Holiday Crafts for the Home
These fun and easy ideas are sure to be a hit with grandkids of all ages
By: Emily Miranda | Source: Grandparents.com | November 2009
Latke Tray
No matter how your family celebrates, homemade crafts make the holiday season more festive. Grandchildren will be proud to contribute to the home's holiday decorations and everyone will enjoy the bonding time.
So get out your scissors and glue sticks, and try these fun and easy projects that are sure to be a hit with grandkids of all ages.
2. Hanukkah Craft Idea: Latke Tray
Turn your latkes into the centerpiece of your Hanukkah table with this glittering tray.
Materials:
- Large silver or blue serving tray
- Empty coffee can or wide-mouth jar
- Blue felt or other fabric (wrapping paper is fine)
- Honey
- Aluminum foil
- Fishing line or dental floss
- Scissors
- Craft knife
- Pencil
- Tape (clear Scotch tape is fine)
Instructions:
- Wrap the coffee can in the blue fabric or paper of your choice.
- Smear the top rim of the can (where the tray will touch) with a very thin layer of honey, just enough to make it sticky. This will not hold the tray in place as firmly as glue, but will keep it from sliding around (and is easy to clean).
- Place the tray on the coffee can, so the can is in the center and the tray is well-balanced.
- Tear off a foot or two of aluminum foil. Carefully fold the sheet in half, and in half again (keeping the wrinkles to a minimum). You should have a square or rectangle that is four foil sheets thick. This is an important step. Without the layers, the foil is too flimsy.
- Flatten the foil square with your hand, gently, until smooth. This should be done on a smooth surface, like a countertop.
- In pencil, draw on the foil the shapes you want to make.
- The Star of David is the easiest shape to make, requiring only that you cut two equilateral triangles and tape them together. (This is a good one for toddlers.) You can also make dreidels of different sizes, or any Hanukkah symbol that you can draw on the foil and cut out. Be sure to cut on a cutting mat or board. Never cut right on the table.
- When you have made enough foil ornaments to fit around the tray, cut pieces of fishing line or dental floss to suspend them from the tray.
- Tape a line to the back of each ornament.
- Tape the other end of the line to the underside of the tray, so the tape is not visible. The ornaments should hang right at the edge.
- Adjust the line lengths to your liking.
- Fill the tray with latkes, and enjoy!
Shelf-cicle
1. Winter Craft Idea: Shelf-cicles
This simple trim transforms any room into a winter wonderland.
Materials:
- White paper
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Yardstick or measuring tape
- Pencil
Instructions:
- Measure the length of the shelf you want to decorate.
- Tape together sheets of white paper, end to end, to fit the length of the shelf.
- Make a fold along the entire length of the taped-together paper, one or two inches from the top. This is the part that you will fold over and tape to the shelf.
- Now draw icicle shapes, pointing away from the fold-line. Do not draw any above the fold-line. Pay attention to the length of the icicles. Because the icicles are falling from the shelf above, you'll need to decide how much of the lower-shelf space you want to cover. Draw the icicles in various shapes and sizes to make them look natural.
- Cut carefully along the shapes you drew. Do not cut past the fold line. (If you’d like to decorate more than one shelf, you can double the paper and cut two at once.)
- Repeat steps 3 to 5 to make as many shelf-cicles as you want.
- Place the lengths of icicles along the front edge of a shelf, with the fold on top, allowing the icicles to hang down in front.
- Tape the folded edge to the shelf.
Afterward, serve hot cocoa, because the room with your shelf-cicles may seem a little colder all of a sudden!
Christmas Table Runner
3. Christmas Craft Idea: Table Runner
Enliven your Christmas table with a homemade table runner.
Materials:
- Red fabric or felt (for the base of the runner)*
- White and green fabric or felt (for the designs; these can be smaller pieces)
- Scissors
- Fabric glue
- Paper
- Sharpie marker
- Iron
*To find out the amount of fabric you'll need, first measure the tabletop lengthwise. Add to that measurement the number of inches you want the runner to drape over each end of the table. This determines the length of the red fabric. The width of the runner fabric should be roughly half the width of the table.
Instructions:
- Cut the red fabric to size. If you are using felt, you don't have to hem the edges. If you are using another fabric, trim the edges very carefully. If they are still messy, iron a one-inch fold along the edges. Use fabric glue to make the fold into a no-sew hem.
- On sheets of paper, draw the designs you want to paste on the runner. Cut out the designs and place them on the runner to test.
- When you have decided on your designs, use the cutouts as templates to trace with the Sharpie marker on the fabric.
- Cut out the fabric designs.
- Place the designs on the base fabric. When you are satisfied with the arrangement, glue the pieces on to the runner. If the fabric is curling or resisting, place a book or other weight on top while it dries.
- When the large designs are glued and dry, place and glue your detail pieces.
- Set the table, and see how your runner brings everything to holiday life!
This article originally appeared on Grandparents.com © Grandparents.com LLC.
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