Time is one of the best gifts we are given, and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit with some wonderful DIY inspiration. Skip the overpriced holiday décor and, together as a family, DIY a bundle of colourful Christmas tree ornaments.
Bedazzle Bauble
There’s nothing nicer than bedazzling your Christmas tree with beautiful and shiny baubles that you have made yourself.
Recommended ages: From 5 years (strict supervision required).
Learning ability:
- Develops fine motor skills
- Boosts creativity
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Making memories that will last for a lifetime
Materials:
- Foam ball
- Sequins with a hole
- Short push pins
- Ribbon
Let’s get started…
Poke a pin through the sequin and then push them both into the foam ball. Children can cover the foam ball with sequins and pins however they like. Adding the ribbon: You can use a pin to secure the ribbon into the top. Additionally, you can use a small knife to cut a slit at the top of the foam ball and push the ribbon in, which holds it securely in place.
Surprise Ornament
Here is a Christmas ornament like no other, which is inspired by the infamous Christmas cracker. The ornament will have a special hidden surprise inside. Assist your child in making one for another family member, allowing for pre-Christmas excitement and guessing what special gifts are hiding inside. Nobody will be able to find out until Christmas when they can remove them from the tree and unravel them.
Recommended ages: From 8 years (supervision required).
Learning ability:
- Boosts creativity
- Assists with critical thinking
- Builds communication and language skills
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Making memories that will last for a lifetime
Materials:
- Small toys
- Crepe paper streamers
- Gift paper
- Ribbon
- Wire or thread
- Sticky tape
- Scissors
Let’s get started…
Begin with the largest toy you’d like to hide and begin wrapping one end of the streamer around it. Continue wrapping the streamer around the toy, pulling and twisting it tightly around its shape. Wrap it in many different directions and continue to ensure it is securely covered. If some parts of the toy are oddly shaped or stick out, wind the streamers in such a way that it builds up around those areas and creates a more rounded shape. Once you are happy with the shape and toys inside your surprise Christmas ornament, you can use the streamer to hold cotton thread or wire, which can be used to hang the ornament on the tree. Once you’re done, you can hold the end of the streamer in place with sticky tape. Take a larger piece of gift paper and surround your ball. Tie the ribbon at the end and cut the excess paper off the tip, and you’re done. Hang it on the Christmas tree and enjoy the excitement and guessing in the household.
Wooling around
These DIY yarn Christmas trees spark joy and won’t break the bank. You can hang them or display them.
Recommended ages: From 5 years (strict supervision required).
Learning ability:
- Develops fine motor skills
- Boosts creativity and innovation
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Making memories that will last for a lifetime
Materials:
- Foam cones
- Yarn (wool)
- Cardboard
- Pencil
- Low-temperature hot glue gun
- Crafting wire
- Scissors
- Accessories: small pom-poms, stars confetti/sequins
Let’s get started…
Take the foam cone and assist your child in making a hole either with a knife or scissors at the top of the cone about five millimetres from the top if you would like to hang them in the Christmas tree, otherwise, they can just be displayed. Push the ribbon through and make a knot to hang on the tree. With a little hot glue, paste the end of the yarn/wool around the top of the cone and start tightly going around and around until the foam cone is completely covered. In the end, tightly glue it at the bottom of the cone. Take the yarn tree and place it on a piece of cardboard. With a pencil, trace a circle in the exact size of the cone. Cut the tracing out and then paste it on the bottom of the cone as your base and hide the end of your yarn. Accessorise your yarn/wool tree, either with small pom-poms, star confetti and/or sequins to creatively give your tree some flair.
Popsicle tree
These are such wonderful holiday crafts to make. Not only will your kids want to make these, but they will have the inspiration to make it happen – popsicle eating time, the best during our South African summer.
Recommended ages: From 5 years (strict supervision required).
Learning ability:
- Develop fine motor skills
- Boost creativity
- Relaxation and mindfulness
- Making memories that will last for a lifetime
Materials:
- 3-4 popsicle sticks (you can also buy these sticks without the treat if you are worried about too much popsicle eating)
- Kids paint
- Big sheets of paper to cover the surfaces you will be working on
- Painting aprons
- Low-temperature hot glue gun
- Punch
- Scissors
- Accessories: small pom-poms, confetti, sequins
- Ribbon
Let’s get started…
Your stick tree will take about 3-4 popsicle sticks. If you do not buy the colourful ones, prepare to paint them. Lay sheets of paper on your surface and put on your aprons or old clothes. First, paint the one side of the sticks the colours that you prefer them to be. Wait until they are completely dry, and then turn them around and paint them on the other side in the colour you selected the first time around. Prep each Christmas tree ornament with one craft stick for the tree’s trunk and then six pieces of craft sticks to use as the branches. Then cut the popsicle sticks (you can use scissors) to make each branch shorter and shorter, going up the tree in a triangle shape.
Ask your children to lay their tree out on the surface you are working on. This presents a teaching moment for your little ones. If they don’t already know how to make a triangle shape, you can guide them in the right direction. Once it is laid out correctly, paste the sticks evenly on the base stick using the glue gun. Place a book or something heavy on your tree and leave it there for a while. Come back and accessorise it with sequins, confetti, small pom-poms or whatever your heart desires. Adult supervision is required for the hot glue. Punch a hole in the top end of the tree, push a piece of ribbon through and hang it on your tree. Your children can sign their tree on the back for a cherished item for your tree.
