Top 5 Christmas Craft Ideas This Christmas

In the run up to Christmas, one of the most fun ways to build festive excitement with your children is to make your own decorations for putting up around the house and on the tree.

Below, we’ve listed our five favourite Christmas craft ideas that will keep your little ones occupied and their creative spark lit.

Pipe-Cleaner Snowflake Ornament

This fun and easy-to-make project will not only keep the kids busy but it is quick and cost-effective. To get started you’ll need – scissors, pliers, and a selection of pipe cleaners. Then follow these easy steps:

• Cut three lengths of pipe cleaner to about six inches, then cut six two and a half inch pieces, six two inch pieces and six one and half inch pieces.
• Twist the six inch pieces together at their mid-points and when this is done it should resemble an asterisk *
• Put one of the two and a half inch pieces at the midpoint of a spoke and twist it into position. Repeat this with the other five spokes.
• About half an inch from one of these arms, twist a two inch piece onto the spoke. Repeat this with the remaining five spokes.
• About half an inch from these arms and towards the tips, centre a one and a half inch piece and twist it onto the spoke. Again, repeat this step with the remaining five.

Following these directions will result in the production of a beautiful snowflake that is six inches in diameter and is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas tree.

Cookie-Cutter Hanging Decorations

If you want to make sentimental tree decorations with your children, these ornaments are great and quick to make. To get started all you’ll need is a selection of aluminium cookie cutters, sticky glue and a choice of pictures you want to use printed onto photographic paper.

From there, place the cookie-cutter on top of the picture, use a sharp edge to trace around the design. Trace glue around the cookie-cutter’s edge and then press the paper in place. Repeat this process with the other cookie-cutters and pictures and leave them to dry. Once they are dry, you can thread ribbon through a needle and wrap the ribbon around the top of the cutter to create something to hang them from.

Personalised Christmas Stockings

If you’re really feeling crafty, how about sewing your very own personalised Christmas stockings? To get started, you will need red and white felt, fabric pens, needle and thread or a sewing machine as sold by AE Sewing Machines, scissors, small bells for decorating and a stocking template.

• On the pieces of felt, trace the stocking template and cut them out. Match them up so the back is white and the front is red.
• Sew the pieces of felt together with a quarter inch allowance for the seam and leave the top open.
• Turn the stocking inside out and fold down the cuff. Sew the bells on the edge of the cuff
• Decorate with fabric pens

Snow Globes

Your kids will love making this decoration and it’s really easy to do. You will need a jar (jam jars or baby-food jars work really well), glitter, glycerine, water, super-glue and your choice of figurines for placing in the bottom.

• Stick your miniature figure to the inside of the lid and leave it to dry. These figures can be purchased from model railway shops.
• Fill the jar with water and throw in a pinch or two of multi-coloured glitter and a drop of glycerine to help stop the glitter from falling too quickly.
• Screw the lid on tightly and turn the jar over and back again. Voila, your very own snow globe!

Paper Snowflakes

Ah, the old faithful! If the pipe-cleaner-snowflakes sounded like too much hassle (bah humbug) then paper snowflakes are your next best option. These are great for decorating your windows or making a wreath by sticking the snowflakes together. To get started:

• Fold the paper in half, then fold the paper in half again diagonally.
• Fold it again so it’s a smaller triangle.
• Fold this in half so the corners meet
• Fold it again into thirds
• From here, cut across the bottom of your paper so it’s straight and then cut a variety of lines into the triangle – this is where you get to be creative with your designs and experiment with your cuts.
• Unfold the paper and voila, your own unique snowflake!

Each of these craft ideas are a great way to spend a cold winter evening or weekend, and to feel extra festive put on music or a film in the background. We’d love to see your results too!