Confession time – I didn’t have enough energy this year to do a Christmas tree.
Still, we did decorate one corner of our living room!
I even made a wreath with a wire frame we found in our backyard earlier this year. Add in a few branches from some cedars, and it works pretty well. (Actually, I should make a separate post sometime about all the random junk we’ve found in our yard!)
Also, this year, I finally got into Christmas crafts with my kids.
We’ve skipped over a lot of the cute hand-print ornaments, but I wanted to let my kids try needlework. So, this year, I cut out some felt shapes for them, and they sewed the shapes into ornaments.
My oldest sewed the star. The younger kid sewed the two hearts. I think they both did very well for their first time using a needle!
We also made Christmas tree ornaments from construction paper.
While I would recommend trying the sewing project too, paper trees are extremely easy to make.
If you want, can adapt this project for even toddlers to help with. Plus, you probably have the supplies already laying around, waiting to get used.
Instructions:
To create a Christmas tree from construction paper, you just need paper, scissors, and glue.
Start by cutting a piece of paper into a square and the square into two triangles.
Then cut those triangles into smaller triangles until you have a good mix of sizes. You don’t need a ruler for any of this. Just fold the paper in half and cut along the fold.
When you’re ready, stack the triangles up from largish to smallish, and glue them together. To add a string, punch a hole in the top of the tree. Then thread your string through and tie it securely
These trees are plain green pines, but you can also create any mix of colors.
With younger kids, you will need to do most of the cutting and gluing yourself. Even toddlers can help decorate the trees, though! Crayons or markers work well for this.
If you have an older kid who wants to make a gift, encourage them to create their designs. Or, you can use smaller triangles and turn these trees into bookmarks.
Add in a favorite holiday book or two, and enjoy. (For holiday book recommendations, check out my list of the 12 Days of Christmas picture books. Or, you can find books about winter, snow, and ice here.)
Happy Holidays – and happy crafting too!
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