'Tis the season to get crafty
It’s looming, it’s everywhere, and it’s just around the corner.
The silly season is in full swing, and as always it’s arrived with a rush and a whirlwind that can easily catch you off guard. While it’s oh so easy to get caught up in all the madness and the hoopla it’s also easy to use the colour and energy of Christmas as an opportunity for some mindful creative making with your children. Here’s how…
Look for inspo
There’s inspiration everywhere at this time of year. If you type the word ‘Christmas’ into our little bluebirds search bar you’ll find a whole host of festive craft ideas that we’ve curated and posted here over many years. We’ve gathered recipes for gingerbread, salt-dough and play-dough, along with instructions for everything from paper chains to paper bag stars and printed wrapping paper… plus songs and food for the festive season.
Collect & stash
Christmas is also a terrific time to replenish your kid’s craft box. As purchases are made, parcels arrive, and gifts are exchanged you’ll often find lots of bits and pieces passing through your household that are perfect to redirect to the craft stash… things like cards, cardboard, wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bags, even artwork that’s found its way home from childcare. Grab and save them! These are resources that are ‘maker’ ready… that is they are the basis of lots of fun kid-friendly crafts, such as collage and construction.
Get crafty
Take today’s simple craft idea… a couple of jolly Santas that are super simple to make from household materials yet sure to bring a smile to both the maker and any admirer. You’ll probably already have all these materials kicking around your house… including a shaggy old toothbrush for a fun spin on a painting tool!
Simple smiley Santa
This cheery chap looks great painted onto a paper bag or a piece of cardboard.
Materials: see pic below
a surface to paint on… a brown paper bag, gift bag, piece of cardboard or brown paper
a dollop of white paint (a plastic lid is a perfect washable palette)
an old toothbrush (who needs a paintbrush!?)
a marker or crayon
some scraps of Christmassy wrapping paper
scissors & gluestick
red paint (or lipstick)
Squirt a dollop of white paint on a plastic lid.
Use the shaggy old toothbrush to do some messy painting onto a paper bag. If you’d like to keep the face section unpainted you can mask it off with a circle of paper attached with blutak, or let kids go for it and add a paper face on top.
Once dry, draw a simple face with texta or crayon.
Cut a triangular hat from a piece of old wrapping paper and glue on as a hat. Add two rosy cheeks (I used lipstick rubbed on with my finger).
Use the same technique to make a Santa on a piece of cardboard cut from a box. Poke a skewer in the bottom so you can stand him in a pot plant. Super cute.
Don’t let Christmas overwhelm you, it’s the simple joys that matter most. Spend time with your children, and keep your crafting projects simple and manageable. Most importantly, have fun together x
