- Christmas is an exciting time for most children, and bringing holiday activities add to that excitement. When it comes to Christmas crafts at school, teachers should use the season to teach students a lesson about the value of handmade gifts. Students can create items to give to their family members as special Christmas gifts and even create the wrapping to hide them in.
- Children can create a variety of Christmas cards to give to their family members and friends. The actual card should be created out of card stock or heavy construction paper. Have students create a holiday scene on the front of the card and write a personalized message inside. A variety of materials can be used on the front of the cards, such as foil for stars, cotton balls for snowmen, various colors of felt, glitter and holiday stickers.
- Photo ornaments make a great keepsake gift. Take and make copies of photos of each student. Have students make a frame out of Popsicle sticks, a used CD, or a sheet of craft foam. Students should then decorate the frame, then have students cut the photo to fit the frame and glue or tape it so it shows through the hole. Glue a ribbon loop onto the back of the frame so it can hang on a Christmas tree.
Another ornament idea is to take a simple pine cone and have students cover a pine cone with a layer of glue and then roll it in glitter. Once the glue dries, a looped pipe cleaner can be attached to the pine cone for a festive-looking ornament.
Hand-print ornaments are another fun keepsake. Simply take a cake plate and have a make a hand-print on the plate (using washable paint or ink). Punch a hole in the top of the plate and tie ribbon through it so it can hang on a Christmas tree. Students can write their name and the year on the plate and decorate around it. - Students can use brown paper lunch bags to create personalized gift bags. Have students use a variety of craft materials to create a holiday design on one side of the bag. Punch two holes at the top of the bag on the front and back. Place a reinforcement label around each of the holes to keep them from tearing. Thread ribbon through the holes to make gift bag handles.
Children can create homemade wrapping paper by using butcher paper or brown mailing paper. Using stamps or markers, they can add designs to the paper. Children can also make potato stamps by cutting a potato in half, drawing the design on the potato on the stamp and cutting the potato so the shape sticks up at least ¼ inch. They can then dip the potato stamp in paint and stamp their designs on the paper. - Have children draw Christmas scenes on four sheets of 11x14 paper or a sheet of card stock. Teachers can laminate the paper, turning them into a set holiday place mats.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -