This is the perfect time for kids to start Christmas crafting for classmates, friends, and relatives and I have the ideas for you. The projects pictured here are from a feature I did for Parents magazine this year, along with a snow globe ornament I did a few years back and still love. Most of the crafts are made from items you may already have around the house or things that are easily accessible and inexpensive.
Some of my favorites:
Coffee cozies made from colorful, inexpensive knit socks found at Target (the beauty of knit socks is that the cut edges naturally roll up, creating an instant "hem" that doesn't fray). The snowman was made from buttons that were glued on and a scrap of felt for the scarf. The snowflake pattern is a self-adhesive felt sticker found at Michaels and embellished with a small button.
Bottle Cap Magnets are easy to make with fingerprint art and tiny scraps of wrapping paper.
Detail shot from the personal snaps I took to document what I was creating - see how perfect children's fingertips are for bottle cap sized canvases?
Stones decoupaged with strips of fabric and embellished with felt stickers make easy and colorful paperweights.
Finger puppets were made from felt covered coin wrapper rolls and 1 1/4-inch wooden doll heads (found at Michaels) that were glued onto the wrapper. Bits and pieces of felt and pipecleaners bring these guys to life. (If you twist in a small screw eye at the top of the head, I bet these would make cute ornaments as well.)
Even if you don't make the full ornament, I think these little pipe cleaner guys are lots of fun!
For more project ideas and directions for the crafts shown here, visit Parents magazine's website.
(Photos other than specified are from Parents)
These are Awesome! I especially like the bottle caps.
Posted by: James Simmons | 21 December 2015 at 01:06 AM
Hi V,
These are projects I designed for Parents magazine, so yes, it's my work, but the content belongs to the magazine. Unfortunately, that means I can't publish the instructions on my blog. Sorry about that!
Posted by: Suzonne | 23 December 2014 at 11:27 AM
This is great but these are all ideas from Parents? I feel like I had to follow 100 links from Pinterest and I still didn't get to the instructions!!
Posted by: v | 23 December 2014 at 10:34 AM
Hi! I made these one years as pins. I actually used earring backs, which we glued on the backs of the caps. We cut pix from old Xmas cards for the filler, and sometimes used a little glitter pen or added sticky plastic gem, depending on the design. Mod Podged the lot, and everyone was crazy about them!
Posted by: kaf | 07 October 2014 at 07:42 PM
Like each one of your ideas!! They are so simple to make and look so profesional!!! Thanks
Posted by: Olga | 18 December 2013 at 04:09 AM
Thanks, Tameka. I appreciate that!
Posted by: Suzonne | 01 December 2012 at 05:59 AM
These ideas are really good!
Posted by: Tameka | 25 November 2012 at 09:23 AM
Do you like here?So wonderful!
Posted by: carpinteyrosgy | 04 September 2012 at 02:54 PM
That's a great tradition Mary! Love all the colours!
Posted by: Patrick | 01 July 2012 at 11:38 AM
These craft ideas are so darling! Thank you for sharing. I love having new, homemade Christmas decorations. I'll have to keep these filed away for next Christmas.
Posted by: Cari | 22 February 2012 at 11:09 AM
So many crafty and cute ideas! Had to share them on my CraftBliss Facebook page and on Twitter! http://www.facebook.com/pages/CraftBliss/190060791018426
Thanks! ~Dee
Posted by: Dee | 29 November 2011 at 11:51 AM
Love it, thanks for sharing.
Posted by: make handmade | 27 October 2011 at 08:49 AM
Lucy, I added a comment to the post on Parents, but I have no idea if anyone will reply to me.
Basically, I love all these projects, but especially the coffee cozies. I'd like to use it in a round up of crafts that can be made with kids for holiday gifts. The post would be published on TLC's Parentables.com website. May I have your permission to use a photo and link back to you?
Posted by: Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl | 21 October 2011 at 07:24 PM
I just love the bottle cap magnets. I just pinned them on my "Cute" pinboard on Pinterest! :)
Posted by: Hilani | 17 October 2011 at 05:18 PM
So many great ideas--thank you! I especially love the Coffee Cozies.
Posted by: Shannon | 14 January 2011 at 10:35 AM
Eeek! There was too much cuteness in this post!
Posted by: Anya | 02 December 2010 at 02:17 PM
I love this post and can't wait to dive into some of these projects with my little ones. Thanks for sharing ~ Elizabeth
Posted by: Elizabeth | 29 November 2010 at 11:59 PM
When I first saw the bottlecaps photo in icon size on your Facebook feed, I thought they were decorated tealight candles.
Posted by: Greg Bulmash | 26 November 2010 at 11:42 AM