You probably enjoy decorating your house for Christmas time; most people do. But sometimes we are at a loss for how we can involve our children in the process. Fortunately there are lots of fun ways that we can incorporate our children while we decorate for Christmas. You can make your Christmas decorations at home with the help of your family. Making some of your own decorations helps to make your Christmas decorations more personal, and your home will feel less formal and more welcoming as a result. Below you will find just a few examples of some kid friendly Christmas decorations that you can make this year.
Reindeer out of Pipe Cleaners and Candy Canes
Making fun reindeer decorations is easy, affordable and fun. All that you will need to make this kid friendly decoration are candy canes, pipe cleaners, plastic eyes, and a little fluffy ball for the nose. Simply use a glue gun to attach the eyes and nose to the curve of the cane so that the bend in the cane serves as the top of the reindeer’s head. In that curve of the cane take your pipe cleaner (or two pipe cleaners twisted together for longer antlers) and wrap it around the cane to secure it. Shape the pipe cleaner the way you would like your antlers to look and you are done! This cute reindeer makes a fun ornament or gift.
Miniature Christmas Trees out of Pine Cones
Let your kids decorate their own little trees. All that you do is go out and collect some pine cones. The best pine cones to use for this project have flat bottoms and can stand up on their own. After you have your pine cones, you can paint them green or give them a snow covered look by painting them white. Use small decorations like little bells and berries to decorate your miniature tree with ornaments. You can use these miniature trees to delineate place settings and you can attach a name tag to make your tablescape really unique and festive. Note: as this decoration includes very small pieces, it is better suited for the older children, for whom this activity is not as much of a choking hazard.
Personalized Ornaments
Of all the places in the house where a child can really contribute to the decor, the Christmas tree ornaments have got to be at the top of the list. There are all sorts of kid friendly decorations that can be made for your tree. You can take blank ceramic and shatterproof bulbs and ornament sculptures and have your kids decorate them how they like. You can use all sorts of different paints (puff paint, glitter paint, etc.) and you can glue on different fabrics, stickers, etc. Another fun ornament idea is to make picture frame ornaments. You can make your own simple picture frame ornament out of four Popsicle sticks glued together to make a square. Or you can buy an ornament designed to hold a picture. Either way, decorating the frame and attaching a picture of your child or family is a fun way to get your kids to participate in the decorating process. And you will have something nostalgic to look back on and remember these times next year when you get out these decorations again.
Handprint Art
Handprint art is another fun activity for kids and a neat way to measure your child’s growth over the years based on the size of their hands. To make handprint art you will need to make a tracing and cutout of your child’s hand. Depending on what kind of craft you want to make, you may need several cutouts. You can use one hand print to make a reindeer face. Just envision that the fingers are antlers and fill in the rest of the face. Lots of hand prints grouped together and arranged in a circle can make a cute wreath. Have fun experimenting with what other fun holiday shapes you can make.