attaching a stretchy cord to the sides and cutting out eye holes. How fun! We will do this after the holidays are over.

Felt Stocking

DAY SIX:

I originally wanted to do a Christmas Tree for Roo to decorate, but my store only had red felt sheets, so I had to work with it.

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 Sheet red felt
     - 4-5 Cotton balls (left over from Cotton Ball Snowman)
     - mini pom balls, assorted colors
     - tacky glue

Before you start, cut out a stocking from the felt sheet. Pour some tacky glue on a plate. Instruct your toddler to "dip" the cotton balls and place on the stocking, lining the top. Then let her continue dipping and placing the mini poms on their  stocking as they desire.

Daddy even helped, too!

The final product!

VERDICT: I give this project an A+! It cost less than $1 for the supplies and there are countless ways to change it up- different shapes and different decorations. This makes it easy to adapt this to any holiday/season and you can use anything you have on hand to decorate!

Christmas Paper Chain

DAY TWO:

Making a paper chain is an easy, cheap activity that is really good for your little one to practice hand-eye coordination. If yours is anything like mine, it will turn into a necklace at finish! Hey, nothing wrong with a little bling, am I right?

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 2 pieces red construction paper
     - 2 pieces green construction paper
     - glue stick

Before starting, cut the papers into strips. Let your toddler "color" one end of a paper strip with the glue stick. Then, fold into a circle. Repeat until finished.

Since Roo is pretty young, we did this in assembly line fashion. She glued and I chained. If your toddler is older and more capable, let them do it by themselves after you show them how.

VERDICT: It went over well, but would probably be suited for at least 2 or 3 year olds. She loved gluing the paper, but couldn't link them together quite yet. Regardless, it turned out well and she has fun shaking it around and scaring the dog :/