Although the mess isn’t always welcome, crafting with the family is always fun. It brings you together, builds a bond and helps you have quality time without screens or work interfering.
You can make useful things or keepsakes, and you can reminisce in years to come about the fun you used to have making a mess!
Christmas crafts are some of my favourite. There’s nothing better than seeing a beloved grandparent open up something that the children made, or had a hand in making, and you know that what you’ve given them will be saved and treasured forever.
So, what are the best things you can do this December?
I’ve put together a list of my favourites to give you a little inspiration.
3D Dough
Not only does this look awesome, but it’s so easy to do you’ll only have to supervise the making and cooking parts. To create 3D Dough, you’ll need salt and flour in equal measures and enough water to turn them into a pancake mix consistency. Then you’ll need to whisk like your life depends on it so you’ve got no lumps. Then you use a bottle (an old washing up liquid bottle is perfect) with a nozzle lid and create your design. Once you’re all done, simply put the paper in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until the flour mixture is dry and watch it fluff up! You can even use colouring or glitter in your flour mixture to add a little magic and sparkle.
Take a look here for inspiration
Mitten Cards
Again, these are so easy but so effective. Simply, all you do is fold a piece of card (in any colour you like) in half and draw a mitten shape by the fold. Then cut the mitten out, being careful not to cut the actual fold and you have a double mitten which you can then use as a card. You can give the children colouring pens, crayons, paints or every textiles and glitter to decorate their very own Christmas cards.
There are some great ideas on Pinterest
Pompom Shapes
These are really easy and so effective, you can pretend they were shop bought! Simply cut out cardboard shapes of candy canes, wreaths, Christmas puddings and anything else you like, and use modge podge glue and coloured pompoms to make gorgeous decorations in any colour you like. This time of year you can find glittery and multicoloured pompoms to give your decorations something a little different, and depending on your tastes, you don’t have to stick to traditional colours either!
Lollipop Stick Trees
To make fabulous Christmas trees, you’ll need lollipop sticks (which you can either get by eating lollies or you can buy the sticks from a craft shop) and green paint. Once your sticks are green, simply chop them to size and stick them together. Then use buttons, beats or stick-on jewels to decorate. Although you’ll need to be quite involved with the actual making of the tree, the little ones can have tons of fun with the decorating.
Don’t stop at just christmas trees, you can make lots of other festive items too.
Reindeer Footprints
These are easily a favourite, especially if you have young children or this is baby’s first Christmas and it’s so easy to do it’s untrue. Simply paint your tiny feet with brown paint and press them firmly onto a sheet of paper or a ready folded card. Then add antlers and a red nose et voilla, you have a ready-made Rudolph as well as a keepsake for all time!
Take a look on Pinterest for an idea of how to do it.
