Christmas Plates: Gift Idea For The Grandparents

We came up with a great and easy idea for gift giving and we want to share it with all of you. It's something the kiddos can do and make by themselves with minimal help. I found some ceramic plates at the thrift store and it got me to thinking. Why not make these into gifts! So we made this super simple and easy craft and the girls loved it. 

CHRISTMAS PLATES USING SHARPIE MARKERS

CHRISTMAS PLATE SUPPLY LIST

1. White ceramic plates from the thrift store or you can buy new
2. Set of Sharpie markers - fine point 
3. Oven

We began this craft by first making sure the plates were clean. Next we got out our set of Sharpie fine point markers and went to work creating. The girls chose to draw on their plates, but I decided to put a Bible verse on mine. After we were finished we put the plates on a cookie sheet and put them in a 250 degree oven for about thirty minutes to set the marker. We then turned the oven off and let the plates cool in the oven. Ta Da, an easy peasy Christmas gift with a personal touch and frugal to boot!

I'm sure you could decorate white cups the same way if you would rather go that route. The baking in the oven is suppose to set the marker so they can be washed. Suppose to, but I will admit we haven't washed ours so I can't attest to whether or not that is fact.     


                                                   Have fun and Happy Crafting!

WATERLESS SNOWGLOBES. A FRUGAL AND VERSATILE CHRISTMAS CRAFT

WATERLESS SNOWGLOBES

I have another fun Christmas craft for you today. Waterless snowglobes! They were so fun to make and the girls had so much fun helping me. The girls loved the little trees and how they looked in the jars. For this craft I went around the house picking and choosing from jars I already had. I also picked up a few more jars from  the thrift store in town. Then the girls and I added fake flaked snow and trees or snowmen or other Christmasy type things.

This craft can be used all winter and for other holidays. All you need to do after you make these is change out the scenes if you want. I plan on using them  for New Years and Valentines Day. I'm lovin this craft already. All that's left now after I've decided how I want these waterless snowglobes arranged is to put my Christmas tablecloth on the table and make my tablescape. Kind of think I want a different look that the world map that is on our dining room table right now. Ha, Ha, imagine a homeschool mom having a world map on the table!

WATERLESS SNOWGLOBE SUPPLY LIST

1. Ice Flakes or Sparkle Flakes from Walmart
2. Jars of various sizes and shapes including lids
3. Small figurines and bottle brush trees to put in the jars
4. Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks 

We started this craft the night before by washing the jars and letting them completely dry inside.  The girls and I then chose what we were going to put in the jars. We were careful not to get our fingerprints all over the glass. I helped the girls shake just enough of the sparkle flakes or ice flakes into each jar to cover the bottom well. We shook the flaked snow into the apothecary jars and placed our figurines or the nativity on top of the snow and then placed the lid on top. The salt shaker and canning jars we hot glued the figurines to the lid first. Then we shook snow into the jar and placed the lid with the figurines attached on the jar and screwed the lid on. We didn't glue the lid on. That way we can reuse the jars for other scenes later. Once you have you snowglobes made you can display them as a beautiful Christmas tablescape. The girls and I are thrilled with how ours turned out. 

                                                    Have fun and Happy Crafting!

Melted Snowmen. A Fun Craft For The Holidays

MELTED SNOWMEN!

 We made the cutest, easiest and fun craft tonight. Melted snowmen! They were so easy to do and they didn't take long at all. Little ones will need help because this craft makes us of a glue gun and glue sticks. The girls has so much fun creating their own version of a melted snowman that we wanted to make sure and share it with you. We will definitely be doing this craft again!

MELTED SNOWMEN SUPPLY LIST

1. Aluminum foil
2. Hot Glue Gun
3. Glue Sticks
4. White Glitter
5. Black Buttons - two different sizes
6. Tooth Picks
7. Orange Magic Marker
8. Pieces Of Cloth -for snowman's scarf
9. Piece of Wire - or something to use as a hanger 
10. Embellishments - if you want. We used really small artificial snowflakes 

I started by giving each of my girls a piece of aluminum foil. This is what they squeezed the hot glue onto. Before we began I broke off the tip of a couple of toothpicks and colored them orange. These were used for the Melted Snowmen noses. I also cut a piece of cloth or felt for the scarves and clipped the ends to make them look like they had fringe. Once they had the glue squeezed onto the foil and their melted snowman was in the shape they liked they placed buttons on for the snowmen's eyes and mouth. 
One of my daughters wanted to use googly eyes. It gave her melted snowman a surprised look and made it uniquely her own! They also arranged the tip of the toothpick I had colored orange with the magic marker before we started. Once the face was on the girls sprinkled the white glitter into the melted snowmen while the glue was still warm enough for it to stick. Next they placed the fabric scarf on the bottom of their melted snowman and placed the hanger in the top, making sure it was secure. The last thing the girls did was to add embellishments to their melted snowmen. They chose to use very small artificial snowflakes. Some were white and some were clear.

A FEW THINGS THAT WE FOUND THAT HELPED
 
A few things we discovered that helped was to squirt the hot glue in a back and forth motion. That way it doesn't end up in a big wavy lump. You can also use the tip of the hot glue gun to smooth out any ridges when you are making the melted snowmen.

It's also a good idea to work fast so the buttons and other snowman parts will adhere well. Otherwise the glue will begin to harden and you'll find like we did your buttons or embellishments will fall off and have to be reglued.

For the hanger I had some tiny candycanes made from wire that we used. They made the perfect hangers. Once your melted snowmen have been created you'll want to peel the aluminum foil off the back. That is easier said than done! We found it makes the job a lot easier if you place the melted snowmen in the freezer for a few minutes. Also using heavier duty aluminum foil helps. The thinner foil tears too easily.

                    Hope you have fun and enjoy making your own melted snowmen!