Reindeer with Shapes

My daughter came up to me this morning and asked if we could do a craft. Of course we can! So I looked through my archive of craft activities and found one that we didn't get a chance to complete before Christmas.

This adorable Reindeer craft uses basic shapes to make a fun and simple craft for toddlers.

(Click on pic to make larger)

Materials:
construction paper
glue stick
scissors
googly eyes

Directions:
1) Cut out shapes of varying sizes to make three reindeer faces.
2) Separate the materials needed for each reindeer into piles.
3) Starting with the largest reindeer (or what my daughter calls the daddy reindeer), have your child glue the nose, eyes, and antlers onto the head. Repeat with the other (mommy and baby) reindeer.
4) Once all of the reindeer are put together, have your child stack them on a piece of construction paper from smallest to largest and glue down.

***My toddler is getting good at using a glue stick by herself but I'm always right next to her to help out if she gets frustrated.

While making crafts, I ask learning questions to enrich the activity.

Learning Questions:
What shapes do you see?
What shape are the reindeer's eyes?
Where should the reindeer's nose go?
How many eyes (nose, antlers) do reindeer have?
How many sides does a square (rectangle, circle) have?
Which reindeer is the largest(medium size, smallest)?

(Click on pic to make larger)

For a step by step tutorial of this need craft, see Housing a Forest.

Happy Crafting!

Simple Personalized Christmas Stockings

Christmas is almost here! Having family come in town over the holidays always adds to the excitement. Since our family members are kind enough to make the trip to our house for the holidays, I like to make sure that Christmas is extra special for them. One thing I like to do for my guests is to make each one of them a personalized Christmas stocking. Here is a simple way to make cute personalized stockings. Once finished, don't forget to fill them with treats!

Materials:

Inexpensive stockings ($1.99 each from Walmart)

Scrap Fabric

4 inch letters in your favorite font

Heat N Bond Iron on Adhesive

Scissors

Pencil

Iron

Directions:

I cut out 4 inch letters using the Storybook font with my cricut.

You can also print out letters onto cardstock or purchase traceable letters from a craft store.

Lay the letters backward onto the Heat N Bond paper side.

Trace the letters with a pencil.

Cut a block out around each traced letter.  

Lay out letter blocks onto the wrong-side of the fabric.

Using medium-high heat, press with an iron for several seconds.

Let cool.

Cut out fabric letters.

Remove the paper backing from the fabric. 

This should leave a shiny side to the back of the fabric.

Place letters onto stockings.

I placed my letters about 3 inches below the trim on the stocking.

Using a iron again, press the letter adhering it to the stocking.

(See picture below before ironing.) 

I recommend using a cloth between the iron and stocking to prevent damage.

Finished!!!

Note: In the past, I've also added a matching fabric trim to the stocking

but this year I liked the trim that was already on the stocking.

Happy Crafting!

Keeping Christmas Simple Four Gift Rule

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded that Christmas is just around the corner and that the gift-giving season is upon us. I love finding the perfect Christmas gift for each of my loved ones and seeing the joy on their faces when they open their presents.

My daughter has reached the age where she can tell me what she wants for Christmas. This year I helped her write out a Christmas wish list and had her walk through Target checking out the latest toys.  As she walked through the toy department, I mentally kept track of which toys she played with and which she ignored.

 Just for fun, here is my two year old's Christmas Wish List. 

I love how she just asked for simple things. 

Her list is a reminder that my kiddos don't need or want as much as I think they do.

With all this gift buying preparation, I started wondering, "How many of these toys should she get for Christmas? How many presents do you give your children? How do I decide which of all these items should I purchase? How can I give my children what they want/need without breaking the bank?

If you're like me and want to provide your children with a nice Christmas but do not want to go overboard, you may want to try this "Four Gift Rule".

This gift-giving rule is great because it provides all of the essentials for your children and alleviates the wasteful spending. It reminds me to keep the presents I buy balanced between what they need vs. want and what is fun vs. educational.

I know when my kids are teenagers, they will probably make using this rule difficult.They will want the latest electronic device or video game but for now I'm going to use it. Let's keep Christmas simple. Reduce the time spent on gift buying and increase time spent enjoying your family.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Crafting!

Personalized Video From Santa

This will be a new Christmas tradition in our house! 

(Do not click on picture.)

Watching a personalized video from Santa will definitely get you in the holiday spirit! You can make a Personalized video from Santa to share with your children and the rest of your family. Did I mention is it FREE! There will be offers to upgrade for a fee but I didn't opt for any of those. 

I've already made a Santa video for my daughter and can't wait for her to watch it. I will probably show it to her Thanksgiving night or the day after but that is probably the longest I'll be able to wait. 

Click on the link http://www.portablenorthpole.com/home and have fun creating a wonderful Christmas memory for your family. 

Merry Christmas!

Happy Crafting!

Elf on the Shelf Tutu Tutorial

So excited to start Elf on the Shelf with my daughter this year. She chose to adopt a little girl elf. The little elf was purchased along with the book online.When "Elf" (the completely original name given by my daughter) arrived I was a little disappointed with the her outfit. It was pretty plain and not very festive.

Something had to be done. Before my daughter woke up one morning, 

I constructed a new addition to Elf's outfit. 

She now has an adorable new tutu to wear! It's perfect for a spunky little Christmas elf!

                                                      DRAB                                                       

            

FAB!

Doesn't she just glisten with her sparkly new tutu?!

Here's what you need to make a little tutu for your Christmas elf.

Materials:

Scrap Fabric (red sparkly, green, white- 

need less than 1/8 yard of each color.)

Rotary cutter

Rotary Mat

Ruler

Ponytail Holder

 Directions: 
Cut scrap pieces to 4 inch by 6 inch strips.

 Cut out 4 red, 4 green, and 8 white strips.

 Here are my stacks of tulle ready to tie.

Place pony tail holder around Elf's waist.

To make the tutu, you will tie each piece of tulle to the pony tail holder by following these simple steps:
Fold the tulle in half.
Place folded part under pony tail holder.
Make a loop at the top.
Push end pieces of tulle through loop and pull tight.

Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't take long to tie all of the pieces.

I used a red, white, green, white pattern.

 When the tutu is finished remove it from the elf. Make sure the tied knots are about the same size and evenly spaced. Trim up any extra long pieces of tulle.

(Remember to fluff up the tulle so that it looks more full.)

  Replace tutu around your elf's waist and smile, 

because this little elf will have lots of nice things to say to Santa Clause tonight!

Enjoying the morning sun. 

Ready for her favorite two year old to wake up!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Happy Crafting!

"Believe" Christmas Pillow

Sometimes a single word can speak volumes.


BELIEVE


Believe.....in the joy
Believe.....in the spirit
Believe.....in the true meaning 
Of Christmas

Believe in Christmas this year.
In a previous post, I walked you through how to make a personalized name pillow.
You can can make personalized name pillows for every
name, holiday, and special occasion.

Here is the pillow that I made with my mom for Christmas this year. 

Check out the tutorial for step by step instructions on how to make a personalized pillow.

Here are some notes about making this particular pillow:

• Use a variety of Christmas fabrics that coordinate well together. 
• Use a mix of busier prints as well as simpler prints.
• The use of multiple fonts within one word gives it a more modern look.
• The Star was made from yellow scrap fabric and adds a nice pop to the pillow.
• The presents with the ribbon were a last minute idea which gives a nice 3D touch.
• In hindsight, I would add trim to the outside of the white background to frame up the word a little better.
• If you have any questions, just ask!

Happy Crafting!

Christmas Card Garland

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is sending and receiving cards. Every year, I hang our Christmas cards around the backdoor with tape. It looks cute and festive but I knew there had to be a better way. Here is Christmas Card Garland that my mom and I designed together. The pictures really do not give this garland justice. Each light bulb is glittery and sparkly and holds a Christmas card.

Christmas Card Garland

I received my inspiration from 

http://werethejoneses.blogspot.com/2010/11/1-christmas-card-holder.html.

 Materials:

scissors

laundry clips (medium size)

ribbon/rope (9 ft)

marker

Felt (glittery white, glittery red, dark grey, light grey)

light bulb stencil (made my own)

hot glue gun

Directions:

Trace 24 light bulbs onto dark grey felt with the stencil.

Cut the end off of the light bulb stencil and trace 12 white light bulbs and 12 red light bulbs.

Cut out several very skinny strips of light grey felt. Cut light grey strips into 48 little pieces. Do not stress over making the pieces the perfect size, just cut the pieces about an inch or so long and trim them later after gluing onto bulbs.

Here is a look at what the pieces look like for each Christmas light bulb. 

Carefully, hot glue the white and red felt pieces on top of dark grey and the light grey pieces across the top. 

(I tried to use Elmer's or craft glue, but neither worked.)

Space out the 24 laundry clips across the ribbon/rope. Hot glue into place.

Hot glue the bulbs (alternating red and white) onto the laundry clips.

Once cooled, hang with green garland or by itself on a doorway and add your Christmas cards!

Merry Christmas!

Happy Crafting!