Hi all, This is for Norey, and anyone else that has children and would like to create some new memories with their children in a fun inexpensive way.  I hope everyone enjoys.  These are just a few of the crafts my children and I are working on for Christmas, they are having a blast!

Craft #1  This one is really easy and very small children can do it, just make sure you watch them so they don't eat the beads if they are too small.

The candy canes got kinda cut off, but you get the idea, my 7 year old and 10 year old made these themselves, All you need is the Red, Green, and white or clear 3 sided beads, pipe cleaners, and some ribbon, you string the red and then white beads on the pipe cleaner alternating for the candy cane, and for the wreath it looks best if you do 2 green and then a red, but my daughter made her own pattern.  You can tie a bow on them, and or make a loop to hanf on the tree.

Craft #2

Homemade christmas ornaments, you make homemade play dough the reciepe is 2 parts flour, 1 part salt, and 1 part water.  Stir and knead the dough, kids love that part.  You can't eat it because it's too salty, but it is kid safe.  You can roll the dough on a surface like pie crust, you may need a little flour to keep it from sticking and then do cut outs with cookie cutters, these can be baked for about 15-20minutes in a 350 degree oven to harden and dry them, but you can also leave them out to dry, but it takes awhile.  Kids can also make figures, or roll the dough into snakes or what not and you can cook them, the thicker the ornament the longer it takes to harden.  Once they are cool you can paint them, don't forget to put a small hole in the top if your planning on putting them on the tree.  If you want them to last for years to come and adult needs to laquer them, but if it's only for this year, just paint and hang up.  My daughters pueblo was made of this dough over a poscicle stick frame.

Craft #3

Felt ornaments, if an adult cuts out the pieces, a very small child can glue them in place.  I found some wooden ornaments in a craft store, they were $0.99 a piece and it gave me the idea to sketch a patern to cut out felt pieces.  I drew the patterns on white paper, traced them on felt, cut them out and arranged them the way I wanted.  All you need is felt, in whatever colors you want, and scissors and glue, oh and paper or cardboard for the patterns.

 These are the paper patterns I cut out.

These are the wooden ornaments I found that gave me the idea

I have buttons and things to add, but these aren't even glued yet, I just thought I'd give you an idea of what they'll look like.  My children are having so much fun doing these crafts, we have several others in the works also, but these were the only ones I had pictures to show.  If you want more ideas, or need more info on any of these, or how to, let me know, and I hope you all have some fun.  The kids feel so much pride to decorate with something they made themselves, and to give gifts they made themselves, that I think they undertand better that Christmas is not about how much money you spend on someone, but the thought that goes into it.  Have some fun with your kids, they will remember it for ever.  The homemade playdough ornaments I made with my mom and sister as a kid and I still remeber it fondly.

Michele