3 Great Christmas Tree Crafts for Your Children

Christmas time is one of the most exciting times of the year for kids, not only because they are greatly looking forward to finding their brand new toys under the tree Christmas morning, but they also love to be involved in decorating and all other fun activities leading up to Christmas.

One of the best family bonding times is decorating the Christmas tree, and instead of just putting up the same bulbs and lights year after year, having the kids take part in making some crafts for the tree will not only add character, but sentimental value. Year after year as the children grow, you take their handmade crafts out of storage to place them back on the tree, and it's a great reminder of those fun times you've over the years making new attachments for your family tree.

Here are some great Christmas tree craft ideas:

Snowman Ornament - Even when making a snowman out of snow outside, kids can get quite creative with details on that snowman. Of course, they are limited with materials and colors, but creating one on paper will allow their imaginations to run wild. You will need: waxed paper, construction paper (black and orange), a hole punch, white glue, a paper clip, scissors, googly eyes, tiny buttons, 2 small twigs, and yarn. You will want to spread out your waxed paper and squirt out your glue into 2 blobs in the shape of a snowman. Going quickly before the glue dries, you need to take your paper clip and bend it into a "v" shape and place it the top of the snowman's head (used as a hook). Parents may need to assist with the next part, because you will need to cut a small hat for the snowman out of the black construction paper. You'll want to place the hat over the paperclip to cover that up. Once the hat is complete, the rest is a piece of cake. Have the children place the googly eyes and a little triangle shape piece of construction paper for the nose on to the face, and then place the tiny twigs on the body for arms, and the 2 little buttons right down the center. You'll want to let your children's snowmen dry for a couple of days to prevent and disasters. Once everything is dry, thread a piece of yarn through the paperclip and tie it together. You now have a great snowman ornament created originally by your child.

Gingerbread people wreath - Creating a wreath of gingerbread people is simple and it gives children lots of space for creativity. You'll need a: brown grocery bag or brown construction paper, crayons or markets, glue, or tape, string or yarn, and scissors. Start by drawing a gingerbread man out on the brown paper bag or brown construction paper, make sure to draw a square shape at the top for easy attachments later. The square will fold over the string to allow the gingerbread men to hang. Cut out as many gingerbread people as you want to attach to the string, and have your children decorate all of them. At this point, you'll want to fold over all of the square pieces at the top of the gingerbread men's heads in order to attach the string. Once the string is underneath all of the folded square pieces, either tape or glue them down. Now your gingerbread ornament wreath is ready to be placed around the tree.

Shooting Star Ornament - This ornament can make either a great Christmas tree topper, or just a great ornament to hang for the tree. You'll need: scissors, pencil, glitter, markers, glue, pencil, and a piece of thick paper or felt. Start by cutting a circle a circle out of the paper or felt. To make it easier, using a stencil such as a cup or a mug to outline a circle for easy cutting, might be best. Starting at edge of the paper, have your children cut a spiral going into the center of the circle. Cut a small shape out of the paper as well, about 1 to 2 inches wide. The shape could be a heart, star, diamond or any other creative idea your child has. Make a small hole at the top of the shape for attaching purposes. Your children can decorate the shape however they'd like using markers, or glitter. Tape or glue the shape down to the top of the small part of the spiral and weave a piece of yarn through the hole and tie it. Now your child has a great tree topper or a regular ornament to add to the tree.

If you're looking for ways to entertain your child on a cold snowy day before Christmas, hopefully these crafts can keep your children entertained for quite a while.