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Christmas

Plastic Cup Shrinky Dink Ornaments

Shrinky Dink Plastic Cups

By Sharla Kostelyk

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My kids had been playing some games with plastic cups and one night, I noticed a huge stack of them leaning up against a wall in the living room. I was debating if I should wash them out and put them back in the cupboard to use at a gathering but that seemed like a fair bit of work given that the stack almost reached the ceiling. I started to think about what kind of craft we could make with them and the idea to make shrinky dink ornaments started to form.

Shrinky Dink Christmas Ornaments made with Plastic Cups. This is a great craft to make with multiple ages from preschooler to adult.I was really determined to make this idea work but it wasn’t as simple as I had imagined. Through a fair bit of trial and error, I was able to figure out how to make this concept actually turn into something and I’m so excited with how they turned out.

Before I get to how to make these, I will explain how NOT to make them so that you can learn from my mistakes. Initially, I just grabbed some clear plastic cups from the giant stack and brought out a pack of coloured Sharpie markers and asked the kids to draw or decorate them however they wanted. Then we put them on a cookie sheet and baked them. The picture below shows how they went into the oven and how they came out of the oven:

ornament attempt number oneAs you can see, four of the five cups shrunk down into funny little hat-looking-things. One of them flattened into exactly what I had pictured when I had thought up this project. At first, I thought maybe it was because that cup had been the one in the center of the cookie sheet but on closer inspection, we discovered that the one that flattened was a different brand of cup. The Dixie brand cups shrivelled into hats but the Polar brand plastic cups shrunk into flat circles.

The kids got to work decorating just the Polar brand cups and the next tray worked really well. All of the cups flattened into lovely little disks. That is when we discovered problem #2.

Shrinky Dink Plastic CupsI was not able to hole punch them after they had shrunk because the plastic had hardened too much. So those disks did not become ornaments.

Thankfully, my kids really loved colouring the cups and they happily coloured many more cups. I hole punched them prior to putting them in the oven this time!

Shrinky Dink Ornament Instructions:

Materials needed:

  • permanent markers
  • Polar brand clear plastic cups (we used 10 oz.)
  • hole punch
  • string for hanging

Shrinky Dink Christmas Ornaments made with plastic cupsHow to make shrinky dink ornaments:

  1. Draw with permanent markers on plastic cups. (Remember that they have to be Polar brand!)
  2. Hole punch the cup.
  3. Place on cookie sheet and put in 250° oven.
  4. Turn the oven light on and watch until the cup shrinks down to a flat circle. Note that only the ornament in the middle of the cookie sheet will be completely flat.
  5. Thread a string through the hole and hang.

I’m very pleased with how these turned out and glad that I didn’t give up when the first few batches didn’t go well because they are really lovely. It was fun to see my kids’ creativity come out in their ornaments.

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Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts and Activities

Dish Brush Christmas Tree with Fingerprint Ornaments

Christmas Trees Painted with Dish Brushes

By Sharla Kostelyk

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My favourite crafts to do with the kids are usually the ones where I can combine a sensory element with an art project or craft. This Christmas tree with fingerprint ornaments paint project allowed me to do just that.

Dish Brush and Fingerprint Painted Christmas Tree - so cute!Our project was inspired by a Fall Tree Craft Using a Dish Brush over at Crafty Morning that I did with the kids at our homeschool coop meet-up in October. It went so well and it worked with multiple ages from toddlers to my teens. I knew I wanted to come up with a similar project.

Dish Brush Christmas Tree Painting with Fingerprint Ornaments:

Materials needed:

–round dish brush
-paper
–washable paint
-plates
-pencil (optional)

This project requires very few supplies and is easy to set up. For my youngest, I drew a triangle with a pencil on the paper to give her a general outline to follow. The rest of my kids just ‘freehanded’ it.

Dish Brush Christmas Tree with Fingerprint OrnamentsPour green paint onto a plate and dip the dish brush into it. Form the tree using the dish brush and green paint. On a separate plate, put dollops of other paint colours. The kids can use these to dip their fingers in to make ornaments on the tree with the tips of their fingers. They can also use their fingers and brown paint to create the tree trunk.

The thing I liked the best about this project (even more than how easy it was to set up!) is how my kids all took a bit of a different take on it. One of them added presents under the Christmas tree and one made an angel tree topper. Some liked the look of a more sparse tree while others wanted theirs more filled in.

I always enjoy seeing their creativity emerge.

Christmas Trees Painted with Dish Brushes

I found really adorable duck dish brushes and not only are they super cute, they are perfect for gripping for little hands so they make this project even easier for younger kids to do on their own.

If you want to do the Fall Tree Craft Using a Dish Brush over on Crafty Morning, click the image below to get the full instructions including the template needed for the tree.

Fall Tree Craft Using a Dish Brush

Be sure to check out some of our other Christmas crafts and activities:

Simple Snowflake Ornament

snowflake craft using simple craft supplies at home or in school

Paper Plate Manger Craft for Kids

Manger Craft

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Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts and Activities

Road Trip Gift Basket

By Sharla Kostelyk

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This past Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law gave us a unique and wonderful gift. They knew that we were planning a family road trip so they made us a road trip gift basket. It was full of everything we could need for the long drive and even had some funny items added such as earplugs to drown out the kids fighting!

Family Road Trip Gift Basket

They packaged everything in a sturdy box which was the perfect size for setting on the floor behind the front console, within easy reach of the passenger front seat.

Included in our gift basket:

  • bottled water
  • soda pop
  • wet naps
  • hand sanitizer
  • headache medicine
  • sunscreen
  • hand lotion
  • lip chap
  • mints
  • candy
  • chewing gum
  • Munchies
  • band aids
  • kleenex packets
  • car air freshener
  • ear plugs
  • huge pack of chocolate bars
  • McDonald’s gift card
  • gas gift card
  • Travel Bingo
  • Barnyard Squiggle On the Go
  • pens

road trip gift basket ideas

This type of gift basket would be a welcome gift for any family planning a trip. I know that when we are on the road, we are going to be appreciating the care that went into putting together our basket! With so many kids, we may appreciate the ear plugs most of all!

Road Trip Gift Basket squareHere are some other ideas that you could include in a road trip basket:

  • Magic Ink books
  • DVDs if the family has a portable DVD player
  • CDs
  • sticker books
  • magnetic puzzles
  • travel scavenger hunt
  • Spot It! On the Road
  • Mad Libs On the Road
  • Travel Memory Game (we have this and have gotten a lot of use out of it)
  • Etch-a-Sketch (this is hands-down our favourite travel companion!)
  • baby wipes
  • sticker puzzles
  • magnetic travel games
  • batteries
  • mouthwash
  • deodorant
  • toothbrushes and/or floss sticks

Road Trip Gift Basket

You could even make your own binder full of games, puzzles, mazes, and activities using printable pages and plastic sleeves and add some dry erase markers. I gave each of my kids a clipboard for the printable sheets that I gave them on the trip. Each time we crossed a border into a new province or State, I gave them new printable sheets pertaining to that State or province. It was a fun way to mark those border crossings.

These are some free printable pages that you can use to create your own road trip activities:

Road Trip Drawing Prompts from Picklebums

Road Trip Drawing Prompts

Road Trip Bingo from Housing a Forest

Road Trip BingoRoad Trip Activity Pack from Playdough to Plato

Road-Trip-Activity-Pack

Car Games from 123Homeschool4Me

The License Plate Game (Canada and the U.S.) from Makeovers and Motherhood

Road Trip Journal Pages from Peace But Not Quiet

In the coming weeks, we will be traveling through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Utah, and Montana.

Looking for another unique and fun gift basket ideas? Click below.

Spy Secrets Gift Basket

This Spy Secrets gift box is perfect to make for the hard to buy for man (or woman) in your life!DIY Sensory Gift Basket

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Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts and Activities, Parenting in the Chaos

A Gluten Free Christmas

By Sharla Kostelyk

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One of the most challenging things I’ve found about our son Einstein being gluten free is the holiday meals. When it comes to Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas, it can be difficult to go to different events and have to worry about what there will be that is safe for him to eat. He has been gluten free for a few years now so I am getting better at adapting our recipes and knowing what will work for him. I keep a stash of gluten free baking on a shelf in the freezer and try to remember to bring a few treats for him with us when we are going to a holiday gathering so that he won’t feel left out.

a Gluten Free Christmas

I’ve also gotten quite a repertoire of gluten free recipes that I make for holiday meals. By doing a bit of planning, it is possible to have an entirely gluten free Christmas and not miss out on anything!

Christmas Planning and Baking:

Rice Krispie Candy Houses from here on The Chaos and The Clutter – This is a wonderful alternative to the traditional gingerbread houses and even easier to decorate. It’s one of our favourite pre-Christmas traditions.

Rice Krispie Houses...a Holiday Tradition at The Chaos and The Clutter

Gluten Free Candy Cane Playdough from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Gluten Free Holiday Baking – over 30 recipes for the best holiday baking you can find

Gluten Free Holiday Baking

Christmas morning:

Gluten Free Overnight Holiday Breakfast Casserole from My Gluten-Free Kitchen

The Best Gluten Free Cinnamon Buns from The Baking Beauties

Gluten Free Granola Muffins from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Mini Frittatas from The Midnight Baker

Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole from Chew Out Loud

Gluten Free Aebelskivers (Stuffed Pancakes) from Recreating Happiness

Breakfasts for a Large Family from here on The Chaos and The Clutter (several gluten free options)

Large Family Breakfasts

Snacks:

Chocolate Caramel Popcorn from Peace but not Quiet

Gluten Free Chex Mix from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

crunchy, snackable Gluten Free Chex Mix

Snickerdoodle Puppy Chow from Smockity Frocks

Reindeer Chow from The Pennywise Mama

Candied Cranberries from The Peaceful Mom

Holiday S’Mores from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Poppycock from Noshing with the Nolands

Candy Cane Crunch Peppermint Puppy Chow from Joyously Domestic

Appetizers:

Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Chicken Bites from The Appetizer Chick

Cream Cheese Cranberry Dip from Julie’s Eats & Treats – very festive colours.

Tri Colour Spread from The Appetizer Chick

Mediterranean Cucumber Roll Ups from The Wholesome Dish

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Nacho Bites from The Appetizer Chick

Nacho Bites

Zucchini Bruschetta from The Dinner Mom

Mediterranean Spread from The Appetizer Chick

Avocado Salsa from Cooking Classy

Gravy:

Gluten Free Leek and Herbed Gravy from Premeditated Leftovers

Best Ever Brined Turkey and Gluten Free Gravy from Gutsy by Nature

Gluten Free Turkey Gravy from Gluten Free on a Shoestring

Easy Paleo Gravy from Cook Eat Paleo

Stuffing and Dressing:

Wild Rice, Chorizo and Gluten Free Bread Stuffing from Premeditated Leftovers

gluten-free-stuffing-recipe

Gluten Free Stuffing from Yammie’s Gluten Freedom

Grain-Free Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing from Deliciously Organic

Gluten Free Stuffing from Serious Eats

Slow Cooker Gluten Free Cornbread Dressing from The Weary Chef

Meat:

Best Ever Brined Turkey and Gluten Free Gravy from Gutsy by Nature

Slow Cooker “Melt in Your Mouth” Pot Roast from Joyously Domestic

Honeybaked Ham at Home from Mom, What’s for Dinner?

General Tso’s Meatballs from I Breathe…I’m Hungry

Cranberry Apple Stuffed Cornish Hens from Running to the Kitchen

Salads:

Simple Beet Salad from here on The Chaos and The Clutter – The colours of this are very Christmasy!

Simple Beet Salad

Spinach Salad with Cranberries & Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette from The Peaceful Mom

Strawberry Chicken Salad from Mama Miss

Loaded Baked Potato Salad from Six Sisters’ Stuff

Bean Salad with Molasses Vinaigrette from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Pear, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad from Thrifty Little Mom

Greek Salad from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Side Dishes:

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole from The Happy Housewife

Butternut Squash Casserole from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Maple Glazed Roasted Carrots from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Roasted Vegetables from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Yummy Roasted Vegetables

Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries from La Casa de Sweets

Cabbage Rolls from Seeded at the Table – this may seem like an unorthodox holiday dish but my mom grew up in a small town that was predominantly Ukrainian and some of those traditions have carried through to our family.

Secret Weapon Sweet Potato Casserole from Frugal Living Mom

Dessert:

Gluten Free Chocolate & Peanut Butter Trifle from here on The Chaos and The Clutter (so yummy!)

Gluten Free Chocolate & Peanut Butter Trifle

Best Pecan Pie Ever from Nature’s Knockout

Gluten Free Fudge Cake from A Girl Defloured

Gluten Free Chocolate Roll Cake (Roulade) from Carla’s Gluten Free Recipe Box – This is like the traditional dessert in our house that we call Bouche de Noel except a gluten free version of it.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

The Best Gluten Free Pie Crust from Comfortably Domestic

Cranberry Cheesecake from Roxana’s Home Baking

If you are looking for more gluten free ideas, you may want to follow my Gluten Free Recipes board on Pinterest.

Follow Sharla Kostelyk’s board Gluten Free Recipes on Pinterest.

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Filed Under: Christmas, Cooking in the Chaos, Gluten Free

Gluten Free Holiday Baking

By Sharla Kostelyk

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One of the things I most look forward to about the holiday season is the baking. I’m actually not much of an eater when it comes to cookies and cakes, but I enjoy making them. And there is something extra special about baking with the sound of Christmas music in the background and the Christmas spirit in the air. What I like best of all though is watching others enjoy them.

Unfortunately, after our son Einstein became gluten free, many of my usual holiday baking recipes didn’t work for him so I had to begin a quest to find some new holiday favourites. I was also able to adapt some of our usual recipes to make them gluten free.

Gluten Free Holiday Baking

This year, I’ve gathered up a list for you of delicious gluten free holiday baking. There’s no reason that gluten-free should equal taste-free!

Cookies:

Christmas Tree Meringue Cookies from Smart School House

Gluten Free Salted Peanut Butter Cookies from Diethood

Grain Free Gingersnaps from Intoxicated on Life

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies from The Peaceful Mom

Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Toffee Cookies from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Gluten Free Mocha Fudge Cookies from Premeditated Leftovers

Chewy Coconut Sugar Cookies from Yammie’s Gluten Freedom

Gluten Free Dairy Free Candy Cane Cookies from Once a Month Meals

Gluten Free Ginger Molasses Cookies from The Bojon Gourmet

Gluten Free Whipped Shortbread from The Baking Beauties

Squares:

Gluten Free Brownies from Premeditated Leftovers

Raspberry Coconut Almond Bars from Gluten Free Goddess

Gluten Free Lemon Bars with an Almond Crust from Big Girls Small Kitchen

Gluten Free Magic Cookie Bars from Meaningful Eats

Mint Chocolate Brownie Decadence from My Gluten-Free Kitchen

Nanaimo Bars from Wheat Free Mom

Chocolate Raspberry Brownies from Barefeet in the Kitchen

Paleo Monkey Bars from Paleo Mom

Fudge and Bark:

White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Don’t Waste the Crumbs

Skinny Eggnog Fudge from Amy’s Healthy Baking

Mint Chocolate Bark from Chocolate Chocolate and More

Candy Cane Fudge from Food Fanatic

Easy Peppermint Bark from Premeditated Leftovers

Crock Pot Peppermint Fudge from Sugar-Free Mom

English Toffee Bites from Shugary Sweets

Frozen Yogourt Bark from My Fussy Eater

Candy:

White Chocolate Candy Cane Truffles from Your Cup of Cake

Almond Joy Truffles from High Heels & Grills

No Bake Coconut Snowballs from Intoxicated on Life

Sea Salt Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles from Paleo Parents

Caramel Turtle Cups from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Homemade Twix Bars from Blissful Basil

Bonus:

The Best Gluten Free Pie Crust from Comfortably Domestic (use this recipe to make Butter Tarts or whatever your favourite pie is)

If you are looking for more gluten free recipes, including even more holiday baking ideas, you may want to follow my Gluten Free Recipes board on Pinterest.

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Filed Under: Christmas, Cooking in the Chaos, Gluten Free

Christmas Toilet Paper Roll Crafts

12 Christmas Toilet Paper Roll Crafts

By Sharla Kostelyk

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In a large family like ours, there is never a shortage of empty toilet paper tubes. We like to use them for crafts and activities year-round and we especially like to make Christmas toilet paper roll crafts.

I know that toilet paper rolls are recyclable, but it does seem a shame to just always throw them in the blue recycle bag, especially when I remember making crafts with our paper tubes as a child. It’s funny how the memory works.

In my mind, my brother and I made something out of every empty toilet paper roll in our childhood, but I’m sure that can’t be true. It was probably only a handful of times that we used them for crafting. I’m sure my mom threw the rest away, but I only have memories of the things we made with them and of the bag she used to collect them in for future projects.

It is precisely because of those memories that I feel a small measure of guilt in getting rid of empty toilet paper rolls, so I am always on the lookout for craft ideas that use them. They are also a very inexpensive craft supply!

This Christmas season, we have made a few new t.p. roll crafts and we will be making our annual homemade Christmas crackers with empty toilet paper rolls. All the great craft blogs out there make it so much easier to come up with ideas.

Christmas Toilet Paper Roll Crafts perfect for doing with kids #Christmascrafts

 

Christmas Toilet Paper Roll Crafts:

Cardboard Tube Gnomes from Crafts by Amanda

Toilet Roll Reindeer from Happy Hooligans

Santa Going Down the Toilet Paper Roll Chimney from Crafty Morning

Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Trees from Reading Confetti

The Three Wise Men at Red Ted Art

The Grinch Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Craft for Kids from Crafty Morning

Homemade Christmas Crackers from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Toilet Paper Roll Advent Calendar from Danya Banya

Snow Owl Ornaments from Pam’s Party and Practical Tips

Adorable Toilet Roll Snowman over at Red Ted Art

Toilet Paper Roll Holiday Elves from Kitchen Counter Chronicles

Cardboard Tube Christmas Tree Ornaments from I Heart Arts and Crafts

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Ornaments from Happy Hooligans

Easy DIY Christmas Ornament for Kids from DIY Inspired

Cardboard Tube Children and Snowmen from Crafts by Amanda

Cardboard Tube Painted Poinsettia from The Preschool Toolbox

Christmas Candle Craft for Kids at Happy Hooligans

Toilet Paper Roll Angel at I Can Teach My Child

Fabric Scraps Nativity from Jessica Lynette

Toilet Paper Roll Advent Wreath from Easy Peasy and Fun

Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Tree Craft from The Resourceful Mama

With all of these ideas and easy access to the main material, the hardest decision will be which one of these Christmas toilet paper roll crafts to make with your kids or students first!

Other Christmas crafts you may like:

Paper Plate SnowglobeSimple Pipe Cleaner OrnamentsSimple Pipe Cleaner Candy Cane Ornaments

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Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts and Activities

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