Well not really, but it is fast approaching. All the manufacturers are doing their Christmas releases, we are getting bundles of orders for Christmas products and people have started making Christmas Cards and Decorations.

So I want to know if any of you have any good crafting projects to do with Kids in the early part of the Christmas school holidays - it is not that far away and I would like to get some product ordered in for the local girls who might be looking to entertain their youngsters in the near future

I want to make some cards with Cody this year I think I might get him to paint a tree with Red & Green paint, then scan it and use it in my cards - I would love to do something else with him but I really don't know what I can do in that age range

this is exactly why I thought I would start this thread Ant - I have a friend who has some young kids and I thought I might do some stuff with them for Christmas - I would love some ideas

We have some great metal Christmas trees accessories in the shop - I am thinking I might give them some butchers paper, get them to go crazy with red and green paint then chop that up to use as pp behind the silver christmas trees and go from there - will photograph as we go when we get around to it

Handmade christmas dec ideas too I am after

Maybe the old Kaiser Christmas OTP's they can paint them and go to town with glitter and stuff - I was going through my stuff and found an old Star Chipboard OTP and I might get Cody to paint those and go crazy and hang them on the Tree

Depending on the age you can do heaps of stuff based on footprints and hand prints, making wreaths, reindeer and even Christmas trees. I did them with a bit older kids, Year 2, but as long as you had help could do with younger.

I just typed a whole heap of ideas then hit the wrong key and lost it LOL!

Ok, point form this time:

1. Christmas stockings, either out of felt or paper. Older kids (10-12) can be taught how to blanket stitch around the outside. Decorate with shapes cut out of extra felt (snowmen etc).
2. Salt dough ornaments - use cookie cutters to make the shapes, air or oven dry and let the kids decorate.
3. Wreaths: out of hand prints, lollies tied to a coat hanger frame with curling ribbon, or strips of green garbage bag.
4. Christmas cards.
5. Christmas wrapping paper.
6. Christmas trees made out of recycled magazine
7. Angels made out of paper plates (there has to be a template online somewhere...)
8. Bon Bons/Christmas Crackers

My mum did daycare from home for 8 years and I remember doing all of these things - the kids ranged in age from 4 to 12.

Not sure how many are useful for you - will depend on the ages of the kids

they are all fantastic ideas girls - keep them coming

Hi...I know I'm in the "states" but this is something I do with my girls during the holiday season...
I get the plain plexiglass ornaments and have my girls put paint and glitter in them. They shake the ornaments up to coat the inside. Then we allow them to dry and hang on the tree.

I've also had my girls to make snow flakes out of popsickle sticks. We use 4 sticks..paint them white and glitter them. Then glue them to make a snow flake.
The girls put their name on one side with the date and put those on the tree as well.

I've also had success with my kids to make Christmas cards and gingerbread houses.
Can you all tell, we have a good time???

It just sounds perfectly fantastic!!!
Love these ideas!! My mind is working overtime visualising!!

I LOVE Christmas!

Ok so I'm trawling through the site adding way too many things to my shopping list and I've just stumbled across the Maya Road Coaster books - there's a set of birds, gingerbread men & stockings - maybe they could be a good start for a handmade christmas ornament? You could cover them in paper, paint, paper mache, glitter... Depend on how messy you want it to get

I love Christmas projects with the kids!

Ant - you could use Cody's hand as a 'stamp' for reindeers ... use the fist where the little finger curls in to make a rounded rectangular shape for the head and an open flat hand showing five fingers for antlers. Not sure how big his hands are but it might fit on a card.

I'll dig through my boxes and see if I can come up with some more.

founs abag tempalte online, printed onto christmas paper and embellished with stickers form same line and added ribbon, very quick and easy. thinking of making with the kids, though would be nice gift with chocolates in them for the teachers!!!And grandparents!!

LOVE this!

Its gorgeous Belinda!

Very Sweet

I'm going to try get my Kaiser stars painted and get Cody to handprint them and give them to the grandmas for christmas