Crafters - Christmas! Children's Home! HELP!

[stefania4]

The children's home where DH and I volunteer relocated last year, and they're not sure how many of the surviving decorations (I'm thinking specifically of tree ornaments) survived the move.

I've got a group lined up to go decorate the tree - my non-crafting self is willing to make decorations, but how??? They have to be:

Inexpensive
Non-breakable - we have a bunch of toddlers
Not too complex

Help??? I'm thinking about getting a bunch of pine cones, spray painting some white, some gold, and some silver and attaching red ribbon, but that's seriously the extent of my creativity. And I don't even know how to attach the ribbon.

[HARRYET]

I think what you and your DH are doing is a great gift to the children, they are very lucky to have you.

I have a recipe for ornament made from a cinnamon dough. If your interested I can post it later.

Basically, you make the dough, roll out and cut shapes with cookie cutters, make a hole in the top with a straw and let the ornaments dry on a cooling rack for a day or two. If you have the time the kids could help with the cookie cutter part and then bring the ornaments back a few days later to decorate the tree. I can be fairly inexpensive if you have a dollar store to buy the cinnamon, because it uses a lot of cinnamon.

How about paper snowflakes, stringing popcorn and cranberries, paper chains, I've make reindeer out of clothes pins before....just some thoughts, I'll keep thinking.

[LaraW]

This might be too complex for waht you are looking for but I know there is a way to make ornaments with a dough you cut out w/ cookie cutters and bake, then paint. You could do a bunch of ornaments that way and maybe the kids could paint them?

Paper chain made w/ red and green paper. Cut strips and tape or staple to make a garland and drape around the tree

I can keep thinking...

For your pinecone idea, go to Michaels and look in their ribbon section. You can find ribbon that is narrow enough you could tie a knot around the top of a pinecone, then make a bow or knot at the top for the hanging loop.

[Beth]

The Christmas we were still in the midst of a kitchen remodel (that was supposd to be done for Thanksgiving), I was not up to pulling out all the decorations after clearing some of the boxed from the living room, much less dealing with dust and cleaning them all when it was time to put away. Our entire tree that year was decorated with candy canes and curly ribbon curls. Colorful, quick and not a lot of money. Everything was used too -- I reused some of the ribbon as packing material in a package and the candy canes the boys didn't eat went to our pediatrician's office in the lollipop basket. Decorations can be as simple or as tedious as you are willing to make them.

My kids made the cinnamon and applesauce dough ornaments -- it was a third grade tradition. The smell wonderful, everyone seems to like them, but they will not be a long term thing -- a few years, perhaps.

I have seen reindeer made from candy canes with pipe cleaner antlers, reindeer made from milk bones (the cat ate that one off the tree before we had a dog), wreaths made of Hershey kisses glued to paper forms. walnuts and pine cones decorated with glitter, salt dough ornaments, picture frame ornaments (anything from a paper frame they make, a pair of mini candy canes in a heart shape on up) with photos of all the kiddos, the classic strung popcorn and cranberries (not for the toddlers though) and paper chains, pipecleaner snowflakes, paper snowflakes, angels made from just about anything -- paper cones and wooden bead heads, thread spools, those triangular paper clips with a wooden bead for a head and a ribbon tie going up through it for the hanger, gingerbread cookies and stained glass cookies, and on and on.

I think the kiddos would have a lot of fun getting involved in making the decorations and making it "their" tree. Check out the crafts stores and websites, even magazine ads this time of year. Have fun!

[sneezles]

We made the cinnamon dough ornaments years ago and while they don't have any cinnamon smell any more they certainly are full of nostalgia for me and the boys. I think they'd make a great project for the children and adults. We personalized them with silver and gold paint pens (on the back with the boys names and the date).

[615bride]

If you're looking for inexpensive, super easy and fast, what about tri-beads? They were always a hit in Girl Scouts. Buy red, white and green tri beads and pipe cleaners and "string" the tri beads on in the color order you want and twist the pipe cleaner closed. Like this:

http://crafts.kaboose.com/tribead-wreath-ornament.html

[JJeannette]

How about yarn dolls? A couple of skeins of yarn or odds and ends from someone who knits or crochets and you'd have great decorations for toddlers.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Yarn-Doll

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art26508.asp

[Kathy B]

Check out these ideas from Family Fun. They give you all of the directions, most have pictures, and many have reviews from families who have made them.

Family Fun Holiday Ornaments

[stefania4]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone!

This story took an unexpected twist. I was telling my sister that one of my to-do items was to come up with 100ish ornaments to make by myself while working 50+hour weeks (it's a home for babies and toddlers, so - cute as they are - they're not much help ).

My sister insisted on sending me $50 for ornaments. Flat-out insisted. She said that with her husband being deployed, she and the kids have been the recipients of incredible kindness this year and she wants to put some of that back out in the world.

So thanks, Sis, and thanks, Target, for having the perfect ornaments! They have large, sparkly, non-breakable snowflakes 2/99 cents, and smaller ones at 4/99 cents. I grabbed them in pearly white, gold, and red, and I'll just pay myself back with her check. We have PLENTY of ornaments and it will be beautiful!

[GingerPow]

Thanks for the great advice, everyone!

This story took an unexpected twist. I was telling my sister that one of my to-do items was to come up with 100ish ornaments to make by myself while working 50+hour weeks (it's a home for babies and toddlers, so - cute as they are - they're not much help ).

My sister insisted on sending me $50 for ornaments. Flat-out insisted. She said that with her husband being deployed, she and the kids have been the recipients of incredible kindness this year and she wants to put some of that back out in the world.

So thanks, Sis, and thanks, Target, for having the perfect ornaments! They have large, sparkly, non-breakable snowflakes 2/99 cents, and smaller ones at 4/99 cents. I grabbed them in pearly white, gold, and red, and I'll just pay myself back with her check. We have PLENTY of ornaments and it will be beautiful!

Well that did it. Between you and your husband helping at a home for babies and toddlers, then your sister sending you money for your decorating project to pass on the kindness shown to her family with her husband deployed...I can barely see through the tears to type this. You are all blessings in this world.

[stefania4]

Oh Ginger, no need to cry! It's fabulous - rebuilding my relationship with my sister, sharing the holiday with the babies, etc.

I know the children's home sounds Oliver Twist-ish; medically fragile infants and toddlers in state custody. But it's a happy, loud, active place where true miracles have happened in the 8 years we've been volunteering there. It just blows my mind, in the best possible way, to see how much people can love and do and give for babies they've never met.