Christmas Craft Ideas - Cards and Gifts

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat,
Please to put a penny in the old man's hat,'
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

   School is out, and you've got kids to keep busy ! You'll either get fat right along with that goose, because of stress-induced overeating, or you'll drop pounds at an amazing rate, because of stress-induced undereating. Of course, there is a third possibility. You could make it successfully through to the big day, with a minimum of frazzled nerves and a gaggle of your own happy little goslings.You need to give this a little bit of time, but planned activity will do the trick a whole lot better than hours in front of the idiot tube will. Depending on the activities you undertake, it might accomplish something as well, like helping the kids to learn that there really is more to the season than just commercialism.
    Start with cards to send. Sit down with your child(ren), and make a list of all the relatives they'll see at the family get-together on Christmas. If that list is too big, narrow it down. How about just their grandparents, or just their cousins? Make a few adjustments until they're right with the list,
cause each name will be the recipient of a home-made card. Now gather your materials.

Post Cards

   Head off to the nearest craft goods store, and buy a package of blanks. Include some clear-drying, non-toxic glue and some sprinkle-on sparkles. Penny wise? Cut several cards the same size from an old box, like the one last year's shirt for dad came in, that you kept "just in case". Now sit the kids down with an array of crayons, pencil crayons, and markers. If you have them work in green and red, even the efforts of the littlest ones will still look decidedly festive! After the design is drawn on, a few accents can be made with the glue. (Just splop a little here and there.) Shake on some glitter right away wherever you put the glue. Let the card sit to dry, then gently blow off the excess glitter. Done!

Folded Cards

   The simplest folded cards start with a piece of construction paper folded in half. That's all it takes. More ambitious? Fold your own out of 8.5 x 11 paper Use plain white, or start bright with some printer paper in bold colours, that you can buy at Staples, or any like place. Use the same technique as for the post cards, or consider a variation on the theme. If your artist is really gifted, have him/her produce one on the folded section that will be the front, then head off to a printer and have the right number of copies made. That way junior's cards look more like the boxed sets you buy, and it can feel very important to some of the younger set to be doing things the "grown-up way". When you get them back home, the insides of the card have to be decorated and personalized. Use stickers - some places sell them by the weight unit in bags which should last forever ... or at least long enough for all the cards to be finished! Did you save any of the cards you received last year? If you didn't, it's a good habit to get into. If you did, let the kids pick the pictures or motifs they like, cut them out, and glue them onto their creation. You could also let them cut from scraps of wrapping paper and glue on whatever they choose. If you fold standard size paper, you can buy a package of envelopes that will fit the cards, and then the envelopes can be decorated as well, especially if they will be hand-delivered on the big day and you don't have to worry about the post office reading the address through a plethora of stars and stickers. "Play these cards well" and the kids can be happily occupied for the whole afternoon, or for a few sessions spread out over a couple of days.

For the Super-Creative (or Brave!)

   Get an ink pad, or several in different colours. Have the artist press their index finger or thumb firmly onto the pad, and then straight down onto the paper. No rolling or moving those fingers, Straight down, and straight up! Practise runs on scrap paper first are a good idea. Now what do you see in that finger print? Use a fine-tipped marker, and draw on two ears, some whiskers and two eyes, and you'll have a mouse. Give him a wee Christmas hat to wear. Feeling really inspired? Use your fanciest handwriting (Calligraphy?) to write in the line "not a creature was stirring, not even this mouse!". Maybe your thumb print will take just a few details to become Santa, or a reindeer, or an apple or a pineapple, or ... the list is endless.

If you tackle the card making and things are going great, don't stop there! Here are a couple of easy-make, real hands-on gifts for your little elves to create for the special people on their lists.

Smell Pretties

These are really old-fashioned sachets to scent a dresser drawer, but kids get more of a giggle out of the above name.
   A fabric store or a store like Wal-mart is the place to buy the needed supplies. Start with Christmas-print fabrics, and buy .2 metres (18 inches long) to make approximately 6 sachets. How many people are on the list, and how many beautiful prints are there? If your budget allows, stop at a craft store before you head home and buy some of the special-edged scissors available. Otherwise, use ordinary scissors or pinking shears. You also need to purchase potpourri or scented bath salts.
   At home, you can use several approaches to getting the fabric ready. You might need to cut the fabric yourself for the younger children, but if your little craftmeister can handle cutting fabric,trace 15 cm (6") circles on the fabric. You can even let them use a plate of the right size, and trace around the plates themselves.
Spoon one or two tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of the potpourri or bath salts into the centre of the fabric circle.
Help them to tie the smell pretties snugly with narrow ribbon, or fancy lace, or even some left-over hem lace. They're ready to give!

Soapy Soaps

   You need Ivory Snow flakes, some food colouring, and a pair of willing hands. That's the basic list, but you might also use molds or cookie cutters and plastic wrap.
Mix 75 ml (5 tbsp) of warm water in a bowl with food colouring . The more colouring, the deeper the colour of the soap. The less you use, the more pastel the soap will be. Gradually stir in about 500 ml (2 cups) of Ivory Snow. Squeeze and knead it thoroughly. (Kids love that part.) You're after a play-dough consistency that's not sticky.
To shape, simply roll it into balls, or let the crafter's imagination take free form. Alternatives are to press the mix into a mold lined with plastic wrap for easy removal later, or pat it out flat and use the cookie cutters to cut it into shapes.
Set the soaps aside in a cool, dry place and leave them for two or three days to be sure they're properly dried and hardened. Make these tomorrow and they'll be ready in time to go under the Christmas tree!


   Come back tomorrow. I promise I'll have some more ideas for you. If you can give the time to these projects, you'll accomplish several things with them. There's nothing to make a little one feel better than having Mom or Dad all to themselves for a few hours, especially if Mom or Dad sit down and make some of the same items right along with them. You'll show your child that there is more to the season than just heading off to the nearest store and taking out your wallet. You'll give them a chance to experience pride in their own accomplishments, and feel the joy of giving a bit of themselves when they present their handmade treasures. Grandmas and Grandpas can usually be counted on to love the present no matter what it might look like to more critical eyes. Be sure while you are working with them to reserve your criticism, too. Remember, the joy is in the giving and the Lord does love a cheerful giver. The gift does not have to be "perfect" by commercial standards, only by the measure of how much love went into its making.