preparing for christmas

Well, no-one can ever call me ill prepared! I have already started making the kids christmas cards.
Every year, since they were little, the girls have always made and sent their own christmas cards to members of the family and close friends.

It started off with the girls sticking cotton wool balls onto black card and adding some eyes (hole punched from white paper) and a foam, carrot shaped nose. They then stuck snowflake confetti onto the background. Easy enough for a 1 year old to do.

The following year we cut out a large hexagon from dark green card and cut it in half. I scored a line from the center of the straight surface, to each of the 3 corners. By bending along the scored line we were left with a 3 sided triangular card that we could add gems to.

On the third year I designed a sleigh which I used a craft knife to cut out of a piece of folded brown card. I also cut out sack shapes using a different shade of brown card and gave the girls an old argos catalogue to cut up. They cut toys out of the catalogue to place hanging out of the sacks. We also hung small bells from cotton and draped these along the edge of the sleigh.

Last year I simply bought some rubber stamps and stamped some white card with either a father christmas or a Rudolph and the girls coloured them in. However, as we got close to christmas they became bored of colouring in the same designs, hence the reason I have started so early this year.

I am using the same stamps from last year, but I am stamping them on to shrink plastic and cutting them out in circles. Once cut out I use a hole punch to put a hole in the plastic then the girls are colouring them in and signing each one with their name and date. Once they are coloured I use a heat gun and the plastic reduces in size by 45%, leaving a medallion which I am adding some hemp cord to. I am intending to fix these to a card and give them to friends and family. The great thing about it is the medallions can be removed from the card and used as decorations on the christmas tree the following year.

The girls love watching the plastic shrink and I am going to make keyrings with them at some point. You do not need to own a heat gun to do this, as the plastic will shrink just as well in the oven too.

Shrink plastic is great fun and gives an excellent keepsake if you get the children to draw a picture on it, alternatively stamp their hand print or footprint onto it and date it..................