today's craft is a christmas wreath made out of paper.
we started with a paper plate and cut out the center.
then painted it green with acrylic craft paint.
while it dried we cut holly leaf shapes out of green paper.
we used heavier scrapbook paper (since i don't scrapbook anymore…)
i drew a leaf and we traced it on the paper a bunch of times.
i helped them along by stacking four leaf sized pieces of paper and cutting them all at the same time.
repeating that process a few times made it go a little quicker.
we used between 30 and 40 leaves on our plate.
we folded them down the center for some depth.
we used a hot glue gun to attach the holly leaves.
you could use school glue but it would take longer and may not hold as well.
we glued some with the fold pointed up and some with fold angling down.
nestling the leaves into each other, overlapping each other until the entire green circle is covered.
using a circle punch we made red circles for holly berries.
you could, of course, just cut out some small circles with scissors…but punches are so fun!
we hot glued those in clumps of two or three on the leaves.
talby added glitter to those.
to make the bow we took a strip of red paper…. about 10" x 2" and folded it into the loop shapes.
we hot glued that in the center so it would stay.
then took a smaller 2" x 4" strip of red paper and wraped it over the front of the loops for the center of the bow.
we cut two strips for the ribbon that hangs down and glued it to the back of the bow.
ANd hot glued the bow to the holly leaves.
i used a small piece of yarn and hot glued it in a loop to the back for hanging.
isn't it cute?!!
we were inspired by this one from the Paper Source.
we had all the supplies so instead of spending $19.50 on it…we made it for free!
we sent it in the mail to my great aunt who is 101 years old for some christmas cheer.
and a pair of Santa Claus socks.
🙂
…………………..
did you have a good weekend?
i am happy to report the remainder of my weekend was CLEAN and decent.
i watched 5 basketball games of my kids.
i got to play with babies in the church nursery.
i took annie to pick our some christmas gifts for her to give her siblings.
i finished our indoor decorations.
craig made sunday lunch….Pancakes.
i made saturday night dinner….Lynette's Noodles with Ham.…one of my kids' FAVORITE meals.
i searched our entire town for peppermint ice cream with no luck….bummer.
we watched home alone as a family last night…with a cozy fire in the fireplace….and had milkshakes after.
so even with the crazy friday that i had….it all turned out ok.
i knew you guys would like that story.
who wouldn't?!
it makes you appreciate ANY day that goes by without cleaning poo off of anything.
Kristopher Diss - I didn’t know gumdrops and fish candy can make great shingles! The licorice twists certainly would ensure a water-free interior! Great and creative bonding experience with the kids!
crystal beutler - If you were to ask my kids about their favorite Christmas memory, this would be it — making gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve. We do it every year — except this year. This year it was about the Christmas lamp, and a hotel. 🙁 They were mad at me.
I’d have to say this is one of my favorite memories too — of my dad, and my grandma.
You can never go wrong with a gingerbread house.
Yours turned out really cool!
P.S. If you tend to burn things, try building houses out of sugar cubes. Super fun, but not as fun as gingerbread. 🙂
Three-generations.blogspot.com - OMG!!!! I love your gingerbread house!!! so bright and colorful!! the swedish fish are a cute touch! 🙂
Sharla - Love the snowmen too 🙂
Jessica Johnson - #1. i want a friend that makes gingerbread houses. #2. can’t WAIT to see you in just a few weeks!!!!
Kacy - Cute gingerbread house! I just wanted to say that I love your blog!!! You’ve inspired me to be crafter (is that a word?) with my kids and start my own blog (kacyseveryday.wordpress.com). Have a great new year!!
julie - merry (belated) christmas! for christmas dinner i made your chicken enchiladas and served your mom’s margaritas to the adults. for dessert i made pam’s delicious cheesecake. YUM-O! on new year’s eve i am making your artichoke dip and for the second year in a row, rainbow cake. i cannot wait! thanks for sharing all of your wonderful recipes in blogland!
Amy @ www.littleforalittlewhile.blogspot.com - That is one sweet gingerbread house! Beat ours for sure, although ours was decorated by a three year old, so that can be pretty sweet too 🙂 Great pics!
Ryanne - Talby is very talented. All of the things she creates seem to be very pleasing to the eye. Her crafts are always my favorites.
Ruth H. - If you tend to burn things, don’t feel bad. Every time I burn something, I think back to one of my all-time favorite movies, the original, black and white Sabrina (with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart). There’s this line, where one of Sabrina’s fellow students at cooking school tells her in his charming french accent, “A woman who is happy in love, she burn the food. But, a woman who is unhappy in love, she forget to turn the oven on.” See? It’s all because you are happily in love! Congratulations!
Laura Phelps - this was the year I was going to make a huge gb house from scratch.
oh well.
next year maybe.
sean kills me.
love that kid.
Chrissy Boerman - i love how much candy you put on your house very festive
Lori Austin - Love the big house. Turned out so cute.
We did the graham cracker village. I actually hot glued the houses together and then gave each of my kiddos a ziploc full of icing to cover them with candy. Worked out great.
I can’t bake gingerbread either – just not happening.
Btw, I introduced a friend to your blog over Christmas break and she is now addicted. Your welcome. 😉
Happy New Year!
Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Last year was the first year that I thought to make one with my girls. We bought a kit on super sale from Michaels and went to town. The girls loved it and were begging for one this year which we never got around to doing.
Then on Pinterest or a blog(cant remember which) I saw someone making one with their kids…an entire village actually using graham crackers! Yes, much smaller scale but way more likely to get made in this house:)
And I just have to comment how much I love all of your red bowls. Theyre so fun & festive! I have a set of red dishes from my grandmother(whom I never met) and theyre really special to me.
Valerie Ransom - I love that! So sweet. We made a tiny one with our 2 year old today – I had to resist the twitches that came from the insane icing amounts being dolloped on! It turned out great, though!
Alicia @ La Famille - so fun! i want to eat those swedish fish. bad!!
Leah - This looks awesome! Was hoping you’d have a gingerbread house post this winter. I did the same thing last week – that is bought the house pre-assembled and we decorated it. Here’s the post that chronicles our house: http://leahsthoughts.com/2011/12/23/the-house-that-sugar-built/
Trish - my mom made a gingerbread house replica of her big old house. it was so cool and so fun!
Holly - very cool!
Tere - I love this tradition. Would you share your camera setting for such bright pictures in your home. I’m assuming it was at night. Much thanks!!
karen gerstenberger - If I lived nearby, I would love to do that…but my kiddo is too old to participate. I’m glad that your three youngest still enjoyed it with you!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
happygirl - I’ve never done a gingerbread house. It looks like so much fun. I just can’t bake, so it’s never happened. LOVE the licorice roof. I’ve never seen those colors of licorice. 🙂
Terrie - Never made a Gingerbread house in my life…
I feel very deprived!!
Must do this with my Grandson one day!
Quin - Oh boy, Sean’s fish side is too funny… Looks like you guys had fun!