Three Easy Christmas Crafts to Make (or Not)
Not to be all hum-buggy, but I have to confess that I don’t really like doing crafts that much. As an artist, I love painting, drawing, making art – so you would think I would love making crafts. Not so much. They’re messy and glue-y and glittery and gloppy. I don’t have the patience for the attention to detail required in the construction of a well-made craft. I think that crafting, while creative, is more product-oriented than process-oriented. I’m more about the process. Not that crafting isn’t creative. It is – and if you’re clever enough to come up with your own creative craft, then you’re amazing.
And then there’s the guilt. Why is it that handmade craft suggestions always pop up around the holidays when you’re the busiest? Making something by hand for everyone you know is a lovely thought – and for those who do it, you’re amazing. Handmade items are always appreciated – or they should be. It might be possible to enlist your kids in helping make some crafts. Kids kind of enjoy the glue-y, gloppy, glitteriness of making things. Give it a try.
To get you started, here are a few decorative items that I found that seem fairly simple to construct. They could be used on your holiday table, sitting or hanging in windows, on packages or on your tree. I’ve done my share of crafts with kids – and if my kids wanted to do them with me, I would enjoy that. But my husband and my dog are the only ones at home right now. My husband would just be puzzled if I asked him to make something (that’s a scary thought), and my dog doesn’t have an interest unless it involves food. So, readers, I leave it to you to make the crafts this year. If you have any fun crafts to make, share them with us!
Popsicle Stick Tree Ornament
Image from onelittleproject.com
I found this one at onelittleproject.com. It’s a take on the old popsicle stick painted triangle tree that I’ve made before. I think this one looks nicer. (The wrapped yarn ornaments on this site are pretty cool, too). You just paint the popsicle sticks whatever color you want. You will have to cut the ones going crosswise across the trunk. Decorate with stick-on rhinestones or glitter. Use foam sticker stars at the top. I’ve included a two photos from onelittleproject.com, one of how to put the hanging loop at the top of your tree, and one of the finished product.
You can find a video of how to create the ornaments on the site if you need a visual.
Image from onelittleproject.com
Pinecone Christmas Trees
I have a lot of pinecones from the trees in my backyard, so I’m drawn to pinecone crafts. This one is so simple. Like onelittleproject.com, this site – elementaryartfun.blogspot.com – has tons of fun ideas to do with your kids. The “tree” is a painted pinecone (no one says they must be green). The base is simply a small circle of plaster from a craft store. Stick the trees in and wait 15-20 minutes for it to thicken. Once the tree is standing in its plaster spot, kids can decorate it with pieces of old jewelry, glitter, beads, etc. A tiny, glittery foam star on top makes everything festive.
Image from elementaryartfun.blogspot.com
Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Again with the popsicle sticks?! Who knew you could make so many things with a simple, flat, brown stick? I saw this idea on several sites. (Honestly, most of the ideas were on several sites). The photo came from theartkitblog.com. All you do to make these colorful snowflakes is paint the craft sticks whatever color or colors you like. You only need four per snowflake. Once they’re dry, glue them together to make the shape as shown. Hint: I would put some kind of thin string or ribbon loop in the middle when I glued the sticks together so you have a way to hang them. Decorate with stick-on jewels, glitter, puff paint, sequins or whatever you can come up with.
These would be lovely on wrapped packages, hanging from a window or from your tree.
Image from theartkitblog.com
