Kids + Christmas Crafts = FUN!

I've never been one to buy tons of decorations and go bananas getting the house all gussied-up for Christmas.  In the pre-Taylor days, we would put up a tree (maybe), but that's about it.  I do a bit more decorating now, but I still just can't seem to make myself buy tons of stuff.  Partly it is because I know that as Taylor goes through school we are going to accumulate lots of the best kinds of decorations..... the kid-made kind!  We really just started to this year. 

 

First, she made the super glittery paper chain above that is the exact right size for our mantle with her Grandma.

Over Thanksgiving, my aunt brought craft supplies for the kids to make these hangings to count down the days till Christmas.  There's a cute little poem at the top and then a little bell at the bottom. You get to take a candy cane everyday and when you get to the bell you know it's Christmas! Kids got to glue on the sequins and decorate the top (Taylor's has a little tree).  The bigger kids and grown-ups got to sew on all the yarn to tie the candy canes.  

And, finally, we have the one that was the most fun to make.  I bought some styrofoam balls and let her cover them with Mod Podge and fabric scraps.  It's super messy (Of course, that's what makes it fun!) so we did one half, let it dry, then did the rest.  After the fabric was dry I gave it an outer coating.  I used a pretty pin to attach a ribbon and there you have it!