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!

Recycled Glitter Ornaments

After wrapping all the Christmas presents and cooking the dinner, we had a lot of ribbon spools and plastic lids left over. So we put them to good use!

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - left over lids or ribbon spools
     - spray paint primer
     - glitter glue
     - 4 4-6 inch ribbons

Before you being, punch/cut/drill a hole in any materials that don't already have one. Spray the spools and lids with paint primer and let dry completely. Let your toddler make their own creations with mixing colors and techniques using the glitter glue. Roo couldn't quite figure out how to draw with the glue so we switched to painting, which she did really well.

After the ornaments are covered, let dry. Add the string and hang.

After the ornaments are covered, let dry. Add the string and hang.

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!

Stained Glass Ornaments

DAY ELEVEN:

Yes I am a day behind.. We had a very busy day Tuesday, so today we will do 2 crafts to catch up. Today's activity is something I spotted at the Dollar Store while I was hunting for Stocking Stuffers. Nothing beats a craft with no prep for only $1!

WHAT YOU NEED:
     - 1 Stained glass ornament kit (from $1 store)
     - tape

Just a note, it took me about 20 minutes, 2 knives and a bandaid :( to open the stinkin' paint palette. Loosely tape each ornament to a paper bag to avoid slippage. What worked for us was opening only one color at a time. That way Roo could paint a little of each color on all the ornaments without mixing the colors and ending up with 8 brown ones. After each color, rinse the brush and color section with water to avoid "cross-contamination." Let dry overnight and string them.

Roo REALLY liked this craft. It really surprised me how she was actually painting one part on purpose (see above, top section of the ornament, stars on the sleigh, and the snowman's hat, etc.) instead of just painting everywhere. At one point she even said "Hands! Hands! Hat!" as she painted the snowman's 2 hands and hat. Proud mom moment!

Here is the final product. As you can see, you get what you pay for. This project is great for entertainment value, but don't expect to get a good result. We had so much fun with this, I didn't really care that the colors were so weak and cracked. Disclaimer: I did the Christmas tree (below) and it didn't turn out much better than Roo's! :)

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!