My boys and I always like to make little Christmas gifts/treats that they can share with their classmates. Here is what we came up with this year... snowman soup.
To make snowman soup, we filled bags from the dollar store with a bag of hot chocolate, some mini marshmallows, and a candy cane. You can download the tags I designed {for free}here.
I sent the tags {which are a 4X6 jpegs} for one hour photo processing, cut them out, punched holes in the corners, and attached them to the bags with ribbon.
This is a fantastic easy and inexpensive DIY gift idea. It would be fun for neighbours too. My boys and I made 90 of these bags to share with their friends. That's a lot of snowman soup! :-)
♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy) PS - If you are looking for more classroom treat/gift ideas, you can find 5 more here.
Look what our Elf on the Shelf brought last night -- it's a rhyming candy cane scavenger hunt. "Elfie" brought us eight cards containing clues to the locations of hidden candy canes. Fun, right?
Here are the clues that "Elfie" came up with... and you can download them here OR you can:
Click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print. (PS- The answers to the clues are: bed, shoe, tree, car, bin, sink, hat, sink.)
And.... if you want to come up with your own clues, you can download blank cards here.
Do you think your little ones would enjoy this Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt? My boys had a great time running around the house collecting candy canes. I love this time of year! :-)
Our Elf on the Shelf is soooo good to us. He knows that we have special Christmas activities that we do every year, and sometimes he helps us get them done. For example, last week he brought us a gingerbread house kit.
Fun, right? The boys were super excited to see it sitting next to "Elfie" when they got up in the morning, and I was thrilled I didn't have to go out and get one. ;-) Do you make gingerbread houses with your little ones? Maybe you should tell your Elf on the Shelf that you need one. ♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
Sometimes you just need a simple Christmas craft to make with little ones, and this adorable gingerbread man ornament fits the bill perfectly. It's easy to craft, it uses basic supplies... and it's totally cute!
Want to make one?
1) First, download the gingerbread man template here, and cut it out. 2) Color the gingerbread man. 3) Using white glue, add google eyes, buttons, and yarn embellishments. 4) Punch a hole in the top, and add a yarn or ribbon hanger.
That's it! Cute, right? What kind of homemade ornaments do you remember making when you were a child? Do you still have them?
Recently I came across an adorable snowman door (that you can find here). I knew my boys would LOVE it, so we decided to do our own version. Isn't it sweet?
It is so much cuter than a plain white door, and I love how easy and inexpensive it was to create.
Here's how my four year old and I made it...
1) We traced a CD onto black construction paper to make the eyes. 2) I drew the nose onto orange construction paper. 3) We used a 2 inch punch to make the mouth. 4) We used wrapping paper for the scarf. (It's 3 1/2 inches wide.) 5) We used a 3 inch punch to make the buttons.
Do you have a white door in your house? I bet your little ones would love this project. I know mine did!
Look what our Elf brought again this year... MAGIC ELF SEEDS!
Two nights ago, "Elfie" brought magic elf seeds (which look a lot like tree-shaped cookie decorations) and a letter. The letter contained this poem (which you are welcome to use, but please don't reprint it without written consent from me):
Plant them in sugar,
all in a row.
Wait for the magic,
and see what will grow.
My boys followed Santa's instructions and planted the seeds before they went to bed last night.
Then, this morning, we found the seeds had grown into chocolate suckers. Can you believe it?????? This is our third year planting magic elf seeds, and it is still very exciting for us! Has your elf brought you anything fun this year? ♥ Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)
I just love this "For Your MistleTOES" DIY gift idea. It is perfect for a girlfriend, teacher, co-worker or neighbour. It's cute on its own, but it could also be a fun addition to a gift basket. Wouldn't it be fantastic to wrap it up with a pair of socks and a gift certificate for a pedicure?
This gift couldn't be more simple. Download the tag I designed by "right clicking" on the picture below. It is set up as a 4X6 .jpg file, so you can just print it or get it developed like a regular photo. Then, just cut out the tag, and add a little ribbon.
Cute, right? Who would you give this little DIY gift to?
