Christmas Craft Ideas and Projects

This simple, quick to make Christmas decoration can be made in less than thirty minutes, and can take pride of place on top of your Christmas tree. Or, why not get your child to make a few of them, and place them around the house with your other decorations.

All you need to make each angel is a paper plate, pencil, scissors, tape or a stapler, and crayons, paint, or colouring in pencils to decorate it. Before you give the plate to your child, you need to make a few pencil marks, a little cutting out, and draw a smiling face for the angel.

Start with the plate facing down, and draw a circle in the centre of the plate. This circle should be roughly a third of the size of the plate, and will be the angel's head and wings. Now, imagine the face down plate in front of you is a clock face. Draw a line going from ten o'clock towards the centre of the plate, stopping at the smaller circle. Draw a similar line going from two o'clock. The piece of paper plate between 10 and 2 o'clock will be cut out. Cut it out carefully, leaving the whole of the centre circle intact.

Now, cut around the circle, leaving a 2cm piece still attached at the 6 o'clock part of the plate. This is the angel's waist. This will pop up when you join the angel's skirts together.

Now, turn the plate around to face the correct way, and draw a head shape in the top of the centre circle, and draw a little neck. You will also now need to cut around this head and neck. Once the angel has been decorated, this will allow the wings to pop out from the angel's head once it's skirts have been joined together.

Next, give the angel to your child to decorate with their colouring in pencils, crayons or paints. Older children could also use stickers, glitter, to adorn their angel, they could also glue strands of wool to make her hair. Craft shops sell brightly coloured feathers, try sticking these to the angel's wings make the angel extra special.

Once the angel has been coloured and decorated completely, all you need to do is overlap the angel's skirts. As you do this, her waist will pop up, and her head and wings will separate. The end result is a cone shaped angel decoration which should be stable enough to stand on its own, or be easily placed on the top of your Christmas tree.

Perhaps you are planning to host a Christmas dinner party? Why not involve your children in helping you to prepare by making these angels as place markers for the table. Make one for each person; write each person's name on the front of their angel's skirts, and decorate as normal.

With careful packaging, your child's handmade Christmas angel decorations can be kept and used for many years to come.

Do your bit for the environment by recycling your old Christmas Cards, and save money; this article will show you X different way how to reuse your old Christmas cards. Some are obvious, others are more creative. You may even come up with your own ideas too!

If you make your own cards, you can cut out the pictures on the front of your old cards, and reuse them on the front of your new cards.

The most obvious way to recycle old Christmas cards, is to use a pair of pinking sheers to cut out the pictures, punch with a hole punch, and use as gift tags for next year's presents.

Buy plain candle jars, or use small glass jars, cut and stick strips from your old cards around the jar to create your own Christmas candle votive designs. Reflective card is best for this. An alternative to cutting strips of card is to cut out small shapes from the cards.

Buy a plain picture frame from your local dollar or pound store, and then glue squares of the Christmas card pictures on the frame. Once covered, varnish the complete frame, and use as a decorative Christmas frame.

Large Christmas cards make great jigsaw puzzles for children. Make them durable by laminating the card first. Draw some curve-y lines horizontally and vertically on the card, and cut out. Keep all the pieces together by storing them in a shoe box when not in use. For a harder challenge, repeat with several different Christmas cards, so the game is to build each picture and figure out which jigsaw piece belongs to which picture.

Make an easy garland by cutting out shapes of Christmas card pictures, and making a hole either side of the piece with a hole punch. Thread along a piece of ribbon and place around your tree or around your home.

Make some unique Christmas decorations for your tree by cutting out three squares from three various cards. Each square must be identical in size. Fold each piece in half vertically. Glue along one half of the back of one piece of card, and place half of another piece on top of this, glue along the unglued other half of this card and place half of the other card to it.

Take a piece of ribbon or floss and tie in a loop which is longer than the length of the squares, and attach it to the side of the decoration, before gluing the last two half squares together. Leave overnight to dry, and then hang on your tree the next day. Depending on which angle you look at your decoration, you sill see a different Christmas scene.

This is the time of the year when crafts and projects galore are on the minds of many. Even the little ones want to get in on the creative action. The only problem with that is the fact that it is harder for little hands to work with crafts meant for slightly longer fingers. However, there is a solution that is fun for all your little ones.

Big Fun Christmas Crafts & Activities
(Williamson Little Hands Book)

The Big Fun Christmas Crafts and Activities book will help little Hands will flourish as Judy Press shows that creative expression, learning fun, and respect for others can be the themes of engaging Christmastime activities! In this book you will find quick and easy sections that provide simpler activities and crafts for children ages 3 to 7.

Here are a few of the crafts and activities you will find in the book:

Stand-Up Fir trees
Hands-Together garland,
Countdown to Christmas games
Pop-Up cards
Snowman wrapping paper
Jingle-bell wind chimes
A wonderful festive Choo-Choo train!

You will also find that this book covers most of the winter celebrations like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Chinese New Year, and more.

This Christmas craft book has over 200 quick and easy activities that are suitable for church, school, or home. And it includes clear and concise directions with picture illustrations of every step. Each activity and craft includes a handy "What You Need" list making it easier to plan and organize the craft activities.

This is the time of the year when little ones are often lost in the hustle and bustle of the season. Christmas is about more that one day to open presents. It is about love and families and giving of oneself. With the Big Fun Craft and Activity book you can spend quality time with your little ones and lat them in on all the fun.

Walk into any discount store or gift shop, and chances are you'll see some ceramics. This is especially true around holidays. Ceramics make great gifts for just about anyone.

When you make the ceramics yourself, they become even more special. You can tailor each piece to the recipient's tastes, making things that they will find useful and incorporating their favorite colors and motifs. Here are some ceramic gift ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

* Pottery - Flowerpots, vases, pitchers and other pieces of pottery make wonderful gifts for decorative or utilitarian purposes. They may be created with the aid of a pottery wheel, but it's not necessary. It is entirely possible to fashion such items using only your hands.

* Dishes - Ceramics make wonderfully sturdy plates, saucers and cups. Porcelain is a good clay choice for these types of pieces, because once glazed it can be used in an oven, microwave or broiler. It is also dishwasher safe.

* Stepping stones - Ceramic stepping stones make great gifts for summer birthdays. They can be carved and painted to create ornate designs. You can also press other embellishments into them to make them even more unique.

* Banks - Piggy banks are classic gifts for kids and kids at heart. But if the intended recipient doesn't like pigs, you can make a dog, cat, frog, or dolphin bank, or any kind of bank you can imagine for that matter.

* Bathroom sets - Matching toothbrush holders, cups and soap dishes make excellent housewarming gifts. They can be painted to match any décor.

* Picture frames - You can make beautiful frames out of ceramic clay. A basic frame is quite simple to make, and it's easy to add carvings, paint and other details to make it extra special.

* Figurines - You can make virtually any type of figurine you can imagine with ceramic clay. Coordinating sets are great for holiday ensembles.

* Christmas ornaments - What's a Christmas tree without handmade ornaments? These make great early holiday gifts. You can personalize them for couples celebrating their first Christmas together and new babies for a wonderfully memorable gift.

* Jewelry boxes - It's always nice to receive jewelry and trinket boxes, and it's especially nice when they're made by hand just for you. The inside can be left unglazed and lined with felt to protect valuables.

Making ceramics to give as gifts is fun and thoughtful. And if you're making them for the holidays, you can fire several pieces together, saving time and energy. Even novice ceramic enthusiasts can make nice looking pieces with a little practice. With some thought and creativity, it's completely possible to cover everyone on your gift list with handmade ceramics.

It seems like the stores start bringing out the Christmas items earlier each year. Yet many shoppers don't start working on their gift list until about a month before the holiday. But if you want to make gifts for your friends and loved ones, a month is scarcely long enough.

Crafting is often less expensive than buying gifts, and it allows you to give things that are unique and special. It does, however, require a substantial amount of time. This is especially true if you want to create something for everyone on your list. So it's never too early to get started!

Crafts for Everyone on Your List

Even people that seem impossible to buy gifts for usually respond well to handmade crafts. The time and effort that go into them mean a lot on their own, and it's also possible to make items using their favorite colors and materials. Here are some craft ideas for all of the special people on your Christmas list:

* Clothing - If you love to sew or knit, you can hardly go wrong with clothes. Just remember to take each recipient's personal style and preferences into account. Some people refuse to wear certain materials, some must have shirts with pockets, and everyone has his or her own distinct color preferences. If you're not sure about these things, ask about them casually so as not to ruin the surprise.
* Jewelry - It's always nice to receive jewelry, and it's even better when it's handmade. Consider incorporating the recipient's birthstone (or simulated birthstone) for a personal touch.
* Accessories - Almost everyone wears some sort of accessories. If the recipient lives in an area where it gets cold in the winter, knit hats and gloves are good options. For businessmen, tie tacks and cufflinks are well received. And for female friends and relatives, you can hardly go wrong with a purse or tote bag.
* Home décor - Paintings, throws and other home décor items that are handmade are sure to be a hit. For best results, find out what colors the recipient's home is decorated in and match them.
* Toys - For the kids on your list, you could make stuffed animals or dolls. Or how about some handmade clothes for the dolls or stuffed animals they already have? Wooden toys are also lots of fun.

Creating unique gifts for your loved ones is a wonderful way to show them how much they mean to you. And if you get started early, you can make something special for each and every one of them. So go ahead and start thinking about what you want to give everyone, stock up on supplies, and start crafting!

Christmas is a time when most of us want to show our loved ones how much we care by giving presents. The stores are full of items that make good gifts, but sometimes it's nice to give something that's a little more personal. Creating home-made gifts is a thoughtful way to commemorate the holidays, and it can be much less expensive than buying things from the store. Here are some home-made gift ideas that are sure to please.

* Christmas ornaments - There are lots of ways that you can make home-made Christmas ornaments. One of the simplest and least expensive is to bake them. Use flour and a pinch of salt, and add enough water to make a thick dough that will hold its shape. Roll it out flat, and cut shapes out using a knife or cookie cutters. Make a hole at the top to hang by, carve designs in it with a toothpick if you like, and bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 to 14 minutes. Paint with acrylic paint when cool.

* Baked goods - Speaking of baking, everyone loves yummy homemade treats during the holidays! You can make them into a wonderful gift by presenting them in a festive tin. Some good candidates for gift giving include cookies, toasted nuts, candies, and brownies.

* Clothing and accessories - If you can sew or knit, why not make your family clothing for Christmas? Nice, warm sweaters are always appreciated during the winter. Accessories such as hats and scarves are also appropriate for the season. If you don't sew, there are even some accessories you can make out of fleece that do not require a single stitch.

* Gift baskets - Baskets filled with goodies sell like hotcakes in stores and online during the holidays. But there's no reason why you can't create them yourself. Simply decide on a theme, such as bath and body, coffee, or candy, and fill a basket with items that the recipient will love. This requires little or no crafting skill, yet makes a wonderfully personal gift.

* Jewelry - Handmade jewelry makes a wonderful gift. You can make pieces using wire and gems or elastic and beads. Even if you've never made jewelry before, there are plenty of simple patterns to be found online and at your local craft store that virtually anyone can make. If you like to work with clay, you could also use that to make lovely pendants or earrings.

Making your own Christmas gifts can save you money, and it ensures that the items you give will be unique and memorable. If you start a few months beforehand, you can easily create something special for everyone on your list.

Creating things with clay is more than just a past time. The craft of ceramics is not one to be taken lightly and one has to study and practice just as with any craft. For one who is a ceramic designer or someone seeking to try their hand at it, there is a book that your shelf needs.

Ceramic Design Course:
Principles, Practice, and Techniques:
A Complete Course for Ceramicists

Ceramic Design Course is a great resource for ceramic artists who are interested in improving their design process. This is also a great book for beginning industrial design students. It should be noted that this book is not a book about how to make pottery. However, if you are looking to better understand and design your work including integrating form, shape and color, then this is the book for you.

Ceramic craftsmen intent on making pottery for everyday use, as well as dedicated artisans concentrating on fine-art objects will find insight and handy instruction in Ceramic Design Course.

Step-by-step tutorials take readers through each stage of the ceramic-making process with:

A clearly illustrated summary of essential potter's tools
Instruction on developing design concepts and making prototypes and technical drawings
Making models from drawings
Making sample pieces to test glazes, colors, and surfaces
Final design, creation of finished pieces, and development of a portfolio for presentation to buyers

Ceramic Design Course has practical exercises for each stage in pottery design and construction. While it is more for the profession designer, ambitious amateur do-it-yourselfers will also find plenty of inspiration and solid instruction in this resourceful book.

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