Construction paper is cheap and colourful and makes a good base for many craft projects that kids can enjoy. Using winter as a theme for your kids craft projects can help you keep them entertained while celebrating the season.
• Decorations for walls and ceilings
A very simple way of using construction paper is to make a string of figures or shapes that can be hung up on a wall, similar to the traditional string of paper dolls. Take a sheet of construction paper and fold it concertina-style into pleats.
Draw your design on the first pleat, such as a Christmas stocking, a tree, an angel or a snowflake. Make sure that your design touches the sides of your pleat so that the shapes hold together when you open out the pleats.
Cut out the shape, taking care to not cut all of the folds away. Open out your pleat and you should have a row of several identical images. You can now decorate these with paints or crayons and glitter if you wish. When completely dry, pin them up on your wall.
Another very simple construction craft project for kids is paper chains. Cut the construction paper into narrow rectangles approximately 1 inch x 8 inches (2 cm x 15 cm). With sticky tape or glue, secure the short ends of the first paper strip together to form a loop or link.
Take the next paper strip in a different colour, thread it through the first link and then secure the short ends as before. Repeat with another coloured strip threaded through the second link, and so on until your paper chain is long enough to stretch across your ceiling.
• Poinsettias
A traditional winter flower is the luxurious red Poinsettia. Your kids can make paper versions of these to give as long-lasting gifts to grandparents and other older family members.
You will need some red and green construction paper, some green pipe cleaners, sticky tape and PVA glue, a little red satin or felt fabric, some thread and some yellow seed beads.
Copy the shape of a poinsettia leaf and petal onto the green and red paper respectively. This is a simple leaf shape, and you can find plenty of inspiration by putting the word “poinsettia” into Google images. Remember to leave a stalk on the leaves and petals so that you can fix them to the main stem.
Take a pipe cleaner and twist one end into a circle. This will be the centre of the flower. Glue or sew a few seed beads onto the red satin or felt, and use this to cover the top of the pipe cleaner. Wrap some thread around the fabric, securing it to the pipe cleaner stem.
Now add the red construction paper petals around the flower centre, by taping or wrapping more thread around the stalks to secure them to the pipe cleaner stem. Add some green construction paper leaves in the same way.
Make several of the poinsettia flowers. Take a large sheet of construction paper and wrap it around the flowers to present them as a gift. Alternatively, cover a box with construction paper. Make a few holes in the top and push the flower stems inside it to make a table centre piece or shelf or table display.
To add some extra winter sparkle, you can glue some glitter frosting to the edges of the flower petals.
Construction paper crafts are quick and easy for kids to accomplish. If you keep a good selection of coloured construction paper at home, you will never be stuck for craft ideas.