Simple Christmas Project for the Kids

United States
September 30, 2008 10:11am CST
Young mothers, and all those who are in charge of young children, are you always looking for ways to keep those little cuties busy? When my kids were around 2 and 4, I made some salt dough and shaped some Christmas ornaments and baked them. Then I put paper on my table, set out the water based paints and brushes, and let the kids go to town. They presented the grandparents with their masterpieces as Christmas presents that year. Since then, I have discovered a paper clay that works nicely. Roll it out so that it is as even as possible. Take some inexpensive cookie cutters and cut out your shapes. Use a tooth pick to make a hole in the top of them. Set them off to the side to dry for a few days. Once they are dry, let the kids paint them. Don't be too picky, let them do it the way they want, this is what makes the ornaments special. Pull a narrow ribbon through the hole and tie it. You will have the most unique Christmas ornaments. Do you let your young children help with your crafting? Or do you find something else for them to do?
10 responses
@lilybug (21107)
• United States
30 Sep 08
Those sound like cute ideas. I bet even my 20 month old daughter could help do something like that. She loves to draw and color. I bet she would get a kick out of painting too. My 8 year old would probably like it too. I might have to do that with them when it gets a little closer to Christmas. Thanks for the idea.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Sep 08
I am sure they would both enjoy getting to make ornaments, and the 8 year old would certainly love seeing them on the tree.*S* My daughter's boyfriend's little girl is about 18 months old and she loves to color and draw pictures for me, so I am sure your 20 month old would have a blast as well. Have fun!
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Sep 08
My mom did the salt dough thing too when my sister and I were kids. We still have some of the ornaments. Considering how "durable" they are, that's pretty darn good.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Sep 08
Yeah, they will last forever, if they are treated with something after paining. I forgot to to do that with the ones we made. I am sure they have all crumbled by now.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
30 Sep 08
i am a huge crafter and when my daughters were younger, we did a lot of stuff like that every year, then we would paint them. you can also make picture frames (whether bought or cut outs and put magnets on the back). one year, at my church we made christmas trees out of inverted pine cones - largish ones...there are lot of great ideas if you just look.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Sep 08
I remember seeing a Christmas tree made from a magazine one year. It was not complicated but, it took a lot of time, folding in all those pages to get the shape. It was then spray painted and decorated with sparkly beads and such. My kitchen table looks like it has been tie dyed or something. I was always letting my kids get out the paints, paper, or just about anything they wanted to paint. The table was usually the finale, since by the time they got through with what they were doing, the protective paper was gone.*L* I thought about sanding it down and refinishing it but, it makes me smile when I look at it and remember how it got that way.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
30 Sep 08
this sounds so neat I don't have kids, but I've considered doing some polymer clay ornaments - but salt clay/paper clay would be cheaper and not have to be cooked.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
1 Oct 08
Time is something that is debateable - will I have time, or will this be NEXT years project?
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Oct 08
Well, I do bake both, on the lowest setting of my oven, for 5- 10 minutes, or maybe a little longer, if the pieces are thicker....like a braided candy cane or something like that. I don't guess you have to, if you have time to let them dry for a few days, just to make sure all the moisture is gone. I have done it that way, too. And, I think it is fun for anybody who likes doing crafts. Go for it, and have fun.
1 person likes this
• Lubbock, Texas
30 Sep 08
These are sooo cute. Unfortunately my salt dough ornaments only lasted about 20 years before the humidity got to them but they were my prize ornaments.
• Lubbock, Texas
30 Sep 08
Yep. They would have lasted longer, but I had all my ornaments in a sealed plastic tub under the back porch when the roof blew off and took the porch with it. Not much in that tub survived. The lid came loose and it was filled with water.
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Sep 08
Ewww, bet that was kind of nasty.
• United States
30 Sep 08
Wow, they lasted THAT long?
1 person likes this
@Humbug25 (12540)
1 Oct 08
Hello thebohemianheart aslanlight is true to her word and sent me the link to this discussion. That is a really great idea and as there is a new craft shop opened in my town I will go in and ask the lady who owns it about paper clay and what paints are the best to use. My kids will love doing this. I am not very good at making things with clay but if it is just rolling it out like pastry and using pastry cutters then that won't be a problem! Thanks for the great tip!
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Oct 08
Hi, Humbug. If you can't find the paper clay, you can also use salt dough, and I always used water colors for my kids' projects. Have fun!
1 person likes this
@Humbug25 (12540)
1 Oct 08
To be honest I am not sure what salty dough is. I am English and live in the UK so I am not familular with salt dough or even paper clay actually. If you have any more great ideas for Christmas decorations that the kids to do, I would love to hear them! Many thanks again!
1 person likes this
@jillhill (37354)
• United States
2 Oct 08
That is a cute idea. My little granddaughter would love to do them. I let her help with crafts...in fact she has alot of her own tools etc in my studio. We love crafting together...Her mommy also likes to join us so the three of us have tons of fun!
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Oct 08
Group projects with kids are lots of fun. Enjoy!
• United States
30 Sep 08
I do have a few holiday craft ideas that my sons and I do together. The first one we'll be working on is with polymer clay. My 11 yo son rolls out the clay and then he will help his 5 yo brother cookie cut the clay into circles, christmas tree shapes and stars. I bake the clay and when it is ready they'll paint it using acryllic paint. They are also going to decoupage pictures of their cousins onto the circles, which will be painted to look like ornaments for a Christmas tree. Each Aunt and Uncle will receive an ornament from my boys and their grandparents will receive a string of ornaments with a granchild on each ball (these ornaments will be strung tighly with ribbon...which I'll have to do myself) My hubby is already sitting with the boys and they have begun to select the images from pictures we've uploaded on our computer. Once the boys have selected all the images, he will crop and shrink to size needed and print. I'll add a gloss glaze, with my 11yo helping and that's it. A Christmas ornament, that may end up being a keepsake and passed down through the families and my boys will be doing the bulk of the work (of course to get the boys in the mood, I'll make Christmas cookies for the occassion )
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Sep 08
Oh, yeah, I read one of your posts the other day. There is a new little one coming, right? When I read that, I thought, I wish I had the patience to work more with clay...of any kind. It sounds like your whole family gets involved. How fun for you and your kids. Have fun!
@Essie119 (673)
• Canada
1 Oct 08
This sounds like a really fun thing to do with my kids. They LOVE to paint and playdough is their favorite thing. I know their grandparents (and their Mommy) would be so proud to hang their efforts on the Christmas tree. I let them help with some of my crafts, but for the most part I give them some supplies of their own to play with and let them go to it.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Oct 08
That sounds like fun, when you start a project, just get their supplies out and let them have their own project. Mine loved paint, so every time my craft paints came out, I would get theirs out as well because I knew they were going to want to make something, too. Have fun, and enjoy!
@TessWhite (3146)
• United States
1 Oct 08
My son and I did the salt dough ornaments one year and he gave them as gifts to his grandparents. We also did the wooden clothes pin reindeer ornaments. THOSE are fun to make. I still have some of those that we hang on the tree each year. You glue two of them together with the pins pointing down - that becomes the four legs and the body. Then on one end you glue a third one with the pins pointing up - that becomes the head and the antlers. You glue on eyes you can get at craft stores, tie ribbons around the necks, and glue on pom poms for tails too. Oh, and don't forget the tiny red pom pom for Rudolph's nose.
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Oct 08
I love those clothes pin reindeer, the are so cute. My daughter made a trash bag wreath in school one year. The took coat hangers and shaped the bottom part into a circle, Then they cut green trash bags into strips. Tie the strips around the circle, and bunch them up so the wreath is good and full. I put those little red bows that have the pipe cleaner twisties on the back, around on the wreath. She made it when she was in first grade. Her granny puts it on her front door every year, and it still looks just like it did the day she brought it home from school. Keep crafting with your son, and have fun!