A fun family project during the holidays is to make your own Christmas tree ornaments. Here are some easy crafts that will soon have you making your very own ornaments.

Pinecone Ornaments

Supplies:

• Pine Cone
• Paint
• Beads, glitter or sequins, yarn and small buttons to decorate with
• Ribbon
• Glue

Simple Instructions:

• Cut a 6″ length of ribbon.
• Tie into a circle and glue the tied part to the pointy tip of the pine cone.
• Paint the cone green
• While the paint is still wet sprinkle with the glitter.
• Once the paint is dry you can decorate with beads and sequins to look like ornaments on the tree.
• You can paint the tips white to look like snow.

You can hang on your Christmas tree as an ornament or you can place it on a shelf by putting it into a small clay decorated pot.

Ice Cream Cone Ornament

These are fun to make and anyone over 3 years of age can make these.

Supplies you will need:

• Either the cake or the sugar ice cream cones
• A solid colored ball ornament big enough to sit on the cones
• White acrylic paint
• Tiny glass beads
• Glue or hot glue
• Spray acrylic
• Ribbon

What to do:

• Hold the cone by the base
• Place glue all along the inside rim of the cone.
• Place the ball ornament on the cone with the hanging side up
• Make sure the ornament is dry before doing the next part.

Christmas is a truly magical season that is enjoyed by many but no one enjoys the Christmas season more than kids. It might be the prospect of some well deserved time off from school, the allure of the lights and decorations, the beauty of the snow that often accompanies Christmas or just the anticipation of Santa and his sleigh filled with toys that is so exciting for children but it is evident that most kids are truly enchanted by Christmas. For this reason many adults truly enjoy shopping for kids and Christmas time.

While Christmas shopping for kids is a great deal of fun there are some factors to consider when Christmas shopping for kids. A few of the specific concerns include selecting age appropriate toys, selecting toys which are not too noisy or too big for the child’s living situation, selecting toys the child does not already have, selecting toys which the parents consider to be acceptable and finally selecting toys the child will enjoy. This can make Christmas shopping for kids a little more difficult but does not make the shopping any less fun.

Selecting age appropriate toys is very important when Christmas shopping for kids. This is so important for a couple of reasons.

Many parents and other relatives are considering alternative gift ideas for the 2007 holidays because of the recent mass toy recalls suffered this fall. Many families are looking at the possibility that they may be offered a chance to look “outside the box” at the whole gift-giving scene. There are many good alternative gift ideas that they can look at. Here are listed some great kid-friendly choices for alternatives you may explore.

One kid pleaser is the idea that they can receive a gift certificate to someplace fun, like camp or ice-skating lessons paid for by a favorite aunt or uncle.

The Gift of Time:

Sometimes the best gift of all is the gift of time. Make a thoughtful collection of items that represent activities that you and your child can do together during the next year and wrap these items up and tell your child that this year they are going to receive a gift of time; time spent with their mom or dad. An example would be that a small child’s baseball would represent one baseball outing with dad, a package of marshmallows would represent the opportunity for a whole weekend camping at a favorite campsite, and a peanut would represent one afternoon spent at the circus as a family.

The tradition of Christmas trees in America came from German immigrants who had settled in Pennsylvania. It is believed that the tradition of Christmas trees started in Germany from as early as 700 A.D and was practiced by many Germans in the 1800s. It’s also since that period that Christmas trees have also been available for sale in the United States. While artificial Christmas trees are popular, many people like to have a fresh Christmas tree in their homes, or outside on their lawns. And similar to all other trees, Christmas trees also have different shapes and qualities that make some types more popular than others.

Along with other decorative Christmas items such as wreaths and garlands, having a Christmas tree in your home is very essential in creating a special atmosphere for the season. It is believed that Christmas trees have been available for sale in America since the 1800s, which is about the same time that the former Woolworth’s department store started selling ready-made ornaments for Christmas trees.

Choosing the right type of Christmas tree is important because Christmas trees are often a focal point for many family activities and traditions. Given the many types of Christmas trees that are available, it is important to think about how the tree will be used.