How to Make Christmas Crafts Including: Owl Paper Gift Bag, Star Paper Christmas Tree Garland Craft, Paper Plate Reindeer Card Holder, Foam Elf with Candy Ornament, Acrylic Cabochon Christmas Ornaments, Wet-Felted Christmas Ornaments, Joy to the World Baby Jesus Star Ornament, Pipe
Cleaner Christmas Tree, Paper
Towel Poinsettia, Christmas
Ornament Place Holder, Christmas Candle, Poinsettia
Flower Angel, Glass
Crystal Ornament, CD
Christmas Ornament, Gift Bags with Gift Tags, Christmas Card Ornaments
Owl Paper Gift Bag
What you will need: Brown paper lunch bag, brown construction paper, black marker, yellow card stock or construction paper, glue, Christmas bow, newspaper ripped in quarters, and glitter paint.
How to make:
1. The owl paper bag can be used as a gift bag and stuffed with Christmas gifts such as towels, clothes, candy, cookies, etc.; or you can just stuff the bag with wrinkled up pieces of newspaper and use the owl as a decoration.
2. To make the owl pull the sides of the paper bag out from the top so that you can make a flat surface at the top of the bag.
3. Fold down the sides from the middle top of the bag and glue them down.
4. Fold the down the point to the front of the bag making the top of the owls head. Pull up on the sides to make the horns and open them slightly.
5. Cut wings from brown construction paper and glue them to the sides of the bag. Draw eyes on a and a beak on piece of yellow paper using a black marker, cut them out, and glue them to the bag. (A pattern for the eyes, beak, and wings are available to members.)
6. Add a bow and gift tag. You may also want to paint the top of the owl's head with gold glitter glue.
Christmas garland can be quite expensive especially if you have a large tree. This Christmas garland is inexpensive and very easy to make.
What you will need: Red 6.35mm ribbon, brown grocery bags, a 1.5" star punch, and a sewing machine.
How to make:
1. Cut the ribbon into 3" lengths.
2. Punch star shapes from the brown grocery bag.
3. Us a sewing machine set with a small stitch to sew through a paper star. Let the stitches go beyond the star so that you aren't sewing anything, then sew through the middle of a cut piece of ribbon letting the needle pass through the ribbon and beyond so that you aren't sewing anything. Keep sewing stars and ribbon together to make a long string of about 5 or 6 feet.
4. To finish tie knots in the ribbons and then cut the ends shorter.
What you will need: Three dinner-sized paper plates, paint, plastic forks, red pompom, paper, and glue.
How to make:
1. To make the body place two paper plates together, top to top. Cut of the top quarter of the plates to make a card holder, then glue the plates together as shown.
2. To make the head fold a paper plate almost in half as shown in the picture to the right.
3. Measure 3 3/4" in from the sides of the folded edge of the paper plate. Fold the sides back 3 3/4" to form the head shape as shown at the left. Glue or staple the sides together on the back.
4. Glue the head to the body as shown.
5. Cut out leg, tail, and ear shapes from brown construction paper and glue them to the body and head. Patterns for the legs, tail, and ears are available to members only.
6. To make the antlers cut two plastic forks in half and glue each half fork to a whole fork as shown in the picture. Glue them to the back of the head.
7. Paint the paper plates and antlers. Glue on a red pompom for the nose.
8. Attach a string or strong magnet to the back of the reindeer to hang it up. Place your Christmas cards in the holder.
What you will need: Tan, red, white, and pink craft foam, green and pink pompoms, googly eyes, red and green felt, tacky glue or glue gun, and straight pins.
How to make:
1. To make the face cut out a triangle shape about 5" high from the tan craft foam. Roll the triangle into a cone shape and glue it together.
2. To make the mouth fold in the foam around the open end of the cone. Cut a tongue from pink foam and glue it inside the mouth.
3. Cut ear shapes from the same tan foam and glue them to the sides of the cone.
4. To make the hat cut another triangle shape from the red felt and glue it to the top of the cone leaving about one inch above the foam cone so you can fold over the top of the hat. Glue a pompom to the end.
5. Glue a pompom on for the nose and glue on the eyes.
6. To make the candy in the elf's mouth cut two strips of foam, one from white foam and the other from the red, about 1/4" wide and the length of the foam piece. Wind the two pieces together gluing as you go. To hold them in place while they dry stick a straight pin in the side. When it is dry glue it to the tongue of the elf. Add a string to the hat to hang it on a tree.
What you will need: Acrylic cabochons from Oriental Trading Company (see below), old Christmas cards, Christmas pictures, artwork, etc. Elmer's Glue-All Multi-purpose glue (Glue that dries clear), 7/8" Christmas ribbon, 1/4" Rick Rack, glue gun, needle, thread, and scissors.
How to make:
1. Find small picture from cards or other artwork that will fit behind the cabochon. Place the cabochon over the picture and trace around it, and then cut out the picture.
2. Glue the picture to the back of the cabochon. Smear glue evenly over the whole picture and press it to the back of the cabochon. Press down hard with your fingers until you get all the bubbles out. Let dry.
3. Cut six inches of ribbon and gather one side with a needle and thread. Tie the end so the gather doesn't come apart.
4. Glue the gathered ribbon to the back of the ornament.
5. To make the hanging loop cut about 4" of ric-rac, make a loop and glue it to the back of the ornament with a hot melt glue gun.
You can also make these ornaments into a broach by adding a stickpin to the back, or make a refrigerator decoration by adding a magnet.
You can buy 12 acrylic cabochons from Oriental Trading Company for $4.99. They come with three different designs, but the designs are too simple. They also sell a craft kit with glass cabochons but they are not as clear and are more expensive. The cabochons are about the size of a quarter.
These little creatures are great for Christmas Bazaars and Craft Fairs. They are very easy to make and are inexpensive. You can find directions to these on the Yarn and Felt Page. Just click on the pictures below.
What you will need: Lunch bags, paper glue, color printer and paper, and ingredients to make dog treats.
How to make:
1. Print out the dog treat bag patterns and cut them apart. Glue them to the front sides of lunch bags. Make dog treats or dog toys for your dogs and place them inside the bags. Roll down the top of the bags and staple them closed. Add a bow.
To make these ornaments follow the directions in the video above.
If you don't want to buy special paper for this project, you can buy Papier-Mache Ornaments from Oriental Trading Company, Inc. and use Christmas wrapping paper to glue to the ornaments. The diamond-shaped ornament above was made with wrapping paper. To make the feather ornament cut the ends off of small feathers and glue them to the bulb. Start at the very bottom working your way up to the top over lapping the feathers as you work. I used Elmer's Glue-all Multi-Purpose Glue.
Craft Stick Christmas Star Ornament Craft for Kids
What you will need: craft sticks, hot melt glue, gems, buttons, or other decorative items, and ribbon.
Rhinestones - Type in 57/7014 in the search box at Oriental Trading Company to find this item. Jewels - Item number 48/2089 Snowflake Jewels -
Item number 48/1580
Colored Craft Sticks - Item number 57/1001
How to make:
1. Print out thestar pattern(available to members only) and use it to glue the craft sticks together to form a star shape, or use the picture above as a diagram. Glue a ribbon loop to the back of the star so you will be able to hang in on your Christmas tree.
2. Paint the star if you aren't using the colored craft sticks.
3. Glue on beads, buttons, jewels, and other decorative items, or use glitter glue to decorate your stars.
What
you will need: Peppermint Candies, jumbo craft sticks, tacky glue,
card board, and a photograph or drawing to put in the picture, clear
acrylic spray.
How to make:
1.Glue four
jumbo craft sticks together to form a square. Turn the picture so
it is facing you. Glue peppermint candies all the way around the
edge. You can leave the wrappers on or take them off. If you take
the wrappers off spray several coats of clear acrylic paint over
the candy and let dry between coats. This will keep the candy looking
fresh and keep ants away.
2. Glue a picture
backed with cardboard on the back of the craft stick frame. Cut
out a stand and glue it to the back.
What
you will need: Green pipe cleaners, Red beads, star button, and
wire.
How to make: String red beads on a pipe cleaner about one inch apart.
When all the beads are in place bend the pipe cleaner in the form
of a tree as pictured. String a star button on to the top and
bend the pipe cleaner end down to secure it. Use a short piece of
wire to hang the three. Secure the wire by bending it around the button
back. If you don't want to use buttons, glue star gems to the top.
These beautiful flowers are easy to make and very inexpensive.
Young children will love painting them with water colors and picking
a button or bobble to glue into the center.
See the Flower Crafts Page for Directions.
What
you will need: Christmas candles, Plaster of Paris, plastic container
from a can Wilson tennis balls $1.88 at Wal-mart, fun foam or felt,
gold or silver water based paint, tacky glue, ribbon, lace, or anything
you would like to decorate the candle holder and candle with.
How to make: 1. To make the plaster of Paris mold for the base cut the bottom
off the plastic container about two inches from the bottom.
Cut another inch off but leave two or three one-inch tabs sticking
up. This mold can be used over and over again.
2. Fill the base with Plaster of Paris according to the directions.
Remove the plaster cast when it is dry by lightly tapping the
tabs of the mold on a table. The plaster cast should pop out.
3. Cut a three-inch circle from fun foam or felt and glue to the bottom
of the plaster base.
4. Paint the base with water based paint and let dry.
5. Decorate the base and candle with whatever you would like.
What
you will need: Christmas ornaments (plastic for young children),
Fun Foam or felt, Wilson tennis ball container, gold or silver water
based paint, tacky glue, permanent marker, sequins, ribbon, lace,
beads or anything you would like to decorate the ornaments and base
with.
How to make:
1. To make the Plaster of Paris mold for the base cut the bottom
off the plastic container about two inches from the bottom.
Cut another inch off but leave two or three one inch tabs sticking
up. This mold can be used over and over again.
2. Fill the base with Plaster of Paris according to the directions.
Remove the plaster cast when it is dry by lightly tapping the tabs of the mold on a table. The plaster cast should pop out.
3. Cut a three-inch circle from fun foam or felt and glue to the bottom
of the plaster base.
4. Paint the base with water based paint and let dry.
5. Decorate the base and ornament with whatever you would like.
6. Write a name on the base with a permanent marker.
What
you will need: Silk poinsettia flowers, 1 1/2 " red ribbon, 1
1/4" wooden ball head, fake hair, two small beads for the feet, 6
mm red ribbon, small bird, hot melt glue, white glitter pipe cleaner.
How to make:
1. Remove
the center of the poinsettia flower so that a pipe cleaner can be
inserted into the center.
2. Insert
the pipe cleaner through the center of the flower. Pull it
all the way through the flower from the top until you have only
1" showing. Bend the 1" length left to form a circle.
3. Glue
the flower petals down toward the pipe cleaner so that they don't
stick out too far.
4. Tie
a bow using the 1 1/2" ribbon onto the pipe cleaner just above the
poinsettia petals. Pull the bow ends around to form the arms
of the angel and glue in place. Glue a small bird onto the arms.
5. Next
thread the wooden head onto the pipe cleaner just above the bow.
Pull the head down tight and wind the remaining pipe cleaner around
on top of the head to form a halo.
6. Glue
on the hair.
7. Tie
two ribbons with beads attached to the bottoms onto the loop under
the poinsettia flower to form legs and feet.
These
beautiful ornaments are a lot of fun to make, easy, and inexpensive.
This craft is not designed for young children.
What
you will need: Clear glass ornament with removable top, crystals
(Found in the floral arrangement section of your craft store), food
coloring, sequins, beads, glitter, lace, or anything tiny you want
to put inside the ornament, base to set ornament in (optional), and
Liquid Nails Sealant - Clear Seal all-purpose sealant.
How to make:
1. Find
something you can use to hold the ornament upright while you work.
The ornament
base below works well.
2. Remove
the metal lid and metal hanging wire from the glass ornament. Dip
the ends of the metal hanging wire in the sealant or spray the end
with a rust proofing paint. Let them dry. You will be putting
water in the glass ornament. If you don't seal the metal it will
rust and discolor your ornament.
3. Fill
the ornament with a few sequins or beads; add water (You can add
food coloring to the water if you would like) to fill the ornament
about half full and then a few sprinkles of crystals. You
will probably only need to use 1/4 teaspoon or less of crystals
per ornament. The crystals will expand quite a bit.
Let the ornament stand a few minutes so that the crystals expand.
4. After
the crystals have expanded, you can use something skinny and long
like a pencil or craft stick to push the sequins in place next to
the glass.
5. Put
more water in the ornament up to where the ends of the wire top
will be. You don't want the wire to come in contact with the water
in the ornament if possible because it rusts. Put in more sequins
and crystals. Use your craft stick to push the sequins around. Let
the ornament set for at least half an hour. (If you are not happy
with the results, you can start all over by placing the ornament
under running water. The sequins and crystals will come out.)
6. Now
you are ready to put the lid on. Make sure you don't have crystals
or water in the top area of the ornament where the metal wire will
be inserted. If you do, remove any excess with your pencil.
Now fill the rest of the ornament with the clear sealant up to the
top. Insert the wire and metal top. Let dry and then remove
any excess sealant by pealing it off.
Recycle your old CD's and make beautiful Christmas decorations.
What
you will need: Old Cd's, pretty ribbon or lace, drill, pictures
from old Christmas card, and beads
How to make the star ornament:
1. Place two Cd's back to back so that the shinny sides face out.
Tape them together so that they don't move around while drilling holes.
2 Print out the star
pattern and cut it out. Place it on top of the Cd's and mark with
a permanent marker where the holes should be drilled.
3. Drill the holes big enough so that your lace or ribbon will fit
through twice.
4. Starting at the top of the star, lace the ribbon in and out all
the way around the star twice so that you have a star. Tie the
ribbon at the top and add beads if you would like.
5. To finish, glue a picture from a Christmas card or family picture
in the center.
How to make the ray ornament:
1. Glue two Cd's together so that the printed sides are together.
Keep wrapping ribbon around and through the middle hole of the CD's
until you get back to where you started from. Tie the two ends
together and add some beads to the top.
This is an easy and inexpensive craft that all ages will enjoy.
What
you will need: Brown or white lunch bags or grocery bags (depending
on how big you want to make them), paint (use washable paint with
small children), glitter, sequins, or anything else you want to use
to decorate the bags: ribbon, stickers, sponges cut into Christmas
shapes, rubber stamps, Christmas scenes cut from material or
old Christmas cards are just a few suggestions.
How to make:
Decorate the bags with whatever you would like. Make a
matching gift tag. When the paint is dry, fold over the top edge about
two inches and punch two holes at the top. Lace ribbon through the
holes and attach a gift card. Tie the ribbon in a bow.
Make Christmas tree ornaments using old Christmas cards. Save plastic lids from plastic containers such as butter tubs, coffee cans, and cottage cheese containers. Cut out pictures from old Christmas cards and glue them onto the lids. Then add ribbon, glitter, or any kid of decor. Punch a hole in the top and tie a ribbon for the hanger. They make great gifts for residents nursing homes and people who can't get out at Christmas time. Sent in by Ann,
New Braunfels TX
What you will need: Brown paper lunch bag, brown construction paper, black marker, yellow card stock or construction paper, glue, Christmas bow, newspaper ripped in quarters, and glitter paint.
clothes, candy, cookies, etc.; or you can just stuff the bag with wrinkled up pieces of newspaper and use the owl as a decoration. 
3. Fold down the sides from the middle top of the bag and glue them down. 
horns and open them slightly.
Christmas garland can be quite expensive especially if you have a large tree. This Christmas garland is inexpensive and very easy to make.
2. Punch star shapes from the brown grocery bag.
What you will need: Three dinner-sized paper plates, paint, plastic forks, red pompom, paper, and glue.
1. To make the body place two paper plates together, top to top. Cut of the top quarter of the plates to make a card holder, then glue the plates together as shown. 
What you will need: Tan, red, white, and pink craft foam, green and pink pompoms, googly eyes, red and green felt, tacky glue or glue gun, and straight pins.
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This craft is available to members of Danielle's Place. Click on the link to get directions
What you will need: Lunch bags, paper glue, color printer and paper, and ingredients to make dog treats.
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What you will need: craft sticks, hot melt glue, gems, buttons, or other decorative items, and ribbon. 
1. Print out the 
What
you will need: Peppermint Candies, jumbo craft sticks, tacky glue,
card board, and a photograph or drawing to put in the picture, clear
acrylic spray. 
What
you will need: Green pipe cleaners, Red beads, star button, and
wire.
These beautiful flowers are easy to make and very inexpensive.
Young children will love painting them with water colors and picking
a button or bobble to glue into the center.
What
you will need: Christmas candles, Plaster of Paris, plastic container
from a can Wilson tennis balls $1.88 at Wal-mart, fun foam or felt,
gold or silver water based paint, tacky glue, ribbon, lace, or anything
you would like to decorate the candle holder and candle with. 
What
you will need: Christmas ornaments (plastic for young children),
Fun Foam or felt, Wilson tennis ball container, gold or silver water
based paint, tacky glue, permanent marker, sequins, ribbon, lace,
beads or anything you would like to decorate the ornaments and base
with.
What
you will need: Silk poinsettia flowers, 1 1/2 " red ribbon, 1
1/4" wooden ball head, fake hair, two small beads for the feet, 6
mm red ribbon, small bird, hot melt glue, white glitter pipe cleaner.
These
beautiful ornaments are a lot of fun to make, easy, and inexpensive.
This craft is not designed for young children. 
Recycle your old CD's and make beautiful Christmas decorations. 
What
you will need: Brown or white lunch bags or grocery bags (depending
on how big you want to make them), paint (use washable paint with
small children), glitter, sequins, or anything else you want to use
to decorate the bags: ribbon, stickers, sponges cut into Christmas
shapes, rubber stamps, Christmas scenes cut from material or
old Christmas cards are just a few suggestions.
