Button Christmas tree decoration's

Today is the 1st of December and the traditional time to put up your Christmas tree, so I thought it's only fitting to do a Christmas tree post.

Are you wanting some more decoration's to add to your tree/collection?
I did and thought it would be good to incorporate decoration making into my crafty time with the munchkins.
Why buy expensive decoration's from the shops when you can make beautiful homemade creation's with recycled materials.
It makes for both a fun activity as well as putting a little homemade love on your tree, not to mention the special touch for your tree!

Originally I was thinking of making Salt dough decoration's together but thought it was not age appropriate for my little ones.
Salt dough creation's easily break, require fine motor skills and can be time consuming, but in saying that they are a great craft for older children and adults.

It wasn't long before I thought up some crafty idea's for us to do, based around our love of buttons :)

CARDBOARD BUTTON DECORATIONS

-great activity for toddlers

Firstly as pictured above I assisted the munchkins in making some decorations incorporating cutting, gluing, colour recognition, decision making and pure button fun to result in a very enjoyable crafting journey, which ended in some very cute decorations indeed.

Materials needed:
green cardboard, ribbon, hole punch, pva glue, variety of buttons, scissors, yellow cardboard or felt for the star on top of the tree and a little bit of imagination.
Method:
We chose to cut out Christmas tree and ball shapes (Mummy did the cutting), if you have older children they might like to help with the cutting.
Make a hole with the hole punch in the desired area.
Apply glue, add desired buttons and finish with a ribbon to hang. Too easy!

FELT BUTTON DECORATIONS

While the munchkins were busy choosing and gluing buttons I thought I'd have a go at some felt decorations that would last longer and would be able to be used for years to come.
Very easy but very effective :)
The munchkins helped me choose shapes, felt and buttons to create these decorations, but the putting together of these decorations requires a big person or older child.

Materials needed:
Coloured felt, cookie cutters, permanent marker, variety of buttons (different sizes, shapes and colours), variety of ribbons, scissors, hot glue gun and glue, needle and thread (optional).

Method:

1. Choose the cookie cutter shapes you would like to use and match the shapes to the desired colour of felt.
2. Trace each shape onto the chosen felt with permanent marker so it is easily seen when cookie cutter is taken away. Please yourself if you would like 1 or 2 layers of felt on each decoration keeping in mind that you could have two different coloured felts on the 1 decoration for a colourful effect.
3. Cut out all of the shapes and pick out button's to compliment your shapes, while choosing button's put hot glue gun on to heat up. Remember to keep a space clear of buttons where you would like to make a hole to hang the decoration.
4. When glue gun is ready and your buttons are ready, glue them in the selected place by putting a small amount of glue on the felt under where the button is to be placed. The glue will harden and dry out very quickly so do one button at a time.
5. When your glue is dry and you are happy with the amount of buttons, carefully slit some small holes into each felt shape with the scissors. This will be the hole used to hang the decoration.
6. After selecting a ribbon's that compliments your decoration, thread them through the hole you have just made and tie to make a loop big enough to be easily placed on your Christmas tree. I have also blanket stitched around some of our decorations for an added effect but please yourself.
7. Your decorations are ready to hang!!!

Here are some close up photo's of the felt decorations..

too cute sock puppets

Sock Puppets - a fun, creative, imaginative activity that is cheap and affordable and very very much loved!

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Secretly I have a stash of Funky looking socks brought from a cheap store waiting for the perfect day....a day where noses are running, the weather is not so bright and the house is starting to go just that little bit insane....Volla..."come on kids lets make some silly sock puppets, who want's to help mummy" :P

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The munchkins had great delight when Mummy got out some of her special button containers, lots of "ohhh's" and "ahhh's" as they picked out the perfect eyes and nose for their puppets.

It was Declan's idea to use ribbon to make a mouth, so out came the ribbons and the selection was made.

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They were eager to play with their puppets and see the finished result of their faces, off the went to prepare for puppet play, getting excited each time mummy sowed on another button.

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Thalia decided she wanted a "happy" puppet and Declan thought hard before he let me know his puppet was "going to be be crazy".

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Mummy arranged the mouths accordingly to the puppets personalities and no sooner were they taken away to be the objects of play for the afternoon...reading books, sharing kisses and cuddles, picking up things in their mouths, talking in extra special voices with help from little imaginations, introducing themselves to special toys, having tours of the house and so on.

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The puppets now live with our other special toys and both my munchkins take much joy and pride in wearing their special friend on their arm for a play date! :)

Daddy wearing Thalia's happy puppet as Thalia shares her book

kisses x

posing with her puppet

Declan and his crazy friend! :P