Before embarking on any Christmas craft activities, here are a few things to do:

1. Start saving all of your supplies and materials and keep a shoebox available to place in it all items that can be used for crafts. These items can include gift wrapping paper, egg cartons, buttons, shoe strings, cardboard, colored paper, fabric, and pages from a magazine.

2. Keep your eyes open for any good ideas out there. Home made and recycled are today’s rage. There will be a lot of inspiring ideas around you.

3. Keep your work space clean. Nothing inspires more than an abundance of supplies and an orderly working area combined.

4. If you are working with kids, talk to them before the activity. Show them pictures. Explain to them that they have the freedom to do what they want and you are just there to assist.

5. Make sure that all products of the Christmas arts and craft session are sturdily glued, strung, or otherwise put together. These will be used as ornaments, to be hung in the branches of a Christmas tree, on a wall, or by the door.

6. Place the ornaments in an area where they can fully dry.

Following these guidelines step by step before you start Christmas craft activities will guarantee you much success and many happy filled holidays for you and the children to enjoy for many years.

Make sure to visit Craft Ideas for Kids for fall crafts for kids and easy Thanksgiving craft projects.

Christmas ornament crafts can be fun and very, very easy. Spending time together as a family creating wonderfully fun Christmas ornaments is a great way to make memories with your little ones and decorate the house, tree, and wreath at the same time! Try a couple simple projects like these to start the fun!

Candy Cane Reindeer: Get ready to make a whole bunch of these. Once you start you won’t want to stop. You’ll need some candy canes, of course, and some small googly eyes and red pompoms. You’ll also need some brown pipe cleaners, pretty gift ribbon, and a tiny bell.

To assemble, take the brown pipe cleaner and twist it forming a V shape under the hook of the candy cane bending the pipe cleaner around into the shape of antlers. Glue the googly eyes onto the candy cane “face.” Glue a red pom pom on the candy cane for a nose. Tie the thin ribbon around your reindeer’s neck and string the jingle bell on for the final touch! These are perfect little ornaments for your Christmas tree or wreath.

Pasta Wreath: This is a traditional Christmas wreath with a twist. You’ll need small sturdy paper plates, a variety of pasta shapes, craft glue, tempura paint or craft spray paint, and pretty thick ribbon for a bow.

Assemble by first cutting a hole out of the middle of the paper plate so you end up with a wreath form. Pick out your pasta and start gluing it all over the wreath form. Try to cover as much of the surface as possible, even overlapping the pasta if you can. Then paint with whatever you have chosen and let the paint dry. Then glue on the ribbon and other embellishments to make your wreath pretty. Keep making them! You’ll want in each room!

Cinnamon Cookie Cutter Ornaments: These pretty little ornaments are not only a sweet smelling ornament, but they are a great way to keep little ones busy and happy. You’ll need the following: 1 cup of ground cinnamon, 4 tablespoons of white craft glue, a little less than 1 cup of water, but you might need more. To get set up you’ll need to have a cookie sheet, toothpicks or straws to make a hole, some ribbon, and of course, cookie cutters.

Mix all your ingredients in a big bowl, pouring only some of the water in, then mixing and adding more water if you need in order to get the dough like sugar cookie dough. Put it in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on a cutting board and knead the dough with your hands until it’s nice and smooth. Then use a pastry roller and roll the dough out evenly until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes and poke a hole in the top for a hanger. Put your shapes on a cookie sheet and set in a warm oven for about 2 hours. Remove, cool, and tie pretty ribbons through the holes. Now you can give them as gifts or hang them from your own tree.

Once you start looking, you’ll be surprised how many easy Christmas ornament ideas are out there to make with your children. When the days get long over this holiday season, gather your little ones together and make some fun new homemade ornaments… and some memories!

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