The Chaos and the Clutter

Christmas

Christmas Card Ornaments

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Have you ever wondered what to do with the stack of old Christmas cards you have? These ornaments are the perfect solution! We make these every couple of years. This craft is easy enough for the kids to do but the ornaments are nice enough to give as gifts.

Christmas Card Ornaments at The Chaos and The Clutter

I like to wait until I have a fairly large pile of cards to choose from so that I can match up colours or designs that I think will go nicely together but even four or five cards is enough to create one of these ornaments.

When I first started making these (back when I was pregnant with my oldest son), I used to trace circles using a glass and pencil on the back of the cards and then cut them out by hand. Thankfully, there are now tools that can be used to make cutting the circles much faster! There are now circle cutters and circle punches that make cutting circles a breeze! I used a circle cutter from my scrapbooking days.

To make these ornaments, you will need:

greeting cards
glue sticks
hole punch
ribbon or string
something to cut circles with

Start by cutting 20 circles. You can cut randomly or pre-plan based on colour, pattern or picture. I grouped mine so that we could make one with blues, one with whites and silver, one with reds, one with puppies, one with pine cones and several of the word “Peace”, and one with geometric shapes and sharp contrasts. If you have several of the same card, you can also create really interesting patterns with them.

cutting circles for holiday ornamentsYou can often find pictures on the back or inside of the card that work well so don’t forget to check there!

Next, fold each circle into a triangle, creating three sides. Glue the side of one with the side of another in groupings of five, eventually creating a sphere.

making Christmas card ornamentsNext, decide where you want the top of the ornament to be and hole punch at the top. Thread a ribbon through and your ornament is complete!

circle Christmas card ornaments at The Chaos and The ClutterFor other easy Christmas craft ideas, you may want to follow my Christmas Crafts Board on Pinterest.

Winter Art Tutorials

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Art is not a talent I possess. My mom is an artist (oil painting mostly) and my brother is an artist (photographer and graphic designer). I’ve even seen some sketches my dad did many years ago that clearly show he is gifted as well but it skipped right over me! I have creative talents outside of art but the best I can draw is a stick man, so I have never felt much confidence in teaching art to my kids.

Winter Art Tutorials at The Chaos and the Clutter

In the past, we have done some artist studies and the kids have attended homeschool art classes regularly. This year, the instructor for the homeschool art classes had complications with her pregnancy and the classes were cancelled so I was no longer able to farm out this part of my kids’ education! I’ve been procrastinating on doing any art teaching, telling myself that since we do crafts, it’s almost the same thing.

I had heard of a series of books on chalk pastels that had very good instructions and finally decided to take the plunge. We own two of the books in the series, Chalk Pastels Through the Seasons and A Simple Start in Christmas Chalk Pastels (full disclosure here: I bought the first one and asked Tricia if she was willing to send me the other one in order to try it out and review it and she kindly agreed so I was provided the other one for free but am sharing my honest opinion of how it worked for us).

I ordered the special paper from Amazon (although you can apparently use printer paper instead) and bought a starter set of 24 chalk pastels from a craft store nearby.

Before you sit down to do art with chalk pastels, be sure to have some wipes (baby wipes work well) or wet washcloths and paper towels. Also, use art smocks or wear clothes that you don’t mind getting coloured because the chalks stain. And they get everywhere. We also sprayed our finished artwork with acrylic sealer but hairspray would work to seal them also. This is an important step so that they don’t smudge or smear onto other things.

Normally, the mess of the project would be enough to have me not do it again or to not even attempt it in the first place, but this is worth the mess!

Since the books are in ebook format, I brought my laptop to the table along with the supplies and had it there to reference while we worked through the lesson. If you don’t have a laptop or tablet, the lessons are short enough that you could jot the steps down ahead of time or even remember them if your memory is better than mine!

The first one we did was a Christmas star. I was surprised at how easy it was to go through the steps with the kids and have the finished projects all work so well. The other thing that really struck me was how calm my kids were during the art lesson. The relaxing atmosphere this created is actually the main reason we went on to do another lesson the next day and then to do yet another lesson today. I have one planned for tomorrow as well!

Christmas Star in Chalk PastelsThe second one we tried was a winter snowman scene. One of the things that I most appreciate about the book is that is gives the basic instructions but encourages individual artistic expression. You can see from the pictures below how different each of the kids’ pictures turned out. Some added tobogganers, another added a chair lift and a skier, one of them even has the snowman’s head fallen off beside him!

Snowman Chalk Pastel ArtThe one we did today was a present and again, the kids all put their own spin on it. Granola Girl drew hers beside a Christmas tree with other smaller presents. Einstein made striped wrapping paper and Dancing Queen drew a picture of Jesus on hers. Miss Optimism made hers in pretty girly colours!

Christmas gifts in Chalk PastelsThe art sessions have been such a success that the kids have even asked if they can stay at the table longer and work on their own creations. I was blown away by this one made by Snuggle Puppy without a tutorial or instruction of any kind using many of the techniques we had been learning about in our sessions:

Chalk Pastel ArtI’m loving our morning art sessions and look forward to this becoming a regular part of our homeschooling routine. The kids are finding it relaxing and are learning a lot about different techniques and methods. They are also gaining confidence as they learn.

A Simple Start in Christmas Chalk Pastels is available for just $4.99 or you can purchase the Chalk Pastels Through the Seasons bundle of 3 books valued at $16.93 for $12.99.

Seasonal Chalk Pastel Bundle

Christmas Sticky Tree

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The creative vision for this activity was inspired by Angela at TeachingMama. She made a Fall Sticky Tree for her boys a few months ago and I knew that my kids would really enjoy doing one so I went out and bought the main supplies and then time got away from me and before I knew it, it was no longer fall! Snow covered the ground and an autumn activity no longer seemed like it would fit in, so I improvised!

Christmas Sticky Tree at The Chaos and The Clutter

To make this, I used poster putty to attach clear contact paper to our patio window. (For those who are not familiar with it, contact paper is sticky on one side.) I used two sheets of contact paper side by side to create the width that I wanted. I kept the backing on the contact paper until it was stuck to the window and then peeled away the backing.

I used a green Sharpie (permanent marker) to draw the outline of a Christmas tree. I then provided the kids with a pile of things they could use to decorate the tree: tinsel garland, light Christmas balls, pompoms, metallic pompoms (note: the metallic pompoms didn’t stay on very well and most fell off after the first day), felt stars, large glittered foam star, beads, foam candy canes and foam ornaments.

Christmas Sticky Tree Sensory ActivityThe kids really appreciated the creativity of being able to decorate this tree without any instruction or limitations. I would say that it held the attention of my girls a bit better than my boys and I’m not sure if that is because of the activity itself or just the moods on the day it took place. My boys generally enjoy craft activities as much as my girls do. It was a good holiday sensory activity for all the kids and involved both fine motor and to some extent, gross motor as well.

The activity was more of a success than I had anticipated in that now, several days later, when I pass by the tree, I see that even more has been added to it including paper ornaments that the kids have coloured on paper and cut out. It’s always nice to see an activity that expands and takes on a life of its own. Other than the metallic pompoms which did not stay on very well, everything else is still sticking to the tree and it’s been four days since we first made it.

Christmas Sticky Tree - easy set up and can be used again and againThis was a hands-on and easy way to begin to decorate our homeschool classroom for the holidays!

If you would like to see other ideas for Christmas crafts and activities, you may want to follow my Christmas Crafts board on Pinterest.

Christmas Cranberry Ornaments

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These ornaments smell wonderfully, look great on a tree and make wonderful gifts or they can be attached to gifts as a nice addition to the wrapping.

Christmas Cranberry Ornament

I first made these ornaments about 15 years ago. At the time, my kids weren’t old enough to make them with me but I decided to make them with them this year. They really enjoyed it. In fact, they found the process of stringing the cranberries very relaxing and they are planning to make more.

assembling cranberry ornaments at The Chaos and The Clutter

supplies needed:

wire (we used 22 gauge floral wire)
wire cutters
dried cranberries (we used Craisins)
silver jingle bells
raffia or ribbon

Cut a piece of wire to 14 inches. This should be done by an adult or older child with adult supervision.

String dried cranberries onto the wire. Again, the ends of the wire are sharp so this is something that should be done by older children or be closely supervised. Fill the wire with dried cranberries until there is just a bit of exposed wire on either end. Twists the ends of the wire together and then fold down the ends. Move the cranberries over to cover the closure. I like to have the closure at the side as it’s less noticeable there. Shape the ring into a heart.

attaching cranberry ornamentsString a jingle bell onto a piece of ribbon or raffia and place a knot above a small loop. Place the knot beneath the wire at the dip in the heart and attach it to the ornament by knotting again just above the wire. Create a loop to hang the ornament with and put one last knot at the top.

cranberry ornaments

My kids enjoyed making these so much that they want to be able to make them on their own as gifts. I put all the supplies into a bag and have it ready for them to create with.

cranberry ornament suppliesIf you are interested in more Christmas crafts or activities, you may be interested in following my Christmas Crafts board on Pinterest.

Gifts That Give Back

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Christmas can easily slip into being about the gifts and the shopping. It isn’t our intention of course but our scramble to meet the expectations we’ve set for decorating, gift giving and celebrating can leave us feeling overwhelmed, overspent and empty.

Gifts That Give Back

A number of years ago, I found myself dreading the holiday, the endless preparations, the pressure to get the perfect Christmas card picture AND get it sent out on time, the crowds in the malls, my grouchy children crying and fighting over gifts on Christmas morning. Christmas had morphed into something that we never intended it to be. So that year, we cut back on the amount of gifts we bought for each of our kids. We bought them one gift each and some stocking stuffers. We found that they expressed more gratitude that year and that our home was more peaceful and less stressed leading up to the holiday and on that day.

Every year since, we have found new ways to point our focus back onto Christ, the reason for Christmas in the first place. We have scaled back even further on the gifts we give the kids and have yet to hear a complaint. We have participated in charitable endeavours as a family during the holidays and last year, after being inspired by a stranger paying for our entire family’s meal in a restaurant, we decided to make our advent season about paying it forward. We set out to do acts of kindness every day in little and small ways and were so blessed by it. It also drew us closer together and closer to God.

Another thing we changed was what gifts we give to our extended family members. Where we used to spend time and money buying them something that they may never use and probably already had, we began to be more purposeful about our gifts and have discovered many gifts that give back.

These are things that won’t clutter up the closets or get returned during those frenzied Boxing Week sales. These gifts are ones you can derive real joy both in giving and in receiving.

Gifts for a family going through a hard time…

You may know or know of a family who is going through a hard time, be it the loss of a loved one, a prolonged illness, family member hospitalization, a wayward teen, divorce or separation, a difficult pregnancy, recent miscarriage, colicky baby, adoption, or job loss. Consider one of these gifts:

  • Meals – Take Them A Meal is a service that allows you to create a meal schedule for families. Other friends, family, or their church congregation can then sign up to deliver meals to the family. This free service makes coordinating this easy and receiving the meals is such a blessing for families with new children or families who are going through a hard time.
  • Maid Service
  • Lawn Care
  • Laundry – it may be most helpful if you pick it up from their home and deliver it back to them clean and folded instead of staying in their home while you do it.
  • Childcare
  • Errands – offering to deliver groceries, pick up dry cleaning, pick up medications at the pharmacy, get their oil changed or car washed, return library books, or any other errands that can free up some of their time and relieve them of some stress
  • Gift Cards for hospital parking
  • Gift Cards for Gas
  • Gift Cards for Groceries
  • Gift Cards for Books
  • Gift Cards for Restaurants near home, work or the hospital
  • Rolls of Coins for vending machines, parking and phone calls
  • Keep them Busy Bags for Siblings

Gifts That Pay it Forward…

When you buy gifts for your loved ones such as a goat for a family in a developing country or mosquito nets for a family in an area where Malaria is an issue or give a donation to an organization benefitting impoverished children in the name of a loved one, you are truly paying it forward. You can tailor these gifts to the recipient. If you are giving to a child, you may want to choose a gift such as school supplies for a child in or For more ideas, here are some websites to check out:

  • Operation Christmas Child – packing shoeboxes with your kids is a great way to start discussions with them about how fortunate they are and to get them to contribute to the ideas of what a child their age might like to receive.
  • Samaritan’s Purse (for Canadians) – gift catalogue that includes school uniforms, feeding a child for a year, clean water, a goat or chickens for a family, and agricultural training
  • Compassion (for Canadians) – gift catalogue or child sponsorship
  • Compassion (for Americans) – gift catalogue or child sponsorship
  • Kiva – micro loans that empower people to create a future for themselves and their families

Gifts That Give Twice…

  • Bead for Life – this beautiful jewelry made by Ugandan artisans of recycled material support the women, their families and their communities. You can host a party in your home to sell the jewelry or you can buy some beautiful pieces to give to friends and support these amazing women.
  • Africa Sleeps – sleep and swim caps, hair and body care – 5% goes towards Vulnerable Children Society and the rest towards raising funds for this family’s adoption from Ethiopia (they have already adopted 2 daughters from Ethiopia). These make great stocking stuffers or would be great to add to a gift basket.
  • Reece’s Rainbow Angel Tree – this wonderful organization allows people to donate directly to the adoption funds of special needs orphans around the world.
  • Adoption Support – buying gifts that support adoptive families in their fundraising efforts supports adoption in a tangible, practical way. You can purchase gifts such as Haitian Christmas ornaments and support adoption at the same time.

I’m joining some of the other bloggers in the iHomeschool Network to share our Christmas Gift Lists. There are many ideas shared including gifts you can make yourself, gifts that don’t cost a thing, gifts for Dr. Who fans, and more!

Easy Christmas Ornaments

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Easy Sequin Christmas OrnamentThe kids have been making these beautiful ornaments for their grandparents and a few other special people. They catch the light nicely on the Christmas tree and are so easy to make!

Needed:

–sequins (we used a pack with shades of blue and silver)
-sequin pins
-foam ball
-ribbon

Push a sequin pin through the sequin into the foam ball and repeat this until the entire ball is covered in sequins. When done, add a ribbon on top using a pin and hang on the tree.

A few of my kids made mosaics with their sequins in patterns that created fish or faces or other shapes. You could also vary the look of them by using different sizes of foam balls or by using foam eggs.

*of course, since this craft uses actual pins, adult supervision should be used with younger children.