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Here are several easy Christmas crafts for kids to make and use as classroom decorations for your holiday party. These activities also make for terrific partner activities with older or younger classroom buddies!
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Macrame Wreath
Materials:
- 4 1/2 yards of green macramé yarn
- one six-inch macramé hoop or embroidery hoop
- 12 inches of 1/4-inch red ribbon or seasonal ribbon
- scissors
- ruler
Directions:
This easy Christmas craft for children may need some prep work before you begin. When working with younger students, you will need to measure and cut the green macramé yarn into eight-inch pieces. Older students can perform this task themselves. (This makes for a great "buddy" project between students in older grades and students in the younger grades.) Each student will need about 25 pieces of yarn. They will proceed to attach the yarn to the hoop in the following manner:
1. Fold the yarn in half, creating a loop. Lay the folded yarn on top of the hoop, so that the loop is facing toward the inside of the circle.
2. Place the cut ends of the yarn together, and then bring them behind the hoop and up through the loop together.
3. Pull both ends of the yarn to tighten the knot.
4. Continue with remaining pieces of yarn, knotting each side-by-side, all the way around the hoop.
5. Once the hoop is full of yarn, you can fray the yarn to make the wreath nice and fluffy. Add a bow at the bottom, and a small loop at the top for hanging.
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Your Own Pinecone Forest
Materials:
- pinecones of various sizes (enough for each student to have one)
- green paint
- Plaster of Paris
- aluminum foil (one sheet of foil for each student)
- small, round paper plates
- colorful beads
- silver glitter
- glue
- paintbrushes
Directions:
Give each student their own pinecone. Using the green paint, they should paint their entire pinecone on the inside and out. Set the pinecones aside to dry. Following the directions on the package of the Plaster of Paris, mix a thick batch. You will need to work quickly, so that the plaster does not inadvertently set. Instruct students to set their sheet of aluminum foil on top of their small, round plate. Drop a large spoonful of the plaster mix onto the piece of aluminum foil. Have students gently press the bottom of the pinecone into the plaster. Allow the plaster to set for a day or so. Once the plaster has dried, students may use glue and beads to decorate their trees. The beads, when attached in various spots around the pinecone, will look a bit like Christmas lights. They may also gently sprinkle silver glitter on and around their pinecone "tree" to look like bits of silvery snow.
When all of the "trees" are complete, line them up together to look like a miniature forest. Or, use them in addition to gingerbread houses to create your own classroom village.
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Parents will be delighted with the easy Christmas crafts for children! The finish product will be a lasting keepsake year after year.
Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids - Decorations to Make at Home or in the Classroom
This series gives you a variety of activities to use at home or with your students around the Christmas holiday season. Includes holiday snack ideas and crafts!