Spread some Christmas cheer and help your kids be creative this Christmas! Nothing says Christmas better than homemade Christmas crafts and presents.
Set up a crafting station at your table:
Paper bags or kraft paper
Scissors
Yarn
Paper punches
Glitter glue
Water colors
Crayons
Markers
Felt
Cloth scraps
Any other items you can think of for crafting!
Don't give too many instructions; just let the kids go and see what they come up with. You'll be amazed! You can encourage them to use pictures from a simple holiday coloring book for patterns.
Then, create your own craft materials at home for sculpting, painting, etc. As a special gift to you, here are 10 craft recipes from my booklet, "Make Your Own Craft Supplies: A Guide for Teachers and Others," which I would be happy to send by snail mail or email to anyone for $1. (Send a self-addressed stamp to Rhetta Akamatsu, 205 Hampton Rd SW, Marietta, GA 30008 with payment for regular mail delivery.)
PLAY CLAY
2 cups Baking Soda
1 Cup Corn Starch
1 1/4 cup water
Cook over med heat, stirring constantly till texture of mashed potatoes. Cool, then knead well. Pat or roll out; cut with cookie cutter to desired shapes.
Finished item may be air dried for several days or bake at l75 degrees for about 40 minutes. Decorate as desired.
HANDPRINT DOUGH
2 cups of flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Food coloring
Ribbon
Wax paper
Markers
Add food coloring to the water.
Mix all ingredients well, kneading until smooth. Dough should not be soft or runny or it will fill with air bubbles when baking.
Form dough into a smooth ball.
Using a rolling pin with the dough on wax paper, roll out as round as you can. Dough will be about 1/2 inch thick.
Press your child's hand with fingers splayed into the dough. Press deeply but don't touch the bottom. (When it bakes it tends to raise the handprint up.)
Keep the fingers together and smooth out around the top to make mittens instead
of handprints if you like.
Put on a cookie sheet.
Poke two holes in the top about 1/2 inch apart.
Bake at 200 degrees for about 2-3 hours. Dough should be fairly hard
When they are done and cooled, use markers to decorate as desired. Thread a ribbon through the holes at the top to use as a loop to hang.
BREAD SCULPTING DOUGH
2 pieces of bread
1/4 bottle of white glue (4 oz. bottle)
Food coloring
Crumble bread into small chunks.
Add glue. Mix immediately. If too dry or sticky add a little water.
Work like clay, but don't crumble or handle for too long. Sculptures will dry in about an hour, usually.
When dry, you can spray with hair spray or paint with clear nail polish for shine and endurance.
CANDY ClAY
1/3 c Margarine
1/3 c Light corn syrup
1/4 ts Salt
1 ts Vanilla or Peppermint
1 lb Powdered Sugar
Mix the first 4 ingredients. Add sugar, knead.
Coffee Grounds Dough
2 c Used, dry coffee grounds
1/2 c Salt
1 1/2 c Cornmeal
Warm water
Mix dry ingredients together. Add enough warm water to moisten.
This dough has a unusual texture and is good for patting, rolling, and pounding.
DRYER LINT CLAY
1 1/2 c Lint from the dryer
1 c Water
1/2 c Regular flour
Old newspaper
Paint
Cover lint with water in a saucepan. When thoroughly wet, add the flour and stir until it is smooth.
Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it forms peaks and holds together.
Pour it onto newspaper to cool.
Use it like clay, or cover a balloon or other form with it.
Allow to dry for 3 to 5 days, then paint and decorate as desired.
PUFFY PAINT
Flour
Salt
Water
Tempera Paint
Mix flour, salt and water. Add liquid tempera paint in the desired color. Pour into squeeze bottles. When squeezed
onto paper, the paint will harden into puffy shapes.
GLITTER PAINT
1/4 cup hot water (not boiling)
3 teaspoon epsom salts
Mix. Paint on darker colored paper. When dry, paint will glitter.
PAPIER MACHE' PASTE
3 C. water 1 1/2 C. flour
Oil of peppermint(optional)
Stir flour into cold water. Cook over low heat until the
mixture thickens to a creamy paste. Add more water if the paste gets too thick. Cool. Add a few drops of peppermint oil for scent. Use the paste to coat paper strips.
CINNAMON SCENTED DECORATIONS
1 cup cinnamon
1 tsp crushed cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp white glue
Mix all together until smooth. Cut with cookie cutters or mold into shapes to 1/4" or 1/2" thick. Use a regular drinking straw to poke holes in top for hanging cord.
Dry at room temperature; add glitter, paint or decorate as desired.
PLAY SNOW FOR CRAFTING
Ivory Snow (powder form)
Water
Electric mixer
Mixing bowl
Mix water and Ivory Snow on high til it forms peaks like meringue. Use it to paint on cardboard. When dry, it looks like snow.
Merry Christmas!
