Holiday Gift Baskets You Can Make with Your Kids

Remember back in kindergarten when the holidays would roll around and how exciting that was? Decorations would go up in the classroom, your classmates would come to school in costume, you couldn't wait to get your hands on some sweets, you would participate in The First Thanksgiving Play, Santa Clause would come visit the class, and you would learn the Dreidel song. What I remember most was my mom's treat Chinese paper boxes for all of my classmates. Before all of the holiday parties, whether it was a spooky Halloween or a very Merry Christmas, my mother would sit me down and let me help her make these baskets for all of my friends. They were a big hit and best of all they are easy and quick to make!

The first thing you would need to find are some Chinese paper boxes. You can usually find these at your local craft stores and sometimes they even come in seasonal colors. Chinese paper boxes are ideal for kids because they allow a little more room for creativity and decorating.

Once you have your boxes then it is up to you whether you want to leave the flaps on or cut them off. My mother preferred cutting them off because it gave the box more of a basket feel; however, if you want a little element of surprise then I suggest leaving the flaps on so the kids can open them and see what's inside.

When the glue dries off and the boxes are decorated you can then begin to find goodies to fill the baskets with. Once again this can range anywhere from Santa pencil erasers to spider rings and really just depends on your style and the holiday. There are two things that are a must. The first is tissue paper or cellophane. This allows you to make the boxes more festive and simultaneously takes up some space so that you are not forced to fill the boxes to the brim with goodies. The other necessity, and one that no holiday party is complete without, is candy. Not too much though, I'm sure no one wants an entire class of kindergarteners on a sugar rush.

And there you have it! Holiday Chinese paper boxes are a quick, easy, and fun way to have some crafting fun with your kids this holiday season. There is nothing more rewarding at a child's class holiday party than seeing those kid's faces light up when they receive their goodies. Most importantly, it teaches your child the gift of giving.

Photo from: MrTakeOutBags

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