Decorative Craft Ideas
1. Create beautiful aromatic pomanders wrapping an orange by sticking whole cloves into an organge. Leave gaps between the cloves and space to add a ribbon later (slightly larger than the width of the ribbon). Let the orange dry by a radiator or in an airing cupboard for a couple of weeks. Once the orange has shrunk, you can add some ribbon and hang it from the tree or on a mantlepiece.
2. Another way to use oranges as natural decorations is to slice them thinly, peel and all, and then dry them in your oven at the lowest temperature setting for a couple of hours (leaving the sliced oranges out to dry naturally is more likely to cause them to go moldy and we don't want that!). Once dried and cooled use a sharp object like a knitting needle to make a hole for ribbon or string and hang them from the tree. If you want to be able to re-use the oranges next year, give them a coat or two of varnish to exclude any moisture.
by Carolyn Muir
Fun Christmas Activities To Do With The Kids
Waiting for Santa to get here can be quite a challenge for a kid. The days in December until the 25th seem to go on forever. Make the waiting a little easier this year. Here are some fun Christmas Activities you can do with your kids all through December.
Make Getting The Christmas Tree A Family Affair
Go out and pick a Christmas tree with the kids. You can go to one of the many Christmas tree lots and let the kids help you pick out the perfect tree. Or you can even go out and cut your own tree. Many state forests have special areas that are grown just for Christmas trees and you can go out and cut your own. Of course there are also commercial Christmas tree lots that will let you cut a tree. There’s nothing more fun than to spend a winter afternoon of stomping through the woods finding the tree that’s just right.
Let Your Child Throw A Christmas Party
Arrange for a simple little Christmas party for the kids Just have your child invite a few of his or her closest friends. Turn on some Christmas music, set out some cookies and fix some hot chocolate. You can even make a simple little Christmas craft with the kids that they can take home with them.
Christmas Cards Made By The Kids
You don’t have to be the only one writing Christmas cards to friends and family members. Get the kids to make the cards for you. All you need is some construction paper as well as crayons or markers. Give them some Christmas stickers to add and the cards are ready. Recipients will love getting these handmade cards from the kids in the mail.
A Letter For Santa
Children love to write a letter to Santa. Ask younger kids what they would like to tell Santa and then have them draw or color a special picture for him to include with the letter you are writing for them. School-aged kids can write their own letter and of course include a picture for Santa as well. Put the letter and picture in an envelope, and stick it in the mailbox. Just take it back out before the mailman gets there.
Of course your kids should receive a response from Santa. You can write your own on some holiday paper, or use one of the many Santa letter services out there. Here’s one I have used in the past and have been very happy with: http://www.kinderinfo.com/santa-letter.htm
by Susanne Myers courtsey of Article Depot
Teach Youngsters the Meaning of Christmas With 5 Sensory Activities
Christmas is about family. Here is a collection of five crafts that you can make as a family to teach the true meaning and symbols of Christmas. Children will learn to identify Christmas using their five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Pick and choose the activities you think your family will best enjoy, and spread them throughout the season. Start new traditions. Most importantly, use the activities to talk as a family.
Sight Activities
Take a Christmas Lights Drive: Pile everyone in the van after dark and tour your city or a nicely decorated neighborhood. Some cities will have a town center that will be lit up. Ask your children which decorations are their favorites and why. Talk about how the twinkling lights resemble the stars. Remind them that on the night Jesus was born a new star shone in the sky, announcing his birth to the whole world. Even people in different countries knew the Christ-child was born, and some wise men traveled to find him.
Sound Activities
Christmas Caroling: Delight your neighbors by singing on their doorsteps, or just gather around the piano and sing as a family. You may even attend a community "sing-in," or another recital, or watch one on TV. Christmas carols and caroling have a somewhat obscure history. Indeed, in many countries any jovial celebrating of the holiday was outlawed until the 1700s! Caroling can be traced back to England around this period, and it was a community event. Groups would go house to house, singing in exchange for eggnog or wassail. Caroling fosters a feeling of community as we reach out to others and spread joy. Some of the most popular carols to sing are Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas.
Smell Activities
Trim the tree: Like holly, the evergreen reminds us that life will come again. The pine aroma fills our heart and mind with hopes of the year to come. If you use an artificial tree in your home, you can take your children on a walk through a Christmas tree lot. You can hang a swag, or even a branch with a fragrant pinecone.
Taste Activities
Peppermint Candy Canes: As you enjoy a candy cane with your family, point out the symbols of the shepherd's crook, and the colors. Red represents Jesus' sacrifice, and white is for his purity. When turned upside-down, the shape also becomes a "J," which can also be a reminder that Christmas is a time to remember Jesus. The mint flavoring also has seasonal significance. Hyssop, a plant in the mint family, was used in Old Testament times to purify (or cleanse) oneself. Peppermint might now remind us of Jesus' purity.
Touch Activities
Snow Angels: After a good snowfall, bundle everyone up and walk to the park or your own backyard. Demonstrate how to make snow angels by falling backward into a fresh bank. Sweep straightened arms and legs back and forth to create the wings and gown of the angel. Stand up carefully and admire everyone's work. When the family is back indoors talk about the angel Gabriel's visit to Mary, when she found out she would soon give birth to the baby Jesus. Also talk about the angel who visited the shepherds on the night Jesus was born. He said to them, "Fear not, for I bring good tidings of great joy!" Although Christ was not really born in December, it is the time chosen to celebrate his birth. During the winter all the plants seem dead, but after Christmas the world gets closer to spring when all the flowers come back to life. Jesus' birth was a promise that everyone who followed him would also live after death.
Author:
Emma Snow, creator at for Ornament Shop http://www.ornament-shop.net and Craft Kits http://www.craft-kits.net leading portals for crafts and ornaments.Courtesy of Article Depot.
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