Easy Wreath Ideas

Here are a couple of simple wreath ideas that can add just the right touch to your holiday decorating this year.

Your kids can whip them up in no time with supplies you already have on hand.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- cardboard
- 2 round containers for tracing, one small, one larger
- pencil, scissors
- fleecy "fake" snow from the dollar store, you want the fabric not the loose stuff.  You could also use white felt.
- tacky glue
- heavy posterboard or bristol
- template if needed
- watercolor pan paints, tempera, or even colored pencils
- a little glitter glue
- a few sequins, beads, gems or other embellishments
- ribbon or string for hanging


PROCEDURE:

Trace out a wreath shape using 2 round objects.

Cut out.

Take your fleece or 'snow' fabric and cut into strips.





Put some tacky glue on your cardboard wreath.

Put the end of one strip in the glue and start wrapping around the cardboard.

Continue wrapping and gluing as you go. 

I find the Dollar Store "snow" fabric sticks quite easily.  With felt you may need to clip on a few clothespins to keep the strips in place until the glue sets up.

While the wreath is drying sketch or trace out your shapes on heavy posterboard or bristol.




If you want to use my shapes check out my template HERE.

Paint on a little colour.  Use some fine sharpie for outlining and details.





Add some glitter.




Cut out.




A nice way to add definition to your shapes is to add some black on the edges.  I use a black crayon.  Place your shape on top of a piece of paper and then rub a little crayon right on the edge of your shape.


You can see by the 2 stars what a difference it makes.

For the butterfly I added some antennae, which are little wires you use when making flowers.  You can just use some fine wire.

I also added some gems to the stars.

Glue your shapes onto your wreath.  The fuzzy fabric makes gluing things on a snap!


Add a ribbon or string for hanging.

For my bluejay wreath I added some fir garland.

I also added some sequins and beads for a little extra.

That's it.



More holiday ideas to come.

"We Three Kings" Christmas Craft

Here is a new Christmas Craft I've put together for our annual craft morning at school.

"We Three Kings"




It's a quick and easy project for one of our 12 craft stations.













MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- 3/4 by 3/4 cedar trim (nail strip)
- sandpaper
- felt
- acrylic paint in flesh tones
- fine sharpies, white gel pen
- tacky glue
- assorted embellishments
- glue gun, optional



PROCEDURE:

I bought my cedar trim at Home Depot.  I purchased a bundle which was about 24 - 4 ft long pieces.  That was plenty for the 150 kids who will be participating and cost me around $1.25 per 4 ft piece.

I then had a volunteer (Mrs. B's husband) cut all the pieces.

For each set you need a 4" piece, a 3" piece, and a 2" inch piece.

Sand the ends slightly.

You then want to paint one end of each piece a different flesh tone.






Let dry.

You want to cut a rectangle of felt for each King.  We are using green, red and blue.

The rectangles should be shorter then each trim piece so the faces will show and long enough to wrap completely around the piece of trim.

Put some tacky glue on one side of the felt.  Lay your trim down in the center and then wrap.

The seam will then be at the back.






Using fine sharpies and white gel pens mark on the faces.  I prefer them with the eyes closed but I'm sure we will get lots of different expressions on Craft Day.  You can color in some hair but it will only really show up on the sides of the heads.

Now add the crowns.  Use what you have.  I'm using some wired mini garland,  gold brocade trim and a gold snowflake that I cut in half.  Glue into place.  (all from the Dollar store)












Add the presents.  The kids are using little presents cut off some garland, a gem embellishment, and some little glittered styrofoam balls.  I found all of these supplies at the Dollar store.

Finally glue all your Three Kings together.  We will be using glue guns on Craft Day (operated by adults).  This just makes it go faster so the kids gave a completed craft to go into their bag.
That's it.













 A quick and easy Christmas craft.

See you next time.

How to Make a Christmas Birdhouse Ornament

So here is a good ornament project.  The inspiration is those old birdhouses that are made out of tin cans.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

- paper roll from toilet paper or paper towels

- paint

- glitter glue



- small twig
- tacky glue
- scrap of white posterboard
- white glittery pipe cleaner
- pencil
- scissors
- gold thread or ribbon for hanging
- little piece of garland
- embellishment, I used some red wired berries

PROCEDURE:

Take paper roll and flatten one end.

Now you can just glue it closed but I sewed mine, I like the look and I'm too impatient to wait for the glue to dry!

Determine which side will be the front and fold over the top.  You don't need to glue this place right now.

Using a pencil draw a circle on the front.

Cut this out with scissors.  I poke it with my awl to get it going.

Paint the roll.  You can brush on some glitter glue for some sparkle.

Now glue down that fold using tacky glue.  Use some clothespins to hold in place while drying.

Trace out a circle on your scrap of posterboard that is slightly larger than the paper roll.

Cut out.

Glue on to the bottom of your house.





Let dry a bit.

Poke a hole beneath the cut out circle.

Apply a little glue to the hole and stick in your small twig for a perch.

Poke a hole thru the fold and add a thread or ribbon loop for hanging.

Add some garland and embellishment.

Take a white glittery pipe cleaner, form into a circle big enough to fit on the bottom of your birdhouse and glue into place.

Add some text if you want.  I typed out "Home for the Holidays" on the computer and printed it out.

Attach on house with glue.

That's it.

You can add a bird if you want but I like mine just the way they are.


Hope you give it a try.