Kids Activities - Christmas Stocking Decorations

These Christmas stocking decorations are fun for kids to make and decorate and pretty to hang on the tree. And of course you can slip a small present inside, too!

 

 What You  need:

1. Red felt
2. Needle and thread
3. Sequins, buttons and other decoration
4. Fabric glue
5. Ribbon

Instructions:

Fold the felt in half and cut two stockings out. Use blanket stitch or a small running stitch to sew the stockings together, leaving the top edge open.

Cut a length of ribbon and fold in half to make a loop and sew or glue  inside the stocking. Decorate with buttons, glitter, felt shapes, sequins, beads -  however 

you like.

 

 

Hang on the Christmas tree filled with candy canes and other goodies.

Kids Activities : Cup And Ball Santa Craft

Made using simple craft cupboard materials, this delightful Santa Christmas craft is sure to delight kids of all ages!

What You Need:

1. Polystyrene ball
2. Paper cup
3. Pink paint
4. Red paint
5. Red and white felt
6. Small red pompom
7. White pompom
8. Wiggle eyes
9. Red, black and pink craft foam
10. Pink pen
11. Glue

Instructions:
Paint the ball pink and the cup red and leave to dry.Glue the ball to the bottom of the cup.

Cut two arms from red foam and two hands from pink. Glue one hand to the end of each arm and the other ends of the arms to the body.

Cut a strip of black foam and glue it around the middle of the cup as a belt.
Make a hat by rolling some fed felt into a cone. Glue the edge of the cone and glue the hat to the top of the ball. Cut a band of white felt and glue it around the edge of the hat. Add a pompom at the end of the hat.

Cut a beard from white felt and glue to the front of the face. Add a red pompom nose.

Finally, add two eyes and draw on a mouth.

Kids Activities - Tin Can Telephone

Take two tin cans, some felt, glue and string and you can create this craft from days gone by. We experimented with the age-old toy, the tin can telephone. We wondered if covering them in felt would make the voices harder to hear. After experimenting, we’ve discovered that it didn’t make a big difference, and makes them look much better! 

 What You Need:

• 2 empty aluminum cans
• 1 large nail
• hammer
• 2 small washers (or nuts)
• cotton string
• scissors
• felt, colors of your choice
• instant grab glue

 

What You Do:

1. Using nail and hammer poke a hole in the bottom of each can.


2. Thread string through the hole in the can. Tie ends of string around the washers. This will keep the string from coming back through the hole.


3. Cover cans in felt using instant grab glue. Trim the excess from the top of the can, leaving about ½” to fold inside the can. This will protect mouths and ears from any sharp edges on the cans.


4. Decorate the outside with strips of different colored felt.

Tip: If you don’t have washers, wrap the end of the string around a small rock and secure it with glue.

Kids Activities - Rock Bees

Here are instructions on how to make bees using rocks, paint and wire. While bees usually aren’t welcome guests, these cute little critters will receive warm smiles! Make these adorable bees to decorate your room, camp dresser, or mess hall table. 

What You Need:

• Small, smooth rocks
• Acrylic paint: black, yellow, white
• Craft wire
• Scissors
• Instant grab fast drying glue
• Pony bead (just for propping purposes)
• Paintbrush
• Toothpick

 


What You Do:

1. Paint rocks yellow. Depending on your paint, you may need several coats to cover the rock. Let dry.

2. Paint 2 black stripes across the back of the rocks. Let dry.

3. Use the handle end of a paintbrush to dot on white paint for the eyes. Let dry, then use a toothpick to add black to the whites of the eyes.
 
4. Wrap craft wire around the tip of your pointing finger. Repeat for another loop right next to the first. Trim off the excess wire.

5. Put a generous strip of instant grab glue across the back of the rock, place the craft wire wings into the glue. Place a pony bead behind the wings (make sure it doesn’t touch the glue!) to prop them up and allow them to dry completely.

Optional: instead of craft wire, you can simply cut wings from black craft foam or felt and glue them on.

Kids Activities - Water Bottle Flowers

Use discarded water bottles to make fun and funky flowers. Millions of water bottles end up in landfills each year. Instead of tossing your water bottles, turn them into a work of art!

 


What You Need:

• Plastic single serve water bottle with lid
• White craft glue
• Scissors
• Sand or soil
• Pebbles or rocks
• Drinking straw or twig 

 





 What You Do:

1. Remove labels and lids, but don’t throw them away. We will be using the entire water bottle! If your water bottle does not have a label, have a bit of scrap paper nearby to use instead.


2. Cut the water bottle in half, put the bottle half aside. Cut slits, about an inch or so wide, in the top half of the bottle. You should end up with 8 “petals”. Bend the petals outward.


3. Put the lid on the bottle top. Squeeze some white glue into the lid and insert the straw or twig into the glue. Next, wad up the bottle wrapper and surround the straw with it, to help give the straw stability.


4. Put some sand or soil into the bottom half of the water bottle, about 1.5 – 2 inches in depth. Pack it down a bit and insert the bottom end of the straw into it. Add pebbles or stones on top of the sand to help stabilize the straw (stem).

Optional: If you like, cut strips of fabric to decorate the flower petals and the flowerpot. You can also round the petals by trimming the ends with scissors.

Kids Activities - MILK CARTON BIRD HOUSE

A lovely one-season birdhouse made from recycled household materials.

 What You Need:

• Milk carton
• Stapler and staples
• Masking tape
• A soft cloth, rag or chamois
• Brown paint (acrylic is best) watered down
• Scissors or a knife (and adult assistance)
• Twine

 


What You Do:
 

1.   Clean and dry the milk carton thoroughly. 
 

2.   Staple the top of the carton shut. 

 
3.   Tear off small pieces of masking tape and cover the entire carton with the pieces of tape. 

 
4.   Using a soft cloth, rub brown paint all over the tape-covered carton. This will give the carton a rough, bark-like finish. 

 
5.   Cut a hole (WITH ADULT ASSISTANCE) about 4" above the bottom of the carton. The hole should be approximately 1" to 1 1/2" in diameter. This hole is for the birds to get in and out of the house. 

 
6.   Poke a few drainage holes in the bottom of the carton and two ventilation holes in the top of the carton. 

 
7.   Poke a hole through the top of the feeder, string a piece of twine through the hole and hang your feeder on a tree.

Kids Activities - Acron Mobile

Kids can make this fun decoration for a camp cabin, or as a souvenir to take home after camp. Make this fun decoration for your camp cabin, or as a souvenir to take home after camp.

What You Need:

• 2 sturdy twigs
• 14 acorn tops
• 7 pennies or washers
• Twine
• Hot glue gun or instant grab glue
• Scissors

 

What You Do:

1. Without cutting the twine, tie a loop around the center of one of the twigs. With the long piece remaining, tie to the center of the second twig then trim off the excess.

1. Tie twine around the end of the top twig. Once tied, then cut to the desired length. Doing it this way will reduce any waste that might occur from cutting pieces too short accidentally and finding out after you’ve tied them on. Continue this process until you have four pieces on the top twig and three on the bottom.


2. Add a layer of glue to a penny and press an acorn top to the glue. Grab the acorn top and turn it upside down, exposing the penny on the other side.


3. Add glue to the exposed penny, then lay one of the pieces of twine into the glue and press a second acorn top onto the exposed penny and twine. This will sandwich them together.


4. When finished, trim any excess twine and dot some glue around all the knots of twine.
5. Hang!

Tip: You can use instant grab glue for this project, however it will take longer for the glue to grab. A hot glue gun should be used with adult supervision.