Kids' Christmas Party - Painted Canvas Ornament Idea Tutorial

Our annual Kids' Christmas Craft Party included painting a mini canvas ornament!

The kids loved creating their very own masterpiece!

Mini Painted Canvas Ornament Tutorial

Supplies: 

• mini canvases 3" x 4" (I found these in packs of 10 at JoAnn's)
• 1/8" painters masking tape
• tiny eye screws / hooks
• acrylic paints in assorted colors
• paint brushes

The first step is to mask off a pattern of your choosing. Everywhere you put the tape, will end up white:

Then paint! You can paint each section a color or some random design:

Let the paint dry. 

Remove the painter's tape.

And voila!

When they are dry, screw in the eye hook so you can hang it on your tree. Add a thin satin ribbon, too, if you like. Here are some of the boys having fun working on theirs:

Both the girls and boys were excited to make a painted canvas creation! Yay! A treasured Christmas keepsake!

Kids Christmas Tree Party Treat Tutorial

At our annual Kids' Christmas Party each of the kids made their own melted chocolate Christmas tree:

A friend helped me by keeping lots of color melts ready for all the eager kiddos:

We loaded assorted color melts into plastic bags so kids could easily squeeze out a Christmas tree pattern over three pretzels positioned on wax paper:

And then they loaded them up with their choice of sprinkles! Voila!

Kids' Photo Ornament Keepsake Craft Tutorial

Our 5th Annual Kids' Christmas Craft Party is this week! It's one of the highlights of our month. This year we'll be doing another photo ornament keepsake. Capturing our kids' faces at these precious young ages creates a sweet memento.

We'll be using little birch disks I found at Michael's, so the supply list is short:

• round wood disks

• eye hooks

• decoupage glue

• small brush

• small portrait photo

• Sharpie marking pens (assorted colors)

• glitter glue pens (assorted colors)

• thin hanging ribbon

Step 1: screw in one eye hook to the rim/side of each wood disk. 

Step 2: ask each child to draw a picture, create a design or write something on one side of the disk with the Sharpie pens. There!–You're capturing their artwork, too!

Step 3: cut the child's photo in a circle just a touch smaller than the wood disk. (The disks I bought at Michael's were assorted sizes.)

Step 4: brush decoupage glue onto the reverse side of the disk and adhere the photo.

Step 5: let dry for a couple minutes.

Step 6: decorate and hide the photo edge with glitter glue.

Step 7: string ribbon for hanging

There you go – a cute keepsake ornament for 2014 with your child's face and art!

Making Christmas Meaningful

Our Fontanini Bethlehem village is set up and on display: 

Since we talk with our children about the real meaning of Christmas – Christ's birth – we try to have our Christmas decorating reflect it. I'm so thankful for this gorgeous set that was a gift to my family a few years ago. About 10 buildings and a plethora of accessories. We set portions of it up on our large shelves beside the fireplace. My kids and their friends can easily grasp that Bethlehem was and is a REAL place, with "regular" villagers going about their lives.

Making perfume, filling water jugs, selling rugs … all while out in the stable behind the inn the Christ child was born: 

Among our village pieces are two Romans, one of which is taking the census … the reason Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem in the first place:

With no room in the inn, the couple takes up in the manger with the animals … where Jesus is born:

 Later, wise men arrive bringing gifts to honor His birth:

Their camels and tents are some of the kids' favorites. I position the buildings and let them choose a place for each person and accessory – shepherds, carpet merchant, potter, innkeeper, palm trees, cats, cows, wise men, camels, etc.:

Usually, we'll find the dog chasing one of the cats:  :-)

Kids' Christmas Craft Party 2013

We are so excited for our party today!!

My kids' annual Kids' Christmas Craft Party is this afternoon! We have 20 some kids coming,

three craft stations, including this one for these yarn stars:

 and a treat station which includes making edible marshmallow snowmen on a stick! :-)
 Plus, games, prizes and a white elephant exchange - WooHoo! Let's party!

Fill a Shoebox for Operation Christmas Child

It's that time of year!

I know there are so many wonderful charities and organizations doing great work out there. Just wanted to mention one in particular that helps my kids as we set a tone of sharing for the Thanksgiving & Christmas season. They really get into packing a shoebox for a child of their age as a Christmas gift.

Operation Christmas Child sends millions of shoeboxes, filled with toys, school supplies and toiletry items to needy kids around the world. Collection week begins today. If you'd like more information, please visit Samaritan's Purse.

May Your Christmas be Blessed!

Happy Christmas to all!

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."  ~ Luke 2:10-11

Kids' Christmas Keepsake Handprints & Thumbprints Ornament

Two years ago at our first Kids Christmas Party one of the crafts was capturing our little ones' handprints on an ornament:

Those of us with two kids were able to do one hand of each kiddo on the same glass ball ornament. One red, the other green. Then we wrote their names underneath the appropriate handprint and the date at the bottom with red and green Sharpie pens.

That year we also had a thumbprint station. I had a stack of small white tags and a display of ideas. The kids could make gift tags or ornaments using assorted colored stamp pads and their chubby little fingers. :-)

Christmas Gingerbread Houses

Do you make or decorate a gingerbread house at your home during Christmas? If you have kids, its a fun treat – kids of any age, right?! Sunday afternoon my kids tried their hand at decorating this adorable Christmas snow cottage:

They're a little young for the build-your-own gingerbread scene, so pre-assembled works great for us. About the second of November I picked up this gingerbread house on clearance at Target for about $4:

But, naturally we go in our own direction. :-) The kids get to eat the orange gumdrops and black bats while they decorate since they're entirely inappropriate for our sweet snow cottage! :-) I dyed the orange frosting brown and used it as the ground cover in which to stick all the cereal, marshmallows and assorted lawn trimmings. I piled oodles of possible decorating candies and snacks and treats on the island from which they could pick whatever they wanted.

They did almost everything by themselves. They had been filled with inspiration after a Friday night on our downtown's Gingerbread Christmas House Tour. Have to capture it quick with the camera, as at this age, they are mostly just interested in eating it! :-)

Meaningful Christmas Decorating

I don't know about you, but at our house we hope to keep the focus of this Christmas season on CHRIST.

We discuss Jesus' birthday with the kids and celebrate with a birthday cake, we read Christ-focused Christmas stories, we share with them that people all over the world exchange gifts because Jesus' birthday is the biggest party of all! We give to the poor and needy as Christ asks us to. We go experience a live nativity play.

We have nativity scenes throughout our home. The crocheted set above was a hand-made gift to my kids from my mother-in-law.

I bought this brass set in Mexico many years ago:

 We display Christmas art. :-) Here are two of my paintings:

We decorate our tree with a great variety of ornaments. Keepsakes my mom made or bought us as kids and throughout the years, mementos from special places we've visited or lived, lovely gifts from friends and, of late, treasures crafted by our sweet kiddos. :-) 

One of our several advent calendars is on the fridge for the kids:

and a pop-up one from DaySpring in our family room:

Printed ribbons decorate one of our mini-trees:

 And in the kitchen scripture ceramics are sprinkled throughout – bowls, platters and plates:

I hope you enjoyed this little snapshot tour of meaningful Christmas decor around my home! What are some ways you keep the focus on Jesus this Christmas?
Visit Imparting Grace for Home for the Holy Days 2012. Joining the fun Christmas Home Tour 'linky' at The Inspired Room and Cottage Magpie.