Toms River Mom

Supplies:

Large pinecone
Peanut Butter
Winter bird seed
Tray or Plate
String

Directions:

1. Go hunting in your yard for a large pinecone with lots of space between each row
1. Spread peanut butter between each row of scales
3. Sprinkle birdseed over the pine cone until the peanut butter is covered with seed. Keep the tray underneath to catch the extra seed
4. Tie a string around the top row of the pine cone and hang it up outside.

Celebrate winter! Warm up those imaginations with these cool winter crafts then relax with some fun printables and heart-warming recipes.

What you’ll need:
1 sheet light blue construction paper
1 sheet white copy paper
Brown acrylic craft paint
Glue stick
Scissors
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

How to make it:
Lay white paper sideways (landscape) and cut the paper in half using a curvy cut. Place paper across the light blue construction paper. Use the glue stick to attach it to the bottom third of the blue paper. Use scissors to trim off any excess white paper. (See image.)

Paint child’s palm and fingers with brown paint. (See image.) Have child spread out his/her fingers then press his/her palm and fingers down onto the paper. Wash off child’s hand.

Use finger to paint on a “tree trunk” under the palm print. (See image.)

Use the glue stick to apply glue to the fingers (branches) and snow (white paper). Sprinkle all glued areas with granulated sugar. Carefully lift paper and tap off excess sugar over the sink or a piece of wax paper. (See image.)

Use glue stick to draw dots or small circles onto the blue paper, sprinkle with sugar again and tap off excess.

Tips:
Construction paper is perfect for impromptu craft projects.
Poster paint will work in place of acrylic craft paint.
Be sure to wash child’s hand with soap and water before continuing with the project so that the paint will come off easily.
Regular table sugar adds a glittery touch to this handprint keepsake piece of winter art.

Turkey Napkin Holders or Place Card

You will need:
-colored paper (precut inot turkey pieces)
-paper towel/toliet paper roll (cut into sections)
-google eyes (or black marker to make an eye)
-glue
-black marker
-napkins (optional)

Trace hand on brown paper; Let the children use a glue stick to add the feathers, beak, eye, and gobble.

Once pieces are dried, write name and use school glue to glue onto the roll.

Add a napkin or leave as a place card.

-CD

Want to get in the Christmas Spirit – plan ahead and get the kids excited too! Make some reindeer food so Santa isn’t the only one with a full belly on the way back to the North Pole!

Here’s how you do it:

In a small ziploc bag or baby food container, mix:

1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup sugar
sprinkle of red or green sugar crystals (for cake decorating)

Put the ingredients in a small container and put it out for the reindeer on Christmas Eve! Keep it out as decoration before the big day — and a great conversation piece!

OPTIONAL: You can cut a circle of cloth or felt a bit larger than the lid. Place over the lid and tie a ribbon around it to decorate. We actually used tissue paper cut in a circle and tied on with wool for the top of our lid and it turned out really nice.
(the amounts don’t have to be exact)

If you use a baby food jar, you can layer the ingredients for a “sand art” look.

Reindeer Poem to go with:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home.

Of if you don’t celebrate Christmas:

Winter Rabbit Poem to go with:

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
Winter Rabbits hop and roam,
This will guide them to your home

As more people send me crafts, I’ll be able to put up individual crafts. In the meantime, here are some websites with great crafting ideas for kids!

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/kidsart.htm

http://crafts.kaboose.com/

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/

http://familycrafts.about.com/

If you come across any excellent ones that you’d recommend, email them to me at tomsrivermom@gmail.com and I’ll post them! Thanks