Thursday 24 November 2011

Top Tips For Christmas #1

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An obvious, and very simple thing to start us off – make your own cards, tags and decorations from old Christmas cards. [see my 2011 cards here]

If you didn’t save them last year then make a note - and set aside a shoebox or biscuit tin NOW - to keep this year’s cards for future projects.

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But here’s a decoration which is incredibly easy to make, and can be adapted in different ways for children – and for older teenagers and adults, too – adding in a ‘spiritual’ dimension if you want to do it in Sunday School or Ladies Groups or wherever.

DSCF2733First take some old cards [they can be birthday cards, or stiffish paper covers from glossy magazines, or just regular plain card if there’s nothing Christmassy to hand]

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Cut them into strips 12cm by 1½cm [it helps if you have a paper trimmer- but scissors will do]

 

With a hole punch, punch holes at each end.

 

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Now arrange 6 strips in a star and put a paper fastener through.

 

 

 

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Turn the star over, and lifting one strip at a time, thread a second fastener through the other hole, till all 6 are fixed.

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Voila! a Christmas globe. Hang it on a piece of thread or ribbon, or put a heap of them in a bowl – perhaps with some pinecones or ‘regular’ sparkling baublesDSCF2739.

Variation; turn half your strips over, to the white side before you join them up – and write on them. Children could write something like Happy Christmas 2011

To Grandma

Love from Matthew

Older children and adults might like to write names of Jesus

  • Prince of Peace
  • King of Kings
  • Lord of Lords
  • Saviour
  • Redeemer
  • Friend
  • Light of the World
  • Good Shepherd
  • Son of God

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If you want to make bigger globes, experiment first, as the shape will be affected by the length of strip and weight/thickness of the card used. As a general rule, you need half as many strips as their length [in cm] i.e. 12cm needs 6 strips and 20 cm needs 10 strips.

DSCF0012When I was making globes with Mags the other week, we also realised you could put a small gift inside [sweet, toy car, bar of soap, box containing a diamond ring…]

Don’t forget these snowflakes and teardrops from 2009 [here] – once you have mastered these they are a very effective decoration.

Even if some decorations only last for one season, it is fun to make them with the children – PomPom is doing a ‘Childlike Christmas’ Blog Party – do check it out. In this hectic, busy world – when Mums particularly can get very frazzled as Yuletide approaches, it is important to take time with younger ones. You can have some great conversations as you work away together with the gluesticks and glitter.

Do check out the sidebar for the others linking in to Christmas Tips, or click on the Top Tips link in my categories list.

12 comments:

  1. Lovely ideas. I remember what fun it was when my children were young enough to make decorationa....and those yards of paper chains!

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  2. I love the globes. I don't have any old Christmas cards saved - as I don't send them , people tend not to send them to me! I have got lots of card and glittery bits left over from resource making though, so I'm going to make some and put them in with my pinecones. Thanks for the tutorial. x

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  3. Looking good as ever Ang. Si simple yet effective.

    Just a safety tip though - your paper fasteners are a bit dangerous for small people as you've left the prongy ends on them visible. I have always folded them under so that there is a smooth fold where fingers might otherwise get spiked.

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  4. I am liking this idea, so simple and lovely to get children involved in making them.

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  5. Hi Angela! I like the globes! VERY cute! I could make those with my reading workshop class. We could write terms on them.
    It's almost time for me to start the stuffing and fill the turkey. Every year I forget how long to roast it! I have to crack open my wedding cookbook and turn to the well-worn page that reveals the essential details!
    Thank you for your Thanksgiving wishes. It's going to be a beautiful day in Denver today, so we'll be outside before and after the feast!
    I love your holiday tips. You are the queen of tips!
    Thank you for mentioning A Childlike Christmas!

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  6. What a fabulous idea! Home made is best!
    Jane x

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  7. great tips. I will post a Christmas tip post tomorrow.

    Gill in Canada

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  8. you are putting us to shame with your creativity !! the globes are lovely xx

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  10. Glad you like these. Thanks C for the H&S reminder about pointy prongs.

    The previous post was deleted as it had three hideous spelling errors which I spotted just as I hit 'post'!!

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  11. These are a great idea! I would love you to sahre them at my blog link this weekend .

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  12. I'm going to use the globes to close the meditative stuff on Saturday- I'm going to get the mums to alternate patterned and white stripes, and write down the words they want to carry with them through Advent. Jo would state that tests carried out with mandarin oranges have been highly successful, but I have still to check on PC's progress with small boxes containing diamond rings...

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