CHRISTMAS TREE CRAFT

Christmas tree craft is an easy project to make for kids and lots of fun to decorate.  A great craft for groups as it can be simple for younger kids to decorate, and more complex for older kids. 

Kids can glue pom poms on their trees which is fun, easy and fairly neat. You can also cut circles out of glitter sticky back foam or purchase stickers such as circle shape price stickers or snowflakes. There are lots of different ways to decorate trees, you can glue on different fancy trims and ribbons, or make different size circles to fit over a tree formed out of pipe cleaners or trims, create stars, apply glitter, hand made paper ornaments, and of course paint which looks great but not always easy when working with a large group.  There are lots of possibilities and the only thing to keep in mind is the weight of the tree as it is not super strong.  See below for materials and tips.

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Blank trees, ready for kids (or adults of course) will look like these.  I used found twigs for tree trunks because I like the character of the twigs and the way they are all different but you can use dowels if you prefer.  Tree is basically a wooden base with 1/4" drilled hole, twig and 7" kraft paper cone painted with green acrylic paint.  Leaving the tree Kraft and not painting green also looks great, especially if decorating with white and gold.  This bunch of trees was for young kids so I choose to paint them green, for more kid appeal.

Materials ~

Scrap wood for base, appx 2" high, 3x3, 3x4, 4x4 etc...choose what you like.  

Hot Glue or strong glue

Twigs or dowels, appx 1/4" x about 8 to 10" long

Kraft paper cones, 7 " high or size you prefer.  You can make cones if you want to but I purchased these cones from Oriental Trading because they are so inexpensive.  They are actually Kraft Confetti Cones...handed out for weddings etc.   They are probably also sold at party supply stores.

They are not heavy but they are sturdy enough for this project.  You will also be reinforcing them a bit by stuffing with crumpled up news paper or paper towels.

A cardboard circle (appx 3" across) to fit inside of tree about an inch from the bottom edge to hold newspaper and stem in place.

Green acrylic paint, tacky glue, and little sticks for kids to apply glue.

Assortment of small size Pom Poms, and glitter Pipe Cleaners for tree top star. 

 

Cut your little wood blocks and drill hole.  

Stuff some newspaper in the tree forming a little hole or opening for the tree stem as you go.  Push twig or dowel in center of newspaper and work it in a bit making sure it is fairly far up in tree and as center as possible.  Put a little hot glue in here and there for extra hold.  Cut a cardboard circle to fit inside tree with a little hole in center for tree stem and push piece up snugly into tree to hold all in place.  Add a little glue around the edge of the circle.

Put a little glue in the wood base hole for the twig stem and hold it in place a bit to make sure it is secure.  You may have to trim your twig a bit to fit the hole.  Add a little extra glue around the twig.

Paint tree green and trim the tree top just a tiny bit to make sure the little star will fit.

To make stars, bend pipe cleaner as shown in the picture ~ 5 little points, and 2 ends, one a bit longer.  After making points, bring around to join ends, then twist the shorter end of the piece around the opposite end, leaving the longer end as it is.  It will look funny but work it a bit into a star shape with the long stem straightened out, in center of bottom 2 star points.  You will have to sort of push the bottom part of the star in at center, leaving long piece ready to stick in tree top.  Practice.

Put some tacky glue in little plates etc for gluing pom poms.  Have kids use tooth picks or any little sticks for applying glue to tree for each pom pom.  This is much easier for kids than glue bottles.  Stick star in tree top.

Remember, you can try lots of different ways of decorating trees, even paint which has lots of possibilities but easier to manage with older kids or just a small group.

 

ROCK SNOWMEN CRAFT

Rock Snowmen are so easy to make and kids love them.  Find or buy some smooth round or oval pebbles or rocks, any size you like.  Pick ones that have a bit of a flat top and bottom so you can glue them together.
After making good pairs, glue them together with a very strong glue.
When rocks are dry, paint them with a few coats of white Gesso or any white house paint or acrylic.  I like the way Gesso covers.
You can make some hats if you like and you can cut some fabric pieces for scarves and mittens if you like.  To keep it simple give kids markers for face, buttons, twig arms etc.  You can also use acrylic paints.

KIDS HOLIDAY WINDOW PAINTING ~ SNOWMEN

Painting on the windows is a fun and easy project for kids to do at holiday times.  Tempera paints work best (not the cheap brands and not the "washable" as they will not cover well enough).  Kids can help plan their design on paper first and depending on ages and abilities, an adult can help get things started.

We decided each girl (3 of them) would make the snowman she wanted to make.  One was a baseball player, one doing a cartwheel and one was holding a present.  I outlined the word "Joy" in red and then each girls painted in a different color.  

For the snowmen I provided some help outlining but the girls did the rest, and then they added snow.  Window looks great and the girls love seeing their work outside for all to enjoy.  Cleaning the windows later takes a little effort but that's what parents are for.

PAPER MACHE REINDEER

Paper Mache Reindeer are easy to make and fun for kids to paint.  To make reindeer you will need the following materials ~

2 different size cardboard tubes, one a bit smaller for head.  You can make reindeer any size you like. The tubes I used were 2 inch and 1 inch.

Glue Gun (you can use tacky or another strong glue but you will have to hold the head in place to let it dry a bit, glue gun works best here), masking tape, scissor, sharp knife, large needle or kitchen metal skewer (something to poke holes in reindeer with), white paint or Gesso, dowels or lollypop sticks for legs  (wood or cardboard), twigs for antlers, any size you like, fancy or simple.  Liquid starch for paper mache which can be found at most large markets or Smart and Final.

I like to use acrylic paints on paper mache but you can also use tempera or poster paints.  Tempera is a little too chalky looking so I prefer acrylics.  You can buy those little 2 ounce bottles at any craft store and they work great.  If you are working with kids, be sure to tell them it's okay to paint their reindeer any way they choose...even blue with stripes.

Mark and cut your body and head pieces.  I use a sharp knife for cutting most cardboard as it's easier than scissors but be careful.  For these reindeer, the body was cut 6 inches long and the head, 3.  Next you need to cut circles out of tag board or cardboard to fit and close the ends of your tube pieces.  Tape in place with masking tape.  Now you can cover both pieces with a layer of paper mache.  I prefer torn newspaper strips dipped in liquid starch but you can use a different method if you prefer, such as water and glue which drives me nuts.  After dry, paint white with Gesso.  You can use a white acrylic paint or even a white house paint but I like Gesso and if you do a lot of paper mache, you will see it covers the best.  

After Gesso is dry, with sharp knife, poke small holes where legs will go.  Better to make hole too small and force the leg in a bit, it will be more secure.  When all 4 dowels are in place you can add some hot glue or tacky glue around the area where legs are inserted, for extra security. 

Cut about a 1/2" slit in the head where you will be attaching it to the body about 1/2" from one end.  Open the cut up a bit with your knife so it will fit on to the body piece.  Put some hot glue around the cut and to the end so it will stick to the body.  Place the head on the body as shown in the photo and hold it in place a bit till dry. If you prefer, you can skip making the head at a bit of an angle and just glue it on straight to the body as shown in the very first picture.  It works and is a little easier.

To add antlers, poke 2 small holes in top of head about 1/2" apart.  A large needle will work but I like those little metal skewers used for closing your turkey. Be careful as this little guy is not that strong.  Work your twigs in and after adjusting them a bit, add some hot glue to make them secure, 

Ready for painting.  I prefer acrylics and if you want to you can add a clear gloss acrylic finish. If kids are painting be sure to encourage them to paint their deer any colors they choose and have fun.  You can add pom pom for nose, eyes, and glitter as well.