Baby It’s Cold Outside! A Winter Craft for Families

Ready or not, here it comes.

Vermont winters are long. And cold. So to keep my spirit warm and add to the joyful home I am trying to create for my family, I invest in fairy lights.

And glitter. Anything that sparkles, really.

Sparkly + Kids’ Craft + Holidays = Yes, please!

There are no rules in kids’ crafts, which allows my blood pressure to remain at a nice, even tempo. Anything resembling knitting or cake decorating is a no-go for this gal but getting artsy with the kids is just plain awesome.

[typography font=”Satisfy” size=”24″ size_format=”px” color=”#381b5e”]Winter Wonderland Snowflakes[/typography]

Here’s what you absolutely need:

*A box of large crafting sticks

* Wood glue or a glue gun

* String, twine or ribbon to hang the snowflakes

* Paint

* Paintbrushes, sponges, q-tips, cotton balls, etc.

* A work in progress station

* Merry music

* Hot cocoa heaping with marshmallows

Glamirific Extras

*Glitter! (I found some awesome paint with glitter in it!)

*Poms.  Who can resist grabbing these fluffy bits of goodness?

* Stickers

* Gems

* Permanent markers or sharpies

Here’s our stash. (Purchased at Michael’s – make sure you check out the clearance racks!)

Using four or more craft sticks, glue together to form a snowflake. (Even this fumble-fingered gal can handle the prep work!)

Let it dry.

Lay out some newspaper and paint, paint, paint! If using loose glitter, make sure to shake it on while the paint is still wet.

Let them dry.

Oops, wait. Before you finish, don’t forget this:

 Now, move on to the 3D stage and apply poms, gems, stale Cheerios, whatever you fancy!

 Let them dry.

Turn the snowflake over and repeat the paint and 3D stages once again.  (We decided to make ours 3D on one side only.)

Let them dry.

Using wood glue or a glue gun, attach the end of your string/twine/ribbon to the snowflake.(Or, forget to tell your husband that he needs to charge up the electric drill so that he is left making holes laboriously by hand with an enthusiastic helper.)

Hang them up in windows, from ceilings, whatever tickles your fancy.

Magic.

A sweet idea is to have children think of something they are thankful for and write it down on a snowflake. Want to go a step further? Write down something they wish for the world or for themselves or the family. Make sure to include the date. These snowflakes should be packed with care and brought out from year to year. The best part?

Warm’s the heart, even on the coldest of Vermont winter days.