The holiday season is upon us! I don't know about you, but in the midst of all of the regular work we're all doing in my classroom, I like to add in a little holiday fun right before winter break. What I can't stand, though, is "fun" craft projects that end up being more stressful than standardized test week! Those elaborate holiday wreaths and year-long calendar art projects? Not. Happening. Fortunately, I have a go-to holiday craft that's quick & easy, and my students can do it with very little help from me!
Enter the popsicle stick christmas ornament.
Easy. Cute. Quick. Crafty. Fun. Cheap. What more could a teacher want in a holiday craft project? You can make lots of different ornaments with the same basic supplies. Here's what you'll need:
- Popsicle sticks (I like to get the colored ones so we don't have to paint in class.)
- Glue (I use Aileen's Tacky Glue)
- Xacto knife (for adult use)
- Twine, yarn, or ribbon for hangers
- Decorations: pom poms, small buttons, sequins, glittery pipe cleaners, yarn, googly eyes, etc.
For the decorations, use things you already have on hand to keep costs down.
1. Christmas Trees
To make the tree shape, choose three popsicle sticks in the same color. Use the Xacto knife to cut about 1 inch off of one stick. Glue the three sticks into a triangle with the shorter stick across the bottom. Make a loop from a 5" length of twine or ribbon to use as a hanger. Glue the hanger so that it is sandwiched between the two popsicle sticks that make up the top of the tree. Use the inch that you cut off as the tree trunk, by gluing it in the middle of the tree's base.
Let your students get creative with decorating their trees. Wrap them in glittery pipe cleaners, for a tinsel look. Glue on pom poms, buttons, or sequins as ornaments. Wrap the entire tree in yarn before decorating. The possibilities are endless! Glue a star cut from paper or a star shaped button to the top.
2. Reindeer
To make a reindeer, you'll need three brown or natural popsicle sticks. Glue two sticks together into a V shape. Add the third stick across the top, about an inch from the ends to complete the head.
Glue a 5" loop of ribbon or twine to the center of the head as a hanger. Then, glue on two googly eyes and a red pom pom nose. You can also use brown pipe cleaners to add extra antlers.
3. Snowflake
Use four popsicle sticks in the same color. Natural, white, or light blue are great color choices. Begin by gluing two popsicle sticks into an X. Repeat with the other two sticks. Glue the two X's together at an angle that forms an eight-point snowflake shape.
Add a loop of ribbon or twine at the end of one stick to use as a hanger. Decorate the snowflake ornaments with glitter, sequins, or buttons.
4. Yarn Wrapped Star
Use 5 popsicle sticks of a single color to make the star. When gluing the star together, be sure to alternate gluing over and under so that the star lays flat.
Glue one end of a long piece of yarn to the top point on the star. Tie one end of the yarn around one of the popsicle sticks. Wrap the yarn around the star, making sure to criss-cross across the middle and wrap each of the points. When you are satisfied with the star, tie the end of the yarn off to the nearest popsicle stick. Cut a 5" length of yarn for a hanger. Thread it through one of the points of the star, and tie it in a simple knot.
For more holiday ideas, check out my Winter & Christmas board on
Pinterest!
0 comments:
Post a Comment