Fun Winter & Christmas Craftivities

I absolutely love the holidays!  In fact, I think I've gone a bit overboard on my Christmas decorations this year at home that it's starting to look a little tacky.  Good thing my family enjoys it!  Now that I'm done, I'm in a good mood and I thought I'd share some of the arts and crafts I do in my classroom during the Christmas season.

Have the students color or paint one of those cheapy paper plates and then cut it into 4 pieces.  The size of each piece doesn't have to be equal.  Have the students place the biggest piece on the bottom of the tree and the smallest piece at the top.  Make little snips at the bottom of each piece to create the needles of the pine tree.  Use glitter, sequins, etc. to decorate the tree.  

This tree is just made out of construction paper.  I have the students use  hole punchers to create holes in the tree so it looks like ornaments against the red background.  Place sequins and glitter to give it a shimmery look.

Count down to Christmas bell.   Students make patterned paper chains.  Each day the student rips off one loop.  Once they reach the yellow loop, it should be Christmas day.  

Here's what they poem on the bell says:

Author:  Unknown

Christmas day will soon be here

And I can hardly wait.

I've made this little Christmas chain

To help me celebrate.

Each day I'll snip one loop from it

To help me to remember,

That happy, happy Christmas day

is the 25th of December.

Please help me hang my chain up high

I'll cut one loop each day.

And when I reach the golden loop,

It will be Christmas Day.  

Paper plate Santa.  Use cotton balls for his facial hair :)

This is our Epsom salt winter scene art project.  It's supposed to make you feel like you are looking outside your window.  Students draw a winter scene with their crayons on dark blue or black construction paper.  Then they brush on an Epsom salt mixture.  Remember to allow their artwork to dry on a flat surface.  Do not hang to dry.  After doing this over the years, I noticed that some puddling on their paper is a good thing because it allows for more salt crystals to form.  See below for the salt mixture recipe.  Once the mixture dries on their paper the salt crystalizes and makes their artwork look frosted with snow. 

Epsom Salt Mixture:

Mix an equal part of Epsom salt (look for it in the bath or health section of the grocery store) and boiling water together.  Mix, dissolve,  and let cool.  About 1.5 cups of epsom salt and 1.5 cups of water is enough for a class of 24

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We make snowflakes and find the line of symmetry in the center.  We made these out of coffee filters.  I  usually give each student two filters already folded so they have one for practice and another to glue on to their black construction paper.  Click here for step by step instruction in how to fold the filters to make a snowflake.