Unseasonably warm weather in the northeast makes it hard to fathom that the holidays are fast approaching. Many of us look forward to the time off from school and time together as a family-that is until those dreaded words are spoken: “Mom, I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.”
It’s like nails on a chalk board and the scenario is the same time and time again. After the words are uttered I spend the next few minutes suggesting all the incredible options available: “you could build something with one of the 12 marble sets in the basement, or how about working on one of our 300 puzzles?”-but of course none of the suggestions are worthy of their time.
My three boys (ages 8, 9 and 11) thankfully enjoy cooking and doing crafty projects, so this vacation we will be well armed with plenty to do including a few holiday crafts.
Here are two holiday crafts to keep us all sane and entertained:
Ojo de Dios or God’s Eye
This craft comes from western Mexico and is symbolic of the power of seeing and understanding that which is unknown and unknowable. I have been making this simple decoration since I was a kid. Once my kids get started we usually end up with many.
What you will need:
- 2 small sticks, fairly straight and approximately 5″ long OR 2 popsicle sticks
- Scissors
- Yarn made from recycled materials (multicolored yarn works best)
Instructions:
- Cut off a long piece of yarn.
- Cross the sticks at the center. Tie them together with the end of a piece of yarn, making an X, but don’t cut the yarn off .
Take the yarn and wrap it over and around one stick, then over and around the next, over and around the next, and so on. Keep doing that until the color is used up.- Tie a different color yarn onto the old one with a tight knot.
- Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you almost reach the end of the stick.
- Tie the end of the yarn in a knot around one of the sticks. Make a loop if you plan to hang the decoration.
Hang them on your tree or all over your home.
Reusable Gift Bag Craft
We are always looking for alternatives to conventional wrapping paper. Reusable bags make fabulous gift bags that will hopefully be reused again and again. For this craft we take plain beige reusable bags and make them much more festive. It’s a great way to add a personal touch to a holiday gift.
What you will need:
- Plain canvas reusable bags. I bought mine at a local craft store in a beige color.
- Fabric markers
Instructions:
Now that my kids are a little older I have them 
sketch their design on a piece of white paper. Once they have done that they are ready to go.
Do you have any holiday crafts to share?
[Photos used under Creative Commons by Rikkis Refuge, Carissa Rogers/Flickr]
