View Full Version : Looking for Holiday Craft Ideas
becky
10-24-2006, 08:26 PM
Hello ladies,
I'm looking for holiday craft ideas to do with the kids for a MOMS Club activity over the next few months but i dont have any idea where to look or what to do. I vaguely remember Kayla making a turkey using a toilet paper roll and cut outs of her hands but i can't remember for the live of me how she did it or what it looked like. Anyway, if you have any ideas i would love to hear them.
well i'm REALLY into crafts, so here are some things I did last year:
I made these christmas ornaments last year:
http://static.flickr.com/34/71833838_101b43ed9c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/71833838/)
You can view the rest of them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/sets/1541195/
You buy the plain, clear ornaments, then you use vallum to print your photos in circle shape. Cut them out. I had to roll them up in one direction, then roll them in the other direction to slide them in. The first roll helped the 2nd roll to spring back once it got inside the ornament. So then you slide it down in and use the "tongs" on the top of the ornament to hold it in place. If you cut the circle too small, it'll flop around inside.
We used baby photos, wedding photos, wedding invitations, brendan's birth announcement, a picture of duke as a baby, us on vacation, etc... it was a lot of fun and now our whole tree reflects us :)
(adding more)
I also made Christmas Stockings for all of us, since we'd never had matching sets before.
I saw a stocking at Target that I loved but it was $40 a piece, and I just can't validate spending that kind of money on something i can replicate.
It was a green stiff felt with a cream colored slightly furry cuff and it has ONE letter on the cuff in green felt and the contrast stitching holding it down was cream colored.
These are what I made (similar, but not identical)
The thing I like about making stockings is that i like the bigger size (long, and not so much toe) like they used to be, so i was able to make it the shape I wanted :)
http://static.flickr.com/34/72661844_379e9aaaa7.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/72661844/)
to see more pics go here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/sets/1580288/
Here's how I did it. I googled "How to make a stocking" and found simple directions that showed cutting the green fabric slightly larger than I wanted, And cutting two sections of cream fabric the same width as the green fabric, but twice as tall as i wanted the cuff to be. I folded that wrong side out and stitched it together ont he long end, then flipped it right side out. Then I stitched that to the inside of the green piece. I did the same thing for the other side of the stocking. Then I pinned the cream down on the green so that in "draped" a little bit, rather than just pulling straight up, and put the two green and cream pieces together, wrong sides out. Stitched around the edges. When I was done, I flipped it right side out and hand stitched on the letters.
(adding another)
Then I had a TON of extra green fabric b/c i bought enough to make several more stockings than i had time to make (especially with a 6 month old)
So I used that extra to make a tree skirt to match our stockings.
I took the large rectangle of fabric and cut it into a square, then i folded it up and cut a slight curve to it so that when it was unfolded, it was a circle.
Then I took the cream fabric and folded it right side out and stitched the front side of it to the front side of the green fabric to make a trim. Hope that makes sense. I'm bad at explaining.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/73327740/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/34/73327740_649611f8aa.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="Tree Skirt" /></a>
becky
10-24-2006, 08:53 PM
those are such great idea's Jackie. I love the ornaments and that would make a great grandparent gift.
daisydoc
10-24-2006, 10:28 PM
the ornamnets are a fabulous grandparent gift idea! You are crafty Jackie! I never in a miliion years would have thought of that! :lol Maybe we should have a craft afternoon where the kids can play and you can show us how you did your ornaments. Whacha think?
becky
10-24-2006, 10:39 PM
what a great idea...i'm game for a craft day.
sure! Who wants to host? I *may* be able to get my ducks in a row to actually have humans in my home here soon. LOL
becky
10-24-2006, 10:55 PM
I'm always open to be host if you can't do it Jackie. If its later in the month I may even get my neighbor to be host too. SHe used to be a member of the SCM website and took a break for a bit. SHe just had a baby too (girl who is 2 weeks old) and i mentioned to her that she sould get back online and get back into the group again. SHe used to have a day care in her home so its totally kid freindly and lots of space. she already said she wanted to host a playdate and she might be game to this too. I just need to ask
daisydoc
10-24-2006, 11:03 PM
I can host too. Got the big dining room table in the "kitchen" we can cover in newspaper and/or a drop cloth and go at it! ;)
KaisaG
10-24-2006, 11:46 PM
Oooh I'm game for a craft day. I told Emanuel that we HAVE to get a tree for Baby Eman. We didn't get a tree these last coupld of years because our old apartment was SOO tiny! Now that I know I am getting a tree I am so excited for Christmas. I'm pretty crafty... I made our stockings too - without any patterns!! I'm going to have to make a new one for Baby Eman this year. I'll have to post pics of them once we get them out of storage for the holidays!!
becky
10-25-2006, 12:21 AM
last year i bought some way cheap stocking at micheals and used fabric paint to put the names on them...
Lynette
10-25-2006, 01:24 AM
My craftiness is limited to being able to sign my name in different colors on the credit card receipt :bag
I do remember the turkey handprint thing though, it was handprints out of different colored (brown, orange, yellow, red) construction paper layered on top of each other, right? I don't remember the tp tube though.
After 12 years we *still* don't have a tree skirt because all the ones I like are too expensive so I have been using a green and red plaid flannel sheet all this time...
becky
10-25-2006, 01:33 AM
yeah i asked Kayla about it today and that is all she could remember too. I jsut remember the turkey being so cute that i wanted to do it again.
Last night I was thinking of what else we coudl work on, and I forgot I've also made scrapping photo frames. They are really cute and inexpensive
Last year I made some paper bag albums for the grandparents for Christmas. :) They loved them! They're really easy to make and a great stepping stone into scrapbooking. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/knitten_kitten/scrapbooking/paperbagalbum001.jpg
I don't have a picture of it but I also altered a clipboard. I plan on doing some for my mom and MIL to have by the phone for a "Sonny-do list" for work that they need dh to do around their houses.
Altered notebooks are fun http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/knitten_kitten/scrapbooking/leadership048.jpg.
I love papercrafting! :)
I've also knit scarves and hats for Christmas presents. And made magnets using clear, flat marbles (like you'd use in a fish tank). I don't have a picture, but I'll go to my mom's soon and take a picture of hers. I made some for the grandmas for Mother's Day, then made more for friends for Christmas that year.
Sorry I didn't post a pic before, but here's the frames I made:
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/98176623/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/34/98176623_8b84a17210.jpg" width="486" height="500" alt="brendanframe3" /></a>
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/98176693/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/28/98176693_d69e6723e1.jpg" width="500" height="490" alt="jaceyframe3" /></a>
MARIBEL
11-14-2006, 12:00 AM
well i'm REALLY into crafts, so here are some things I did last year:
I made these christmas ornaments last year:
http://static.flickr.com/34/71833838_101b43ed9c.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/71833838/)
You can view the rest of them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanmichael/sets/1541195/
You buy the plain, clear ornaments, then you use vallum to print your photos in circle shape. Cut them out. I had to roll them up in one direction, then roll them in the other direction to slide them in. The first roll helped the 2nd roll to spring back once it got inside the ornament. So then you slide it down in and use the "tongs" on the top of the ornament to hold it in place. If you cut the circle too small, it'll flop around inside.
We used baby photos, wedding photos, wedding invitations, brendan's birth announcement, a picture of duke as a baby, us on vacation, etc... it was a lot of fun and now our whole tree reflects us :)
(adding more)
This is a great idea Jackie. Do you know where can I get the clear ornaments from?
Kellie_MO5
11-14-2006, 01:36 AM
you can pick up clear ornaments at a lot of stores.. I always got mine from Jo Anns or Beverly's... They also have had them at the Dollar Tree previous years... I've painted the insides of some before, and also have done some etching (very easy)...
becky
11-14-2006, 01:45 AM
i was jsut at beverly's and joanns today as a matter of fact and didnt think of looking for ornaments there. I'm a target shopper myself.
how do you paint the inside of your ornaments?
Kellie_MO5
11-14-2006, 02:02 AM
Ahh, it's really just dripping/squirting it in, swirling it around.. makes cool streaks, and can look marbelized, striped, or muddy if you use too much..lol
KaisaG
11-14-2006, 07:54 AM
Jackie tho se frames are DARLING!! I wanna learn!
Kaisa: Then we need a craft day! They are really easy!
Kellie_MO5
11-14-2006, 10:22 AM
Jackie tho se frames are DARLING!! I wanna learn!
Me too! Me too!:wave
colleen&Kail
11-14-2006, 10:27 AM
jackie those ornaments are supe cute and i LOVE the frames! you have to teach me how to make those.
okay, someone pick a date & location for a craft day and i'll get together a list of "what you'll need" to do it :)
KaisaG
11-14-2006, 11:04 AM
I'm just thinking... But if we do it on a weekday then I probably can't go-- but if we do it on a weekend then Jackie probably can't go (right?) :(
I'm only working a half day on my birthday (27th) though... I had planned to decorate for X-mas that day but I could do it the during the prior weekend...
no, if we plan (early enough) for a weekend, I can make it. I'll just "book' myself for that day. :lol
Here's what my schedule looks like, and the 19th will be booked later today
http://reitzphotography.typepad.com/reitzphotog/2006/10/current_availab.html
Kellie_MO5
11-14-2006, 12:00 PM
What about the 26th?
i'm fine for the 26th.
Can every body else do that day? I may be able to host here, too.
I'm heading out to Michaels right now to buy a frame, so I can price out how much everything costs there
My3sonsplus1
11-14-2006, 01:25 PM
I can probably do the 26th. We are going out of town for Thanksgiving but we may get sick of my family/weird sleeping arrangements with 4 kids before Sunday evening and head back to SR "early".
KaisaG
11-14-2006, 01:31 PM
Lisa- Your Thanksgiving plans sound like my Christmas plans...
Mom of 2
11-14-2006, 01:38 PM
I could do the 26th. I may or may not have Patty and Tyler. If my husband, doesn't have to work, he may take one or both kids. When he has a day off, he takes the kids for time with them. The frames look really cute.
Kate
Mom to Patty and Tyler
My3sonsplus1
11-14-2006, 01:38 PM
our problem is once we are there unless something in the realm of "abusive" happens (like when sil flipped out 2 weeks ago) it is hard to pack up the kids, the clothes, the pillows, the blankets, the cloth diapers and a baby who is fed and ready for an hour long car ride just because my mom is "annoying" me :lol. And my parents have a big tv whereas we don't have cable, so dh (and I to a degree) get caught up with sports, Friends DVDs or Law & Order marathons.
becky
11-14-2006, 01:40 PM
the 26th is fine with me too...basically any weekend is fine. Are kids welcome too? BTW Jackie, joanns is having a sale this weekend where you get $10 off your order of $25 or more so if you can find your frames and stuff there you can save some money.
Kellie_MO5
11-14-2006, 02:13 PM
ooh, I'll have to hit that up!
let me find out what JR has going on that day. i hate making plans (especially on football day!) without asking him, kwim?
thanks becky!
Here's a list of what everyone will need to do the frames:
(prices listed are a ballpark cost from Michaels)
The plain unfinished wood frame - $5
HEAVY (but not huge)paintbrush (one that can get ruined if need be) - $2
Modge Podge (or is it caleld Mod Podge? LOL) in matte or glossy - your preference $6
scrapbooking papers - $.50-$1.00 depending on design
Ribbons - $1.00-6.00 depending on variety
buttons/beads and other embellishments - price varies
The ribbons and embelishments are just your personal preference... you could spend an arm and a leg on a ton of stuff if you want, or go kind of basic.
I believe at michaels they have the smaller 8x8 or 10x10 papers... Those actually fit the frames shown above PERFECTLY, so 2-3 designs (that coordinate) would work fine, and think those are like 50 or 75 c each.
There are other frames as well, but this frame is the best for starting out on.
daisydoc
11-14-2006, 11:18 PM
hope you gals have fun! I have no idea when we're going to be back from Idaho yet. I think we'll be back on Friday or early Saturday but then we have to go get Christmas trees with my family (family tradition) so that weekend is booked for me.
Jennie
11-20-2006, 02:55 PM
Those frames are really cute!
Here are some super-inexpensive ornaments (http://www.spinning-jennie.com/projects/paperball/) I end up making every year, some for our tree, and others as little gifts:
http://www.spinning-jennie.com/projects/paperball/paperball.jpg
One year, as a gift for a family of four, I also bought a paper-mache wine tube, painted that similarly (adding the date to the lid), and personalized each of the four ornaments (everyone got their favorite holiday color, too -- burgundy, hunter, navy, and royal purple).
I like them even more because, for kids, you can easy it up by having them glue on buttons, sparkles, etc. instead of making the swirlycues.