Christmas Printables and Crafts: Easy Christmas Activities to do With the Kids
The countdown to Christmas is dwindling faster than any of us seem prepared for (faster if you’ve got curious little elves itching to get their little fingers on your ‘days ‘til Christmas’ tracker, like I do). With 16 days – and counting – away from the big day, that’s plenty of time to dive into a craft-making, cookie-baking, ornament-hanging extravaganza.We’ll connect you to free Christmas printable coloring pages for your kiddos to beautify, share an excellent salt-dough ornament recipe, and link you up with some of our favorite Christmas crafts. Just a heads up, keep an eye out for an upcoming post from Simply Becca that will hook you up with quite possibly the greatest Christmas goodie in the universe. That might be an exaggeration, but it’s my family’s favorite.Free Printable Christmas Coloring Pages:
- FreeColoringPageFun.com – This busy site offers everything from angels to wreaths and reindeers in between.
- Free Coloring Pages – Offers 48 pages of adorable Christmas coloring awesomeness.
- Crayola – Crayola is a great resource for free printables anytime during the year, but their Christmas coloring pages are fun and they also include party invitations, Christmas Bingo and more.
Salt Dough Ornaments:
The recipe for these easy-to-make ornaments comes from The Happy Housewife: where Martha meets real life. We ended up making these as a church Sunday school project to add to the Christmas trees at the nursing home in Laurel. The kids had a great time painting them and sharing them with the residents.
You need only three ingredients for this recipe:
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup warm water
For a step-by-step photo tutorial, go to: Salt Dough Recipe at The Happy Housewife
It’s easy, it’s fun, and they can double as gift tags on your Christmas gifts. Seriously, what busy mom can’t appreciate a multi-tasking trinket?
Christmas Crafts for Kids:
- Paintable Wooden Ornaments – Take a trip to Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts or Michael’s, pick out a few favorites, some paint, and your set for an afternoon. I vote for the ornaments that allow you to include a picture, great gift for grandma and grandpa’s tree.
- Beaded Candy Canes - You’ll need beads, pipe cleaner, and ribbon (optional). We made a traditional red and white candy cane, using two different sizes of beads. String the beads on pipe cleaner, rounding into the candy cane shape. Optional: Take a piece of ribbon and tie around your candy cane for added flair.
- Gingerbread House – There are many options for this fun craft, but my favorite comes from my own kindergarten days. You’ll need single serving milk cartons, empty and washed; white icing; graham cracker squares; and decorations: candies, sprinkles, other holiday treats.
- For step-by-step instructions, go to Kids’ Turn Central.
Alright, have fun locating your inner (though warmer and fuzzier) Martha Stewart, and get your craft on. Don’t forget to share your family’s favorites in the comments section below.