Christmas Crafts

[CarolsCritterCare]

Styrofoam Ornament

Take a Styrofoam vegetable tray, and use a cookie cutter to press out a shape. Decorate with sequins, glitter, etc.

Punch a hole on top, and put a string through to hang it up.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Tin Can Lantern

The best cans for tea candles (short stuffy white ones) are the salmon and tuna cans. For other candles, peach cans, or anything kind of wide and not too tall works fine.

Do not peel the label off the cans! Leave it on so you can draw a design on it later. Wash inside of cans well with soap, and a brush, rinse with hot water and let dry on a warm stove top. Do not let your kids dry the inside, the top rim can be sharp.

Next, take an old metal spoon, and use the back of it to press flat any sharp burrs or other things on the inside top edge that might cut your fingers.

Fill the cans with cold water, about 3/4's full and freeze overnight. Next day, take out one can per person, and let them draw a design on the label with a black marker. Then, punch your design with an awl or ice pick, and a hammer. Put the tin can on an old scrap of wood, not your kitchen table top! Accidents happen! Try setting the can on its side inside a bed made of a tea towel, so it won't roll around.

Don't make really big holes, the small ones look nicer. Make a star, heart, pine tree, or any other simple shape that pleases you. The frozen water inside the can keeps it from squashing in the middle once you start hammering in your holes. Simply let the ice thaw when you are done, peel off the label, and dry on a warm stove top. The drying stage is important to prevent rusting. You can spray paint the outside of the can with black, midnight blue, red, green white, any color to match your decor, or leave plain, or even use gold, silver or bronze paint, or do an antique copper/green finish.

Make sure you stick your candles down in the bottom by burning some wax into the bottom and setting the candle in it before it hardens, or use a large thumb tack hot glued, or super-glued onto the bottom. The candle can be pushed down onto the sharp thumb tack point, which will help keep it from tipping over. Use shorter candles that have already been burned a bit, or cut tapers down to the height of the top of the candle. You must make sure its safe to use as you are dealing with fire.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Wall Banner

colored felt pieces,12" X 12"
white glue
scissors
sequins, buttons, decorative trim
yarn

Cut the felt square into two pieces, 6" x 12" each. Lay a 18" long piece of yarn along one of the 6" edges, placing it 1/2" from the cut edge of the felt.

Squirt a line of glue along the edge of the felt, and fold it back to cover the yarn. Press in place. Let dry.

With scissors, trim off the corners of the bottom of the banner, so it comes to a point.

Cut our shapes form other felt pieces, and glue them in place.

Tie the yarn in a bow at the top and hang on the wall. Add decorations of your choice.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Walnut Strawberries Y

You start with a walnut.

Then you paint it shiny red.

Then you glue tiny pearls all over it like strawberries have those marks.

I can't remember how you make the stem (sorry)

The end result is really pretty.

For a variety on these, paint them SILVER and don't use the pearls.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Yarn Wreath

plastic lid (from coffee can, peanut can, etc.)
green yarn
red pony beads
ribbon
glue
tape
craft knife

An adult should cut the center part out of the plastic lid, leaving a doughnut shape of your desired thickness.

Wrap the yarn around the lid, securing the ends to the back with glue or tape.

As the lid is covered, string on a pony bead here and there to look like holly berries.
Cover the whole lid with yarn.
Then glue the yarn ends to the lid, hiding it under the yarn wrapping.

Tie the ribbon into a bow and glue on at the top of the wreath.

Tie on a piece of yarn, creating a loop for hanging from the Christmas tree.