Popsicle Stick Christmas Tree Ornament

The Popsicle tree craft is finished. Click here
to see and craft a 3D paper Christmas tree.

       Dress up this simple wooden tree ornament with fancy trims to make it unique. Also allow for plenty of drying time before painting and adding the lace.

Supply List:

• acrylic paints: greens, browns, gold
• white school glue or wood glue
  
• Popsicle sticks
• lacy trims
• ribbon for hanging

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Glue the wooden craft sticks in the shape of a triangular tree. You will need to shorten the the wooden craft stick at the bottom to create this traditional tree shape. Let dry.
2. Clip wooden sticks to the length that you think would look best for the trunk of the tree. 
3. Glue these three wooden sticks side-by-side at the base of the triangle shape to make the tree stump.
4. Paint the tree green and the stump brown.
5. Glue on lacy trims around the tree shape.
6. Glue on a ribbon for hanging.
   

Old-Fashioned Fun

 Old-Fashioned Fun

Let's crowd the hearth and play that we
Are boys and girls that used to be.

Let's sing the songs and tell the rhymes,
And play the games of olden times.

Let's sweep the hearth with turkey wings
And show our friends our button strings.

When we've had songs and tales enough,
Let's bump our heads at "Blindman's Buff."

Beside the fireside's happy glow
Bright apples sputter in a row;

The pop corn balls that we have made
We can't wait for till games are played.

From cider jugs out by the door
We'll often drink but want some more.

The simple sweets and old-time ways
Are jolly sport for nowadays!

Children gathered around the fireplace on Christmas night, stringing popcorn for the tree.

Now you can practice drawing St. Nick coming down the chimney! Color his suit bright red, his mittens pine green. Give him cherry red cheeks and a bit of black soot on his nose...

Santa is jolly and plump; his belly full of Christmas cookies. Use your crayons to color him in...

Make a Wooden Craft Stick Reindeer for Hanging

Rudolf has a very large, bright red nose.

       This old-fashioned child-ornament reindeer craft is simple for little ones to assemble and paint if parents or older siblings cut the Popsicle sticks in advance. 

Supply List:

• acrylic brown paint ( one dark brown and one lighter brown)
  
• one red pom-pom
• two googly eyes
• brown felt
• a bit of cotton fluff
• white school glue
• twine for the hanger
• 5 narrow Popsicle sticks
  

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Use three of the Popsicle sticks to construct the Rudolf's head. Make sure that some of the crossing at the top of it's head sticks out far enough to shape the antlers for this wooden reindeer. Apply the glue at each corner and let dry. If you are working with a very young child to make this craft, you might want to do this step ahead of time.
2. Cut with scissors in advance, three segments of the wooden craft sticks that will fill in the face of this reindeer. Have the child glue these down. Let dry. (Read the story of "Rudolf, The Red Nosed Reindeer")
3. Now paint the antlers a dark brown and the face a lighter brown.
4. Glue on the felt ears and fluff.
5. Glue on the google eyes.
6. Glue on the nose. 
7. Let the entire project dry over night. 
8. Parent may hot glue the twine on the back of the deer's head for hanging in the morning.

More About Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer:

• Craft a Portrait of Rudolf Using Paper, Paint and Pom-poms
  
• Gene Autry "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer" on The Ed Sullivan Show

       "Many years ago, Christ was born in Bethlehem. I wish that I could have been on of the shepherd boys who saw the bright Star and heard the angels sing "Glory to our new-born King.'' It would have been wonderful to have placed in the tiny hands of Jesus a little toy. It is nice to just picture doing that. When I can paint better, I am going to make a picture of a little shepherd boy giving the baby Jesus a toy. I like the thoughts I have about Christmas. I like to give presents to my father and my mother, my sister and brother, and my friends. I make their presents and they like them.'' by Donald Wright, Age 11.

Old-Fashioned Paper Ornament Shapes for A Garland

       Use the following printable for classroom projects, personal crafts, Christmas garlands around your homes windows or Christmas trees.

Teachers and parents are free to download and print these old-fashioned paper ornament
shapes by Kathy Grimm for personal craft projects only. enjoy!

More Paper Garland Ideas:

• Sweet peppermint angel candy cane craft may also be strung as a garland
• Make a garland from woven paper balls
• 2 simple paper chains from strips of paper

How to Play The "Christmas Bells" Game

       To play Christmas Bells you will need some sleigh bells or, if these are not had, a little call bell will do. Select a leader and blindfold him. The others stand in a circle about the blindfolded player and pass the bells from hand to hand, jingling them merrily. The one in the center, by following the sound, tries to catch the player who holds the bells. If any one is caught with them in his or her hands, that person is then blindfolded and take the place in the center to replace the former leader.

       The fun in the game lies in passing the bells so quickly that the leader is at a loss in which direction to turn.

How to make a gnome using leftover yarns

My version of this gnome hat has
rainbow colors.

        This popular ornament requires: yarn, one bead for the gnome's nose and a bit of cardboard to form the winter hat.

To Make The Pom-Pom:

1. Wrap yarns on direction through the hole and up over the card and back through the hole again in the opposite way.
2. Thread a stronger string through the inside of all the loops to tie the loops off.
3. Cut the outside loops off of the card and pull the string tight to make pom pom..
4. Trim the pom pom and fluff.

To Make The Winter Hat from Yarn Visit:

• Make mini yarn hats with All Craft TV
• Simple Mini Yarn Hat Ornament with Gramma Vicki Crafts

How To Make A Pom-Pom.

Construct a Christmas tree using paper rolls...

The finished result.

       You can craft many lovely ornaments using recycled cardboard tubes. This little tree is a popular craft that also makes use of scrapbook papers. You could use scraps of wrapping paper as an alternative to purchasing more expensive papers.

 Supply List:

• white school glue
• coffee stirring stick
• one decorative Popsicle stick
• two toilet paper rolls
• masking tape
• decorative scrapbook papers (Christmas themes)
• wire hook for hanging
• Mod Podge

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut the toilet paper rolls length wise.
2. Curl these cuts lengthwise around a pencil and apply masking tape to hold the new shapes. Remove the pencil.
3. Cut these smaller tubes into lengths that together form a inverted V shape tree.
4. Cover the tubes with decorative papers and white school glue.
5. Line up the tubes and glue these onto the coffee stirring stick.
6. I cut a wider Popsicle stick to glue onto the trunk. 
7. Wrap a wire through the top tube to create a hook for hanging.
8. Decoupage the entire ornament using Mod Podge to seal the surfaces.

Left, the toilet paper tubes cut lengthwise. Center, wrap the tube around a pencil and then remove
 the tube after shaping it. This make uniform tubes. Right, the narrow tubes are then cut to form
 a Christmas tree before gluing the tubes down to a coffee stirring stick.

 More Ornaments Made from Recycled Tubes:

• 3 Ideas for Christmas crafts using recycled tubes from Ecobrisa DIY
• 4 Christmas ornament crafts by craft crazy Genius

The Children's Day

Mary and Baby Jesus by k. grimm

        "I am very glad that the holiday is always recognized as belonging especially to the children. There is a charming Christmas sermon which is a "plea for childhood," which calls Christmas "the young child's festival." It is by Dr. Henry W. Bellows, and I wish I could send it all to all the Readers. It begins by an amusing description of the pilgrimage in our time of the Wise Men at Christmas, who may be seen in every street, with their gifts in their hands, following the star till it comes and stands over the place where the young child is. The young child with his mother draws over each of our homes the star which wins our following and determines our stay.

       And the children, even the baby in arms, return the gifts to the Wise Men. There is nothing so charming, nothing in after years so precious, as the Christmas gifts which the little ones have made with their own hands. The little boy has trained his fat fingers to the needle and the thimble, that he may make a pocket pincushion for his mother, and long after the little boy is called to the Larger Life, that pincushion lies among her dearest treasures. It is so good to have the weeks before Christmas all preoccupied with thoughts for "the others." A blessed preparatory festival!"

Kids version of the Christmas story with help from REMEDY