Christmas Decorations to make at home (Full Version)

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AthenaSurrenders -> Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 3:03:08 AM)

I know it's early, quit your moaning.

I need to get started early, because most of our decorations are going to be home made this year. We need tot-safe things which greatly limits our choices. We're also going to be sending some to family in the USA and they need to be in the mail a month from now, so it's time to start.

Any ideas for simple but fun decorations? We don't do a nice classy themed tree, we go all out and kitsch; things clash. So any and all styles are good. Bonus for anything that a tiny person can help with.

Does anyone do home made gifts for the holidays? It occurs to me that now is the time to get started if we want to do any liquors or preserves.

P.S. I'm like Mrs. Kringle, you will not bring down my Christmas spirit, so save yourself any Grinchly efforts



TieMeInKnottss -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 3:57:17 AM)

Salt dough ornaments- made them with my boys when they were really little.

Not necessarily an ornament but a cool thing to do-- make a holiday Tshirt or sweatshirt for your child.
Get a green or red item, a jar of brown fabric paint and one of gold or silver (my preference) or black.
Get a couple of those cheap foam tiny paint rollers or a small paint brush
Paint the child's foot brown and press it (toes pointing towards the hem) in the middle of the shirt.
Paint each hand in the gold or black paint and press onto each side of the wide part of the foot (I usually made sure the thumbs weren't used or they push down over the toes)
Once the paint is dry, either paint a red nose or glue a small pompon and paint eyes.
I usually then wrote something with a " scribbles" paint or at least put the year




ChatteParfaitt -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 4:07:11 AM)

There are tons of great things to do with the kids, from decorating the tree to making Christmas cookies.

I make a home made Christmas scented potpourri that I give away to friends and neighbors. It's very easy, you just gather the ingredients, let it cure in a big plastic bag for a few days, and then dispense into small canning jars with a tight lid and some Christmasy ribbon. Let me know if you want the recipe.

I make cranberry sauce and prepare that as gifts as well (my sub loves it).

I've hand painted my own Christmas cards. -- Perhaps you could so something similar with family pictures and some finger painting.

I often do sewing or craft gifts for special people. I agree that it brings a lot more to the holiday.

Kids Xmas Decorations:

String popcorn. You can jazz this up by alternating a dried cranberry. They have to be able to use a needle and thread, by 5 or 6 they can do this.

Take dried pasta, paint it, glitter it up, and string it for decorating.

Make Santas from red felt and cotton balls. Add some green felt and you can do elves, too. For boots or whatever get black felt or a real magic marker.

Buy a box of Popsicle sticks and some stick on 'eyes' and you can turn the above into easy hanging ornaments for the tree. With enough colors of felt you can do snowmen, nutcrakers, family members (even the dog or cat).

White craft paper and a pair of scissors turns any square into a beautiful snowflake with a few snips. Just fold and snip. The more you fold, and the more snips you do, the more complicated your snowflake will be.

Decorated Christmas cookies were always a big hit at my house, we spent hours on this. We also made brandy balls, and one of my favorite pics of my daughter is her around two rolling a brandy ball in confectioner's sugar.

I've got more.

















dom2ownboi -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 4:11:30 AM)

I just couldn't resist.

I have this picture in my mind of your tree being decorated with kids, either big tree or small kids I guess...

But making cookies with them? Well, if they are young enough I suppose they would make tender cookies...


quote:

ORIGINAL: ChatteParfaitt

There are tons of great things to do with the kids, from decorating the tree to making Christmas cookies.



ChatteParfaitt -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 4:23:30 AM)

They're great if you bake them right!



PeonForHer -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 5:45:27 AM)

quote:

Any ideas for simple but fun decorations? We don't do a nice classy themed tree, we go all out and kitsch; things clash. So any and all styles are good. Bonus for anything that a tiny person can help with.


Paper chains. As young kids, my mother kept me and my brothers happy for hours making those things. You can get paper of different colours from Ryman's and guillotine it into strips if you want to go the home-made thing the whole way.























AthenaSurrenders -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 8:52:22 AM)

I knew you folks wouldn't let me down.

Does anyone know how to dry orange slices? I tried a couple of years ago and ended up with a big mess. They seem like they'd be ideal safe decorations.

Dried pasta strings is a wonderful idea, I think I will pre-dye the pasta shapes to make sure they are colourful. Paper chains are good, I think I'll get the pre-gummed strips though for ease.

I like the idea of the the t shirts, though I have visions of fabric dye footprints all over the carpet.

I love making snowflakes! So soothing to do.

We went out today and collected pine cones which we're going to dip in glitter. I've got a bunch of tiny knitted Christmas sweaters and stockings to go up too, and some little felt animals. We'll add some cookies to the tree a few days before, and we're going to stick up all sorts of odds and ends like baby shoes and family photos.

I am so very excited. 56 sleeps!



OsideGirl -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 10:04:45 AM)

Martha Stewart's Cardboard Christmas Village:

[image]http://www.marthastewart.com/sites/files/marthastewart.com/images/content/tv/martha_stewart_show/show_photos/5001_5100/5054_120109_village_l.jpg[/image]


Good Housekeeping's Cardboard Rudolph head:

[image]http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/images/IQ/1211-corrugated-cardboard-reindeer-craft-lgn.jpg[/image]

I don't have instructions for this, but it's easy. A styrofoam ball in a cupcake wrapper with a bead glued on top:

[image]http://couponcousins.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/157414949445085931_yfzRoxXe_c.jpg[/image]



AthenaSurrenders -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 10:31:38 AM)

I LOVE the cardboard crafts, and we always have tons of cardboard. Great idea thank you!



OsideGirl -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 10:46:13 AM)

We have three Ponderosa Pines in our back yard that produce huge pine cones. I think I'm going to make a wreath with them this year.

This is a small one:

[image]http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb283/sunshine92117/1030131038_zps40b0a4b3.jpg[/image]



ChatteParfaitt -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 11:02:55 AM)

Try this link:

http://www.cookquiltmakeandbake.com/2011/12/07/make-dried-orange-slice-ornaments/

I've never used the recipe so I don't know if it's a good one.



AthenaSurrenders -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 11:14:12 AM)

Thank you for the link.

Oside, I am so jealous of that pine cone! We spent a very wet and cold morning in the park and only came out with half a bag of tiny ones and long skinny ones.



TNDommeK -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 11:21:31 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: PeonForHer

quote:

Any ideas for simple but fun decorations? We don't do a nice classy themed tree, we go all out and kitsch; things clash. So any and all styles are good. Bonus for anything that a tiny person can help with.


Paper chains. As young kids, my mother kept me and my brothers happy for hours making those things. You can get paper of different colours from Ryman's and guillotine it into strips if you want to go the home-made thing the whole way.






















Omg Peon! I made those as a child and loved it!
Stringing popcorn was fun too.
Cardboard craft ideas are awesome.
Also check out Pinterest!
They had "Santa footprints" on there this year that I think I might do. (No children but the brat likes me to go all out, and I love doing it)
Anyhow, take a flip flop or cut out a shoe print and sprinkle powder over it. Then remove. Viola! Santa foot print!



OsideGirl -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 11:29:10 AM)

You could also do cinnamon/applesauce ornaments:

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Other/Cinnamon-Ornaments



OsideGirl -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (10/30/2013 11:30:46 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: AthenaSurrenders

Thank you for the link.

Oside, I am so jealous of that pine cone! We spent a very wet and cold morning in the park and only came out with half a bag of tiny ones and long skinny ones.


Do you think if I sent you some they'd make it through customs?



AthenaSurrenders -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (11/3/2013 2:59:06 AM)

I really don't know if they would, but that was such a kind thought, thank you! The skinny ones we've got will be enough to get us going this year.



ShaharThorne -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (11/3/2013 4:32:46 AM)

If I don't have enough projects, I crochet up snowflakes...having a box to shape and starch them can be a problem.



sunshinemiss -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (11/3/2013 5:07:59 AM)

Last year I made hand painted Christmas postcards for everyone. Might do it again this year. Hmmm....



littleone14 -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (11/3/2013 5:19:14 AM)

http://caseyamyfamily.blogspot.com/?m=1

http://caseyamyfamily.blogspot.com/?m=1

Try this blog. Cute Christmas ideas. If I did the links correctly (which would be a minor miracle) the first one is pine cones made from ribbon, and the second one is trees made from Christmas cards.

Edited to say that I tried the links and it redirects you to her new blog. I poked around and couldn't find the images I was looking for. But it's a cute blog so you might want to check it out anyways.

Try Pinterest. Lots of cute ideas there.



littleone14 -> RE: Christmas Decorations to make at home (11/3/2013 5:49:48 AM)

Heres one slightly different, but along the same lines as what I tried to post before.

http://www.bhg.com/christmas/crafts/christmas-card-projects/



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