Christmas Crafts for the Kids

During the holidays, children can become very difficult to control. They are full of energy. You can keep the children busy with making Christmas crafts. Children enjoy making all sorts of crafts to brighten the holiday spirit. Here are a few crafts that will interest the children.

Christmas balls and ornaments always give a thrill to kids.

Simple Tree Ornaments

You can decorate plain Christmas tree ornaments or get some small balls, such as used golf balls and ping pong balls for the children to decorate. They can paint faces and caricatures on the balls. You can then put strings on the balls and hang them on the branches. You can use photo software to make small pictures of each family member. The children can paste the small pictures on the balls.

If the pictures are slightly large, you can paste them on used tennis balls. Be sure the branches are sturdy and firm to hold the tennis balls. Tennis balls are heavier than ping pong balls. You can buy plain Styrofoam balls from the store and have the kids paint them with various colors using paint or markers. You can also glue on sequins, buttons, and other decorations. 

 

Adding sequins and other shiny items to the ornaments will add interest, as the balls will reflect the Christmas lights and glisten in the night. The great thing about making Christmas balls is that the kids will see their handiwork hanging on the Christmas tree during the entire Christmas season. It will make them feel proud and happy that they contributed in preparing the Christmas tree.

Letters to Santa

Another simple craft is making a Santa letter. Children believe in Santa. They will enjoy writing letters to Santa and telling him to bring their gifts. Explain to the children the letter should not be a simple list of gifts. They should color the letter and paint pictures on the letter.

Reading a colorful letter with lots of pictures will make Santa very joyful. The children can use crayons and watercolor paint on thick construction paper.  You can guide the children in making the pictures. 

 

Christmas Calendar

One craft that can be used the whole year round is a calendar. You can have the children make a calendar, allowing one page for each month of the year. They can highlight specific dates for significant events, like birthdays and holidays. Aside from the regular dates, they can put numbers to serve as a countdown to the next Christmas.

Making crafts can be very interesting and exciting, and craft projects can be as beautiful as they are inexpensive. Joining the kids in making the crafts can result in a lot of bonding time with them. It can be a great way to create Christmas memories that will be cherished for years to come.  Making crafts is a fabulous way to be imaginative and creative as you enjoy the holiday season.

Christmas Expectations

Christmas Expectations

Some traditions will never change!

Every holiday has its own theme and customs and of course, Christmas has Santa Claus and the Christmas tree. Each year, when the holiday season rolls around, people have certain Christmas expectations. For instance, most of us envision enjoying what we consider a traditional Christmas – and that will likely include the Yule log, Santa Claus, and a Christmas tree.

Color Schemes

Christmas is a festive occasion. The traditional colors associated with Christmas are red and green. You will also see silver and gold which indicate riches and glory. Santa is usually dressed in a red suit that is trimmed in white and his elves usually wear green.

These colors have been established over the centuries. People take these colors for granted to be in conformance to the Christmas spirit. Classic candy canes are red and white.  

Snow

For some reason, many people have associated snow with Christmas. It is possible that since many countries and states normally have snow in December, people worldwide believe that snow is a necessary ingredient for Christmas.

In places that do not have snow, people will simulate the snow by using spray cans. Some plastic Christmas trees would have green leaves and some white painted on the boughs and leaves to give a semblance of snow on the tree. 

Memorable Decorations 

There are some decorations that have to be present in every household. The Christmas wreath is usually placed in a noticeable place. The wreath represents life and vigor. Mistletoe will be hung in a location that is conducive for kissing. Couples are expected to kiss each other under the mistletoe. Some houses may have actual Yule logs burning in the fireplace. Others may make a dessert in the shape of the Yule log. 

Santa Claus and His Helpers 

Figures of Santa Claus may be used to decorate the home. Besides Santa, some people also decorate their yard and homes with figures of reindeer, Elves, Frosty the Snowman, and Santa’s sleigh. These decorations add a festive atmosphere to the space and make it more joyful for all to enjoy. 

Cookies and Milk 

Children insist on leaving a snack out for Santa when he visits and the traditional snack is cookies and milk. The thought is that Santa can get very tired on his long journey going from house to house. The cookies and milk can give him energy and perhaps give your child a few extra points with Santa. With that in mind, it is important to make sure that the cookies and milk are gone when the children wake up in the morning.

These are some of the many Christmas expectations we associate with this holiday. Please share your thoughts about Christmas traditions…

Debbie Allen is a regular team member at Package From Santa. Many of her articles discuss Christmas decorations and other holiday traditions.

Santa Letters, Gifts, And Christmas Day Fun & Relaxation

The build up to Christmas can seem chaotic. At my house we do everything from writing Santa letters to shopping, decorating, entertaining and more. I guess that’s a big part of why we prefer to stay at home and enjoy each others company Christmas day. We lounge around the house all day in our new Christmas pajamas. My husband and I feel that it is unfair to drag the kids out of the house when all they want to do is stay home to play with their new gifts.

First thing in the morning the kids run down to open a package from Santa. The air in the living room quickly becomes filled with bits of ribbons and wrapping paper. They open one gift and return to the tree to find another a package with their name on it. Drew and I take as many pictures as we can. It is important to us to have visual record of our Christmases together.

After we have opened all of our gifts we cook breakfast together. Some years we make something easy like cinnamon rolls or pancakes and other years we go all out and create a gourmet style breakfast. While breakfast is cooking my boys bring in the empty reindeer food bowl. They show everyone that the reindeer ate all of the food we put out. We sit down together at the table and have a nice breakfast. The kids can’t finish their meal fast enough. They are so excited about the things they received from Santa.

Once we have the kitchen cleaned up after breakfast the kids run off to play with their new toys. While they are entertained my husband Drew and I start to cook our Christmas dinner. We both love to cook and we usually get something new for the kitchen. Now and then one of the kids will pop in and help out for a bit. My youngest daughter will almost always come in and write thank you letters to Santa while we cook. She thanks Santa for everything that was under the tree, fully believing that he is responsible for all the gifts. She will have her letters from Santa as references as she writes. She’s not one that can be argued with and we certainly would not want to. We actually want our children to believe in Santa for as long as possible.

Drew and I set the table with our special Christmas dishes. When we sit down to eat each kid gets a turn to tell us what their favorite gift was.

Once we have put away dinner, we veg out and watch a few movies. Drew always remembers to buy the movies for Christmas day. One by one the kids drift off to their beds. Christmas is always such a tiring day for them all.

Once the last kid has wondered off to bed and it is just me and Drew. We sit by the lights of the Christmas and enjoy the stillness of the night. Each Christmas night we have a champagne toast for surviving another Christmas. This is when Drew and I exchange our special gifts. This is perhaps my most cherished tradition. It may sound silly but Christmas may be the most romantic night we have throughout the whole year. We reflect on our love for each other, our love for the kids, and how important their happiness is to us.

Write Santa Letters – Tell Him You Have Gone Green

This year, tell your kids to write letters to Santa about going green. They are sure to make his nice list. What better gift can you give to the whole world this year? There are lots of ways you can be more environmentally conscious this holiday season. It is sure to get your name on Santa‘s nice list and you will feel about yourself while saving money in the long run.

Replace your old Christmas lights with the new energy efficient LED lights. Each and every night be sure that you turn off your Christmas lights. Besides the Christmas lights, turn off all of the lights in your home. LED nights lights are available if you need dim lighting in certain areas of your home.

Use newspaper to wrap your gifts. Another idea is use cereal boxes for a shirt box. Save any gift bags you receive to reuse next year. Recycle the wrapping paper, ribbons and bows after you open up all of your presents.

Use your imagination to decorate your house and your Christmas tree. Consider displaying Santa letters from past years as part of your holiday décor. And get creative when it comes to craft projects. Recycle whenever possible. You can make ornaments from items that you might have otherwise thrown away. Save clear lids that come on many food products. Cut out pictures from old Christmas cards and glue them to the lid. Next put a hole in the top. Using any ribbon or thread you may have around the house to put through the hole in the lid. Hang it on your Christmas tree.

After your tree has done its job of holding all the gifts from Santa you have to decide what you will do with the tree. If you bought a live Christmas tree (one with the root ball attached) you can plant it in your yard to enjoy for years to come. If that is what you are going to do it is a good idea to dig the hole before the ground freezes. Another option is to recycle the tree. Most communities have a drop off spot for old Christmas trees. They mulch up the trees to use at parks and schools.

Buy rechargeable batteries. Not only are they better for the environment but they save you from having to run out to replace dead batteries. If you have children then you know what an ordeal it can be when their gift from Santa stops working because the batteries are out of power.

When you are entertaining guest use reusable dishes and cutlery instead of disposable ones when possible. All the disposable plates, cup, and cutlery we use throughout the holiday season takes up a lot of room in our landfills. If you must use disposable cups write names on them so people are less likely to use more than one.

If you can incorporate one or all of these you just might get a nice certificate from Santa Claus. He often sends those along with his letters from Santa!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, How Lovely Are Your Branches!

Every year our family buys a fresh Christmas tree to put in our home. It is a tradition that started the first year we were married. My husband Drew had surprised me by taking me to a Christmas tree stand and letting me pick out whatever tree I wanted. From that year on Drew takes me to get a tree for Christmas. I love the smell it brings into the house. I can’t imagine Christmas without a fresh green tree to decorate.

On the way to the tree stand we talk about what the kids are going say in their Christmas letters to Santa. They never have a problem coming up with gifts they hope to find under the tree. My youngest daughter said she was going to ask about the elves. We always have so much fun writing letters to Santa.

When we pull into the parking lot we all pile out of the van. The kids take off through the maze of bright green trees. Drew and I walk hand and hand looking at the different kinds of Christmas trees they have to offer. The kids always find tree after tree they are sure will be the perfect tree for us. The boys always wanted the biggest tree on the lot. We had to remind them we had to have room for the star on top of tree.

Last year it didn’t take long at all for us to find the tree we knew was going home with us. It was a deep forest green with branches packed full of needles. It wasn’t a very tall tree but the whole family agreed this was the tree for us.

Drew and the man who worked at the tree stand tied the tree onto the roof of the van. I told all the kids I was sure that they would be on the nice list this year for being so well behaved and helpful at picking out a great Christmas tree.

When we got the tree home Drew brought the tree in and set it up in the living room. While he did that I helped the kids write letters to Santa Claus. The kids all told Santa about the Christmas tree. Trenton and Doyle drew pictures of it to send along with their letter. When the letters were finished we started the fun of decorating our Christmas tree.

I love getting out the old ornaments and putting them on the tree. Each year the kids get to pick out a brand new Christmas tree ornament so most all of them have a story. And of course, every year we spend time making homemade ornaments, so all of them have special meanings to us. It takes us a while but one by one all of the ornaments find a home on the tree. When it is finished and Drew has the honor of placing the star on the top of tree. Then, we turn on the twinkling lights and as a family we sit around together and marvel at the magic of our Christmas tree.

Christmas Trees are an Important Part of Christmas

Many people don’t believe in a Christmas without a Christmas tree. This would be as difficult for some as a Christmas without letters to Santa. After all, the two are tied together. Children write letters to Santa Claus so they can assured they will not be forgotten at Christmas time. Their goal is usually to insure that Santa will leave a wonderful package for them. While it's true that some kids receive a package from Santa in the mail, most look forward to what is left under the Christmas tree. However, those special letters from Santa are magical reminders that Santa Claus is real and that they really can get the things they want for Christmas. And not surprisingly, this all starts with a beautiful Christmas tree.

During the Christmas festivities choosing the perfect Christmas tree is one of the family traditions that kids look forward to. First you need to decide if you want a real or artificial Christmas tree and also understand the pros and cons associated with each.

Many people prefer to buy real Christmas trees. The reasons are varied, but basically, these individuals say that only a real tree can give the authentic ‘feel’ to the holiday. They will mention that the smell of Christmas fills the home when a real Christmas tree is used as the center piece of the decorations. But also, they will tell you that using real Christmas trees is kinder to the environment.

There are different beliefs about the first Christmas tree but we don’t exactly know who started the tradition. In due time the tradition of decorating Christmas trees started and new decorations and traditions evolved. Over the years various groups and even different families came up with their own traditions and decorating styles and that resulted in personalization of holiday adornments.

People started using artificial Christmas trees at the beginning of the 18th century and from then on the tradition of buying artificial Christmas trees continued. You have an array of choices to select from as a wide range of the different artificial Christmas trees are available nowadays. A quick search through some of the online stores will reveal that there are several different styles , shapes and colors of trees available.

The real pros and cons of using the real Christmas trees and the Artificial ones vary as different people have different opinions on them as they believe that by picking one or the other you are destroying the environment or are dishonoring the spirit of Christmas.

Artificial trees have increased in popularity as the manufactures design them more like real trees and they are also easier to assemble. One of the greatest advantages of these artificial trees is that they can be easily assembled. Plus the artificial trees can be dismantled and stored for next Christmas quite conveniently and can again be re-used from year to year. The fact that an artificial tree can be re-used means you will save money. And, since Christmas is an expensive time of year, saving money is a good thing.

But the biggest disadvantage of the artificial Christmas trees is that they are made of non renewable petroleum and if accidentally burnt they start to release toxic fumes which will spoil the environment. Plus the artificial trees are not recyclable and so they end up in landfills and stay there for a long time damaging the environment in the process.

Not only do real Christmas trees smell wonderful, but the shopping experience for them can be lots of fun for the entire family. Plus, the real Christmas trees are renewable sources and there are many Christmas tree farms that grow Christmases trees from year to year. But the real Christmas trees need to be maintained and watered regularly and you will also need to clean up the pine needles that fall from the tree. Additionally, at times, at least for some people, these pine trees can also trigger allergies.

Christmas & New Year's Day Are Behind Us!

Happy New Year! Whew!!!

We made it through another holiday season! From what I can see and hear, few people are sorry to put the holiday decorations away for another year. It seems that all my friends and family members agree that while the holiday are fun and even magical at times - they can also be draining.

We go through the stress and worry of trying to find the ideal gifts for others, and ways to make the season especially memorable. Some of us have to schedule out of town visits to family members that live miles away. All of us have to decide on a spending budget and work to stay within its limits. And on top of everything, we want the holiday season to be fun and exciting so we fit in as many activities as possible. It's no wonder that we are now ready to take down that beautiful tree and pack away our Christmas decorations and keepsakes for another year.

If you are like me, then each year you try to take away at least one thing that will make the next holiday season a little better. Of course, all of us could say that better planning and organization might add a little more flexibility when we need it - but that is such a general way of looking at things that it may not be helpful at all in the end. Instead, I encourage you to focus on one or two specifics that could improve your holiday season next year. Make the effort to think about these things now while they are fresh in your mind.

Perhaps you need to develop a new or more family traditions. If so, what will they be? Maybe you need a better plan of shopping - one that can save money or maybe time is the more pressing issue for you. You may have noticed that you need to add someone new to your shopping list or Christmas card list for next year. Take the time to consider these things now.

I will be taking my Christmas tree down today and putting away all of the seasonal decorations. The lovely ornaments that my mother crocheted will be meticulously packed in an effort to preserve them as heirlooms for my children. The letters from Santa will be carefully put away so that my children and grandkids can read them again next year as they write their letters to Santa Claus on Thanksgiving Night. The strand of lights that is not working will be disposed of and the others will be wrapped in an easy to use manner. The point is that the more careful I am with putting things away for next year, the easier things will be for me and my family when we prepare for the 2010 Holiday Season.

Wishing you all the best in 2010 and beyond!

A Christmas Miracle

It was about a week before Christmas last year and we still did not have our tree up. The kids had been whining for weeks about putting it up and decorating the house – but I had put off the task because of all the rearrangements and digging out of boxes. You know the drill – it can be a lot of work and a real mess. But I finally got the living room moved around so we had room for our extra large Christmas tree.

We all gathered around the artificial tree to help get it set up and make sure we had all the pieces to it. After we had the tree set up I decided to take the kids up to the attic with me to get the rest of the decorations from up there.
We got up to the attic and had to move a lot boxes out of our way, but we finally found the old, favorite Christmas decorations from years gone by. I was so excited that I found all those old decorations that held memories from the kids - I just grabbed the boxes and went back down stairs to go through them.

After I got down stairs and made some lunch for the kids I started to go through all the old boxes of decorations. As soon as I opened the first box I noticed that there was a whole bunch of glass in the bottom of the box and all the decorations that were glass had been broken.

I started opening all the boxes to see if all the glassware had been broken – and to my disappointment, yes, all of the glass things were in tiny pieces in the bottom of the boxes. All the ornaments that my kids made and their baby’s first Christmas ornaments were all broke. These things were much more than decorations to me; they carried with them memories from Christmases in the past.

When my husband got home I was still very upset about the decorations. He told me that everything was going to be ok and we will just buy some more ornaments that the kids can decorate. He gave us some money and sent us to the store to get decorations and supplies for the kids.

The kids and I went to the store and got everything we needed to decorate the tree and to make some new ornaments. We were all still upset but we had a good attitude and we thought it would be fun to have new decorations this year.

When we got home and started unloading the car my husband came out to help. We all got inside and I looked over to see our empty tree and to my amazement it was beautiful. It was covered with lights, decorations and garland. Even some decorations made by my kids.

While we were gone my husband called his mom and she came over to help with the family crisis. Turns out my mother-in-law had a few ornaments made by my children that she had kept safe over the years. With those beautiful decorations and special touches, they got the whole tree decorated before the kids and I got back home - and it was the best tree ever.

After I got over my shock I made everybody some hot chocolate and we all sat around the lighted Christmas tree. This was a Christmas that the kids and I will never forget - it was a true Christmas miracle to me.

Thanks To The Kids, You No Longer Have To Spend A Lot On Holiday Decorations

As parents we all know what matters most about the holidays; it’s not how much you spend or what you get, it’s all about the kids. The holidays are the most stressful time of the year, trying to make ends meet and get everyone what they want is hard for most of us. Fortunately getting great decorations is not difficult, nor is it expensive. This year, don’t spend much at all on them, instead, help the kids to make some.

One of the greatest benefits to doing this is to see how proud the kids are when their Christmas craft projects are complete and you are displaying them around the house. It gives your child a chance to have some pride in something that he or she has done alone or taken a part in.

To begin, most families that celebrate Christmas have a Christmas tree. You can start by having the kids help you make decorations for the tree. Visit your local craft store or even the craft section of a department store like Wal-Mart. Use your imagination and let the kids use theirs. You should be able to find just about anything you need for projects you want to do. In fact, you will probably get some great ideas as you look around.

Christmas craft projects are fun for all ages. This means there is something for everyone, from young to old, to do and enjoy. Your kids will proudly point out their art work to visitors and family members that visit during the holiday season. Their pride and sense of accomplishment will show on their faces – a free gift for you to enjoy and cherish; isn’t their happiness what it’s all about anyway?

Okay I am not going to list a lot of ideas about how to make this or that. This is not about that, this is just trying to show you that you don’t have to spend much on Decorations and after your kids and you sit down to work on a craft project or two you won’t want to buy store decorations anymore. But I will tell you a couple of things that my kids and I have done over the years. This fist one is for younger children, and we call it “Pine Cone Christmas Trees”. All you’ll need are Pine Cones, Green and red Glitter, Glue and tinsel. The directions are simple; you just dip the pine cone in glue and before the glue dries, sprinkle the cone with glitter. Top with it with a pipe cleaner that is shaped into a star or other creative shape. When the pine cone is completely dry you can glue on some tinsel and hang the ornament on the tree.

Hope that your family likes it as much as mine has. The next one is always fun to make; it’s a Snowflake and it’s quick and easy. For each snowflake you will need 4 toothpicks cut in half, 9 small glittery white pompoms, white craft glue and white or gold ribbon. First you paint the toothpicks white and let them dry. Glue pompoms to each end of the toothpick. Next you position the toothpicks in the shape you want and glue them (hot glue guns work great – but use caution if your children are helping). The last pompom is saved to adorn the center of the snowflake. After all glue is dry you simply tie on your ribbon and hang the ornament on the tree.

I hope you find these ideas an inspiration to come up with some of your own. Doing Christmas craft projects is as much a Christmas tradition at my house as writing letters to Santa is. These family times create lasting memories that each family member appreciates.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Things To Consider Before Doing Your Christmas Shopping

We all know that Christmas is that special time of year when everyone spends time with their family and friends. There is just something magical about Christmas; seeing the kids’ intently writing letters to Santa and their expressions of delight when they receive a letter from Santa Claus himself. And that joyous wonder they show as they curiously inspect wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree. Of course, we cannot forget the look in their eyes when Christmas Day finally comes and at last, they get to see what Santa brought them and open all those wonderful gifts. These are true Kodak moments!

No one enjoys the Christmas Season more than kids do. But what makes it so special for them? It might be that they get some well deserved time out of school or the enchanting holiday decorations or the beauty of snow or just knowing that Santa is going to be coming to their house soon. Whatever it is, for kids, Christmas is more than just a holiday, it is a feeling that comes from within.

Christmas shopping for kids is always fun, but there are things that you have to consider before you go shopping for them, including budget, insuring that the toys are age appropriate for the child, purchasing toys that are loud or noisy or messy (after all, you have to deal with that long after the fun of Christmas is over), choosing toys that are not too big for the child’s room, and above all, being sure that it is a toy that your child will enjoy. With all those things in mind the fun of shopping for kids seems to take on a whole new meaning!

It is very important to set a budget before you go shopping and then make a list of all the people that you intend to buy for this holiday season. Then budget in how much you think that you will spend on each person, try to stick to your budget by buying things when they are on sale or purchasing things throughout the year.

Always make sure that the toy you have selected is age appropriate for your child. Small parts can be a choking hazard. Children under three usually still put things in their mouth so always consider that while you are shopping this year. Toys are labeled as to the age range they are intended for.

When you are shopping it is important to consider the child’s parents and the living situation. Loud toys can be annoying to neighbors and parents alike. Toys that are too big will hardly ever get played with. So always keep this in mind when you are shopping.

Always remember that Christmas is not about the gifts around the tree but the people around the tree; the memories that you make and the special time that you get to spend with your family and loved ones is what makes Christmas the special holiday that it is. However you decide to do your Christmas shopping this year just have fun with it and try not to stress too much - Christmas only comes one time a year and in a blink of the eye it is over again.

Christmas Trouble Maker

Christmas was about two months away and I kept asking my husband for a kitten for the kids. Of course he kept telling me no, that’s the last thing that we need right now. I told him that I thought it would be a great pet for the kids and they are inexpensive, he should think about it a little more before just saying no.

It was about three weeks until Christmas and my husband was late coming home from work - by the time he had gotten home the kids were in bed. When he walked in the front door he had a little grey kitten in his arms. With a huge smile on his face he bellowed out, “Merry Christmas” and handed me the kitten.

The next day I got up and showed the kids the new member of the family. They could not believe that they got a new kitten for Christmas. They loved him immediately and their delight was evident by the beaming smiles on their faces. We decided to call him Tidas.

After I introduced everybody I took Tidas into the living room and as soon as I put him down he ran right to my Christmas tree. He instantly started smacking at the ornaments.

We tried to distract him with cat toys but he kept going back to my tree. I had forgotten about the troubles that kittens are - getting into stuff they shouldn't, climbing up shelves and knocking stuff down. I could tell I was going to have big problems with my new baby and the Christmas tree.

It had been about two weeks since we got Tidas and my Christmas tree had already been knocked down about twenty times, several ornaments had been broken and a few presents torn open, I was very frustrated. I started thinking of what I could use to block this itty bitty kitten from climbing up my tree or going around my tree and presents.

I had a play yard play pen for the kids that I was not using any more and I thought that it would perfect to put around the tree to block the cat and the kids. I got the playpen around the tree, the tree put back together with all the ornaments hanging, sparkling lights and the presents rewrapped and placed under the tree.

Finally, I had won the war - Tidas could not get to the Christmas tree or the presents anymore!

I will never forget the Christmas we got Tidas, we all had to redecorate the Christmas tree every night that year until we put that gate around the tree. I had forgotten how playful kittens are and the next time I ask for a new pet I am going to think twice about it and make sure I am ready for the challenges they bring to me.