Because you know your feelin' crafty this December

Arts_and_Crafts_book
Originally uploaded by PopKulture

When I was a kid, I was extremely creative. I would cut things up and refashion them into some amazing new creation, much to my mothers dismay. Fortunately for me, my kiddos have inherited this wonderful trait from me: the need to create. Since I'm not a huge fan of large messes, this can be a fine balance to keep, the creativeness and the cleanliness. I love quick easy and not so messy projects to spark our creativity. That is my main criteria for projects: maximum creativity, ease of project, and tidy technique. It's also important to keep in mind your child's skill and developmental level, don't choose complicated projects that aren't age appropriate. It's really not fun for anyone if you are pretty much doing the project for them, it'll just be frustrating for both you and your child.

Christmas is a great time of year for crafts and artwork. Your December arts and craft projects can serve double duty as a gift. Here are a few fun projects I have found that we are working on this month. Enjoy!

Kusudma Sphere (for older kids and parents)- We used white printer paper cut into 2X2 squares to make ornament sized balls. I recommend practicing with a large piece of paper till you get the technique down

Flower wall art using toilet paper rolls (for PreK and up)- Amazingly classy and super easy

Old School Pom Poms (K and up)- I'm thinking about these in red, green, and white as festive ornaments for the tree

Fabric Fortune Cookie- (for teens or parents) This is SOOO cute, I'm thinking add a string and hang it on the tree, instead of a fortune, put a prediction for next year inside."I think 2010 will find me doing more fun arts and craft projects."