by Silva Payne

Created on: December 13, 2009   Last Updated: February 01, 2012

Children and Christmas go together just like turkey and cranberry sauce. However, the weather around Christmas time may mean long days spent indoors with little to do except watch TV. So why not encourage your kids to get stuck into some Christmas crafts this year?

One of the simplest Christmas craft activities is making paper chain decorations. You can purchase ready-cut strips of adhesive coloured paper from craft stores, or you can cut up your own from large sheets of construction or adhesive paper. Make each strip approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 6-8 inches (15-18 cm) long. Give each child a stack of paper strips. If you are using adhesive paper, you may want to give each child a drink as well.

To make the paper chain with adhesive strips, simply lick one end of the strip, roll the strip into a circle, and press the ends together to make a ring. Repeat this with the next paper strip, but pass the strip through the first ring like a link in a traditional chain before securing the end. Continue this way so that each ring has two others linked to it. If you are using construction paper the process is the same, but you will need a glue stick or small pieces of tape to secure the ends of each paper strip. Make the paper chains long enough to be hung around the walls and ceiling in generous swags.

Another easy homemade Christmas craft idea for kids to enjoy is to make Snowman pencil holders. You will need a plastic pot, around the same shape and size as a large tin of preserved fruit. You will also need some coloured paper or card, some cotton wool (balls or a pleat), old newspaper, and some PVA glue (the kind that goes on white, dries clear, is non-toxic and peels off fingers).

Wash and dry your plastic pot to remove any dust or grease. Place the pot, side down, onto a sheet of white card and draw a snowman shape so that the pot is slightly smaller than the snowman's belly. Leave approximately 2 inches (5 cm) at the base of the snowman shape that you will fold under the pot when it is stood upright. Cut out one snowman shape for each child. If you have given the snowman shape a hat, get the child to colour that in before you begin to assemble the pencil holder.

Next, fold the bottom portion of the snowman shape to a 90 degree angle so that it stands up when the card shape is flat on the work surface. Using the PVA glue, fix the plastic pot to the card shape by gluing a line down one side of the pot and underneath, and pressing it onto the card shape. Leave to dry.

When the plastic pot is securely fixed to the snowman shape, it is time to cover the whole thing with the cotton wool. This will be a very messy and very fun activity for your child. If you are using cotton balls, simply apply PVA glue to the pot and the card and stick each ball in position. If you are using a pleat of cotton wool, break small pieces off for your child and then let then stick the cotton wool in place. You should cover the whole of the outside of the pot, and any visible card below the hat. You can even cover the back of the snowman if you want to, but not the underside of the base, otherwise your pencil holder will not stand up properly!

Finally, add the finishing touches as you would to a real snowman, by attaching buttons or beads for eyes and a mouth, and perhaps a cone-shaped bead or button in orange for a nose. To make a scarf, you can use a piece of ribbon, or a strip of fabric with the ends frayed to make tassels.

Once the glue has dried, your snowman can be put into use as a pencil holder, or if you make a whole host of snowmen, they can be given as Christmas gifts.

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