Top Tips For Christmas #1

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.

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.

First 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]

 

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.

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

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

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 baubles.

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

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.

When 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.