How to make easy Christmas Decorations with your kids Tutorial

When Ginger asked if I wanted to do a guest post on her blog, I knew right away I wanted to share this awesome tutorial that I made up, which I was going to post on my blog.

Every year my hubby’s work puts up a tree, and then they ask all the parents to get their kids to bring in a homemade decoration to put on their tree.  It makes it easier for them for putting up and clean up, plus then the kids get to show off their handy work.  On the last day before Christmas break, they send each of the ornaments home with a bag of goodies for the kids.

Every year I try to find something age appropriate for the boys to do.  This year when I was stumbling, I found a great tutorial for making initial necklaces.  I immediately pinned it on Pinterest (follow me HERE, and Ginger HERE), which I love!! I knew it would make some great ornaments for hubby’s work.

So with no further ado, here is what we did:

Gather Ingredients:
¾ cup Salt
1 ½ cup Flour
¾ cup Water
Rolling pin
Cookie cutters
Baking sheet
Paint
glue & water mixture
old yarn or string

Preheat the oven to 250 F.

Mix ingredients together until dough forms a ball with a soft texture. Add more flour or water as needed. It should not stick to your fingers when touched.

Next I rolled out the dough, as I thought it would be faster, and more even.

Then I gave the boys some cookie cutters.  The 5 yr old had no troubles pressing it in and cutting through the dough, but the 3 yr old needed a little help.

 

After they cut them I used a little rivet my hubby took apart so I could make little yarn sized holes.  Then we placed all the shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and put them in our preheated oven.

Bake for 2 ½ hours.  Then remove from the oven and allow to cool

We then started painting them!  This is where they had creative liscense.  Well….after the 3 yr old turned all his paint brown, he got relegated to making wrapping paper (as we are going to be giving these as gifts too).

 

 

Making Wrapping Paper, and a huge mess!  But having the time of his life!

Next we set them on some newspaper to dry.  After they were dry, I did a light coating of some watered down glue over the top to seal them.  I then wrote on the back with their names and ages.

Next we added some yarn, so they could be hung on the tree.

Grab an ornament

 

Since our holes were small I used a yarn needle and thread to make it easier to thread

 

Tie the 2 ends together, and then hang on the tree

 

We had so much fun making these, and the boys are so excited to have made such nice ornaments, and to have something to give every one for Christmas as gifts!

Best of all it was super easy!  Of course for the youngest, I just made a paper ornament and let him colour it as he is only 1.

For more great posts and fun ideas check out Shari’s blog www.theknitwitbyshair.com