D. Halet asked:


You do not have to be a good crafter to be able to make many special Halloween items that will make your holiday joyful. Halloween suggests pictures of spooky ghosts, black cats, dark witches, and flying bats.

You can recreate some of these images with fun and easy crafts.

The best part about creating Halloween crafts is that it is something that the whole family can do and it can give you some time to spend together. Lots of Halloween crafts can be made by almost any age kid. For instance, your toddler can help out and learn new skills like cutting, drawing, and coloring.

Of course, you need some crafting supplies from the store. Here is the basic craft equipment needed:

Various craft paintings: black, white, orange, etc. (pots and spraying cans) Gold and silver paint (spraying cans) Colored pipe cleaners Black, white, silver and gold markers

Obviously, most homes already have basic craft supplies like scissors, tape and glue.

So, let’s begin: it is going to be fun!

Spiders

To make these spiders, you need an egg carton.

Cut all the egg cups.

Paint them black.

Paint their eyes with white or orange paint.

Make four small holes on each side of the spiders.

Insert a black or colored pipe cleaner in each hole and stick or glue them to the spider.

Give the shape you want to the pipe cleaners

Pumpkin boxes

Find as many small pumpkin plastic containers as you want.

Fill them with candies.

Voila! Treats are ready to be given to children who will ring on your bell on Halloween Eve.



Colored Pumpkins

Here is a very special idea that will allow you to renew your Halloween decorations without having to spend a lot of money. You probably already have ceramic pumpkins. Instead of buying new Halloween ornaments, paint your old ones according to your needs: gold or silver paint for a luxurious decoration, for instance.

You may also want to paint them in black or white. With a black, white, silver or gold marker, draw Halloween shapes on these new pumpkins such as black cat, white witch, black mansion…

Children enjoy bright colors so you can paint your pumpkins in several different bright colors such as orange, green, blue, red, yellow, etc. Draw Halloween figures on these pumpkins. For teenagers ornament, paint pumpkins with metallic colors, glow-in-the-dark, glitter, etc.

Pumpkin Jar

If you already have one or more, fill a glass jar with small plastic or ceramic pumpkins; alternate pumpkins with maple berries and leaves.

Homemade Halloween Lights

Here is an almost free Halloween craft! Paint small jars in black, white and orange. Draw some Halloween shapes on them and insert a tea light candle in each jar. For instance, paint a white jar, draw Scream murderer’s eyes and mouth and voila, you have an original ghost light. Place the Halloween candles on a black tray, insert mini pumpkins, maple berries and leaves, etc.

If you have larger jars, you may paint them as well and pour in Christmas lights.

Halloween Candelabra

Paint candelabra with black paint.

Add orange wax lights.

Hang cobwebs on the candelabra for a spooky Halloween effect!

Halloween Centrepiece

You will need to use a bread basket in order to make this item.

Fill it with some maple leaves.

Add cobweb, mini pumpkins, spiders…

You may keep the basket for Thanksgiving: you will only have to replace cobweb and spiders by grapes and pine cones.

Halloween Tree

Put bare branches in a vase.

Paint small Christmas tree balls black, white, and orange.

Draw Halloween figures on them.

Hang the balls on the branches.

You may also create your own Halloween tree ornaments such as ghosts, black cat, witches, and spiders cut out cardboard. Paint them and hang them on the tree.

Tip: make a uncommon Halloween garland with popcorn painted orange.

Witch Hat

If you still have a pointy black hat from last year, reuse it by sticking Halloween items such as fake hands, spiders, cobwebs or other spooky items and pin it to the front door.

Happy Halloween!



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Suzy Sutherland asked:


One of the easiest ways to start making soap is to buy an easy soap making kit. This is a great starter for kids, but also adults like to use them as they begin to learn about how easy soap making can be. It’s a basic introduction to the craft of soapmaking that does not involve a lot of time and expense. Most kits will also come with full instructions so that you can have an easy soap making experience that is almost foolproof.

Others like to bypass buying a kit and jump right in. For them an easy way to make soap is to start with the the method of melt and pour. There are not a lot of supplies involved, thereby cutting down on the expense and this method means that they are more likely to experience success with making this type of soap.

Melt and pour soap making also has the advantage that there is no need to work with lye and the dangers that come with it. Once you are more experienced you’ll discover that working with lye is not dangerous if you take the proper precautions.

Melt and pour soaps are an easy way for children to start working with soap. They soaps are made using glycerin and come out looking really beautiful, especially if you are using molds that are very fancy or intricate. Another bonus is that the soaps are available for use immediately. This is a great way for beginners to get started and one that produces a high level of satisfaction.

For those who are ready to move beyond the easiest way to make soap they are ready to get into making soap that will involve lye. This does not have to be hard to do if you take precautions and start out with simple recipes. It’s simply a matter of mixing lye with water and essential oils.

If you start out following simple recipes then you should experience no problems. There are also many molds that can be found right in your own kitchen. I know one person who uses a Rubber Maid bread container for making her soaps. She even cuts down on the danger of cutting this large block by using a guitar string.

Another easy method of soap making is to use the rebatching method. Here you simply save old pieces of soap, and when you have enough of them you then grate them up, or chop them up into very small pieces. Then heat them up and mix in water or milk. When this mixture turns completely to a liquid you can then add colors and scents. Pour the entire mixture into molds and then let them sit for a few weeks in order for the water to evaporate. Although you don’t get instant results, this can be a great method for children to get involved in their first soap making experience but it’s also an easy entry point for adults starting to learn easy soap making.

This is very similar to making your own liquid soap. To make liquid soap you simply take a whole bar of soap and grate it as fine as possible. Then you mix it with distilled water, add some essential oils and some cocoa butter and you’ll have a simple and quick liquid soap for using around the house. This is an example of another one that is great for beginners or children to make.

This is also a great gift giving idea, especially for school kids at Christmas time who need a special present for their teacher.

The bottom line is soap making can be really easy and you can start with basics and as you gain more confidence work your way up into the more difficult soaps. You will have the fundamentals from the start and before long you will be creating your own special recipes.

Learn more about easy soap making at our website, http://www.soapmakingguru.com/easy-soap-making/



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Author asked:


Xbox 360 was the number one smash hit for Christmas gifts last year. The reasons are obvious: great visual effects, better console, incredible action, and excellent games. This year again teens will be playing Xbox 360 games with their friends, comparing games at school, and buying or renting the new Xbox games. Here are some of our top picks for Christmas 2006.

1. Tom Chancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter – Shooter

The face of war has changed with Tom Chancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Enemy lines are blurred and there is no clear opponent. New enemies and threats require a new type of warfare and a new kind of soldier. Enter: the Ghosts. In 2013, the U.S. Army will implement its Integrated Warfighter System, which combines advanced weapon systems, satellite communication devices, and enhanced survivability features into a fully integrated warfare combat system. Equipped with cutting edge weapons and communications systems, you will find yourself, one of the Ghosts, immersed in a detailed universe of this futuristic warfare. One gamer exclaimed, “This game is a pure showcase of next gen gaming. the graphics are downright gorgeous and this actually helps to immerse you into the story. and the story is riveting enough to actually make you care about Mexico city… do your self a favor and buy this game.”

2. Gears of War – Shooter

Now this is what next-gen gaming is all about! Gears of War is one of those titles that comes around every couple of years and raises the bar so high that it almost spoils every game released in the next six months. This third-person shooter thrusts gamer’s into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the earth. Gears of War rewards teamwork in a big way. All game modes, levels and scenarios are designed specifically to encourage cooperative play.

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – RPG

Like earlier games in the Elder Scrolls series, Oblivion is designed to present a living fantasy world that gamer’s experience on their own terms. The game is populated with over 1,000 NPCs, each leading a fully realized life, following regular schedules according to their individual wants, needs, and positions. Players are encouraged to interact in the world as they choose, as noble heroes, greedy villains, or anything in between. The game’s main story and its sidemissions provide plenty of fast-moving adventure. Advised one fan: “This Game Is Like *****. Massive environment; Beautiful graphics; Great ambient music and sound; Totally engrossing gameplay. This game is unbelievable. If you like RPG’s in the SLIGHTEST, buy it.”

4. Fight Night Round 3 – Sports

Easily beating the competition, Fight Night Round 3 brings the most intense boxing videogame experience ever to the virtual boxing ring. Film-quality graphics establish Fight Night Round 3 as one of the best looking and playing Xbox 360 sports games ever produced. The graphics feature devastating punch impacts unparalleled in any game or film. Outside of the ring, gamer’s can establish intense rivalries through pre-fight events and trash talk, putting more purpose and passion behind their every hit. The visuals in Fight Night Round 3 are so excellent that they actually enhance the gameplay. The gameplay has been revamped from what was already an excellent experience in Round 2.

5. Tom Chancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent – Action

The bestselling Tom Chancy’s “Splinter Cell” game takes on an entirely new direction. You play as a double agent for the first time ever in Splinter Cell Double Agent. You’ll take on the dual roles of covert operative and ruthless terrorist, where your choices of whom to betray and whom to protect actually affect the outcome of the game. Experience the relentless tension and gut-wrenching dilemmas of life as a double agent. Lie. Kill. Sabotage. Betray. But above all, save and protect the innocent. As a covert operative, you’ll infiltrate a vicious terrorist group and seek to destroy it from within. Carefully weigh the consequences of your actions–kill too many terrorists and blow your cover. Hesitate and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to complete your mission, but get out alive.

6. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – Action

The war between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance has left the galaxy far, far away in a huge mess! But luckily with LEGOs, rebuilding is easy! Play through the original Star Wars trilogy — Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi — as all three movies are re-created using LEGO bricks. You can play as one of 50 different characters, ride in various vehicles and even ride on several creatures. Our recommendation: If you liked the first Star Wars game, this one should definitely be on your list. If you’ve never played the first game, then this one must be on your list! So really, there isn’t any reason not to own and play this rewarding game.

7. Madden NFL 07 – Sports

With Madden NFL 07, innovative rushing controls allow you to control the running game like never before, with all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs. For the first time, in a football video game, you can step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback to smash through, jump over, or tear away from any would-be tackler as you head for the end zone. One fan raved, “Overall it was exactly what i was looking for, … the new features are all fun, and the individual camera view for every position in superstar mode gave u a feeling of really playing as the character. This will be a great game to play alone or with a group of friends.”

8. Dead Rising – Action

Dead Rising follows the harrowing saga of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance photojournalist. In pursuit of a clue, he makes his way to a small suburban town only to find that it has been overrun by zombies. He escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety, but it turns out to be anything but. In the intense struggle to survive the endless stream of zombies, players have full reign of a realistic shopping center, utilizing anything they find to fight off the flesh-hungry mob. The variety of stores in the mall offers players an endless supply of resources including vehicles, makeshift weapons and more. Players encounter other survivors along the way, and by helping them, acquire valuable clues as to what has happened and how to survive. I couldn’t say it better than this fan: “Thousands … of zombies to kill in a myriad of ridiculous ways; tons of things to see and try throughout the mall; great sense of style; a plot that manages to be intriguing without intruding too much on the action; and fantastic sound effects.”

9. Saints Row – Action

Welcome to Stillwater, an open-world city with attitude, a city controlled by rival gangs, a city you are about to take over in Saints Row. As a low-level thug in the Third Street Saints, you’ll do whatever it takes to get the money and build the respect and power you need to muscle your way to the top. Numerous vehicles are available to “borrow,” pedestrians can be slugged or robbed at gunpoint, and there are an assortment of missions to advance the game’s primarily storyline. Some features include: fun, responsive driving controls; excellent shooting action; impressive presentation, featuring amazing explosions and great audio; and a well-written, well-acted story to implement. 10. Hitman: Blood Money – Action On the run from rival assassins, Agent 47 hops a plane to take care of business in Hitman: Blood Money. Players will guide Agent 47 through a number of locales, including New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as he performs hits. It’s up to the player to determine the manner in which a hit is executed, but the “rookie training” mode can show amateur assassins how to help targets have “accidents,” by pushing the victim over a ledge, for example. The amount of money earned from completed jobs varies depending on the cleanliness and professionalism of the hit. Agent 47′s paychecks can be spent in a number of ways including bribing reporters, buying customized upgrades for weapons, or paying bystanders for information. Open-ended stealth action gameplay lets you sneak around, or run and gun; beautifully crafted mission set pieces seem appropriately big and complex; large variety of realistic weapons; and great combination of action and strategy.



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Janice Ferrante asked:


Christmas is a season of gifts and sharing, and every family will have their own traditions and ideas, such as hanging decorations together, having a big family feast, and exchanging presents.

Although we sometimes **** to admit it, choosing presents can be a headache, especially if you have a large family and a tight budget.

MAKE YOUR OWN UNIQUE AND INEXPENSIVE HOMEMADE GIFTS THIS CHRISTMAS

If you are good in needlework, you can sew, knit or crochet small projects as Christmas gifts.

You can sew cute animal plush toys for children. They can double up as fridge magnets or pin cushions. Cute animals like a tortoise or food with faces are always hits with the kids and even adults.

Handmade throw pillows or knitted fleece blankets are excellent as gifts too. You can also knit scarves, mittens, and hats for everyone. They make practical gifts.

You can have the blankets or pillowcases embroidered with the recipients’ names to make them personalized. You can also let the children to pick their favorite cartoon fabrics as their pillow or cushion case.

PAPER CRAFTS

If you love paper crafts, you can make mini scrapbooks or altered journals. Mini scrapbooks are excellent as memory keepsakes. There are many samples available online that you can follow. Just make them according to the recipient’s favorite theme, add photos and sentiments on the pages, and that is it. This will be a very special gift and the recipient will surely appreciate your effort.

You can also compile poems and quotes for those who love collecting them. Altered journals are great for this purpose. Just print the poems and quotes, cut them nicely and stick them onto the journal pages. You can write your own messages too.

Another paper craft that you can make is personalized stationery. Print the stationery sets; add a nice writing pen and you have yourself a gift ready.

CONTAINERS MADE TO ORDER

Household items such as jars, bottles, tins and baskets can be made into beautiful Christmas gifts too. They can be altered, decorated with ribbons and other types of embellishments, and filled up with various items. Fill a nice tin can with homemade potpourri, while a jar can be decorated with ribbons and filled with goodies.

Be creative with the goodies, they can be anything from crafting materials such as buttons, brads, and ribbons, to delicious edibles such as candies. All these ideas can be personalized according to the recipients’ preferences.

You can fill baskets with goodies too, and they can be anything from food to perhaps sewing or other crafting materials. Make these gifts more personalized with photos and sayings.

MAKE A SPLASH WITH HANDMADE SKIN CARE AND BATH

For something adventurous, unique and wildly appreciated, you can make your own handmade skincare and bath items.

You can make bar soaps, shower gel, bath bombs, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and even homemade cream masks. These items can be scented or non-scented. Use essential oils for the extra benefits.

While you are at it, why not make some scented candles, these are a natural with handmade bath items for a spa experience extra-ordinaire.

The ingredients used to make scented candles are similar to those used to make soaps. You can make a range of items with the same scent, pack them up nicely in reusable plastic jars and bottles, wrap them together in a basket, and you have got yourself a nice Christmas gift.

HOMEMADE CAN BE INEXPENSIVE, EASY AND MORE FUN THAN THE MALL

Homemade gifts are not difficult to make and they usually don’t cost much. All you need is your imagination and lots of effort.

Save some money this Christmas and make beautiful, thoughtful gifts for everyone.

You will be amazed how much your homemade gifts are appreciated.



easy christmas kids crafts

Corina Volegna asked:


The holiday season is coming up, and it’s a busy time for everyone. One of the most critical things we have to do to get ready is to shop for gifts, which isn’t always easy. We have to rack our brains and search diligently for the perfect gift for family, friends, and co-workers. Luckily, for most adults, if we can’t think of anything else, we have the option of falling back on the gift card idea. But for the children in your life, you usually need to get something a bit bigger. After all, opening an envelope to get to a card isn’t nearly as fun as tearing open the wrapping paper around a nice present!

If you have no idea what to get your kid recipients this year, take a look at these never-fail suggestions. These include gift ideas, and ways to make each present more personal for individual children.

Games and Toys

This may seem like an obvious answer to the gift-giving question, but I would suggest staying away from the simpler objects. Get toys that have some kind of educational value or that can be played with other children, so that the child can increase their own social skills. For older children, you could select things like the game of Scrabble, or a (more educational or interactive) video game. If you’ve got a much younger child to get a gift for, choose something that could help teach them how to spell, or how to distinguish between colors. You can feel good about giving these kinds of toys and games. Not only will the child have fun with your gift, but you could also see the item’s benefit later in life when they are intelligent and well adjusted.

Stuffed Animals

Plush animals are a favorite of many children, and can really be a particularly great gift. Most children love to collect them, and they’re great to play with and keep close at night. Who among us hasn’t had a stuffed animal to sleep with at night during some point in our childhood? And you may not realize it, but a plush toy can be educational as well, especially when it comes to younger children. When you get a realistic stuffed version of a real animal, the child will began to learn the features that animal has and will soon be able to identify it correctly in the wild or somewhere else. So they can have fun playing with them, and also increase their knowledge base. Also, the popularity of stuffed animals cannot be denied with the hype over such movies such as Madagascar and The Lion King. For example, get the child a stuffed lion, and they will soon have their very own “Simba.” Or, maybe you know that the child wants a pet, but their parents aren’t ready to get them one quite yet. Get them an authentic appearing stuffed dog or plush cat. That could be their first step in really understanding the animal, and learning how to take care of something.

Arts & Crafts, and Books

This can be another great idea. Even if the child isn’t a little artist, practically all children enjoy such things as coloring books. It’s not too difficult for them, but still lets them really use their creativity. Both books and arts & crafts can help inspire imagination and ingenuity. You might be surprised by what they can create! Take them from simply watching cartoons to maybe creating a cartoon of their own! As for books, they also can inspire the imagination and the creative side of the brain. Teach them new things, and increase their reading skills in a way that is still fun!

Clothing

It seems like every time we turn around, the children in our life have grown another inch. They’ve probably outgrown last year’s winter clothes, which is why getting them a coat or a hat and mittens could be a great gift. And it may seem rather conservative for a child’s gift, but it can be fun for them too. Get them clothing in their absolute favorite color, or a piece of clothing that resembles something from their favorite cartoon or movie.

Candy

Although not as personal as a plush toy, candy can also be a successful gift for children. Just make sure you know about any allergies they have, so you know what foods to avoid!

So remember, combine the educational and practical with fun, and you’ll soon have the perfect gift!



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Jon Kelly asked:


The gift giving spirit of Christmas time creates a flurry of cheerful and colorful presents, lights and ornaments every year which helps one enjoy this special time of the year. Unfortunately, some of that holiday cheer eventually ends up in the waste paper basket after the presents have been unwrapped and the decorations have been taken down. This year, consider giving a Christmas gift to the planet by making it a point to conserve and recycle. An Earth-friendly Christmas is especially appropriate for children, who will enjoy saving the planet while crafting lovely holiday gifts and decorations.

Wrapping paper and Christmas cards are indispensable when you want to create a merry holiday experience for your family and friends. Many people use these paper products only once and then throw them away, where they contribute to the amount of waste on the planet. Some people try to recycle as much of the wrapping and packing paper as possible, along with cards, cardboard boxes and other paper products. But even recycling isn’t always the best choice for the environment, and reusing these materials at least once before recycling them will help toward helping the Earth.

By reusing wrapping paper can seem like an obvious way to reduce holiday waste, but there’s no need to stop at simply folding up this year’s paper to use next year. On the morning of Christmas, while the kids are still in the right mood for cutting and shredding the wrapping paper, let them tear and cut up several different sheets of Christmas wrapping paper and then tape the pieces randomly together to create sheet of Christmas collage paper. If you need to make the process simpler, a leftover piece of plain packing paper can be used as a base to which the kids tape or glue the festive bits of Christmas wrapping paper. When having done this, the children will ensure that next year’s wrapping paper is both environmentally conscious and artistically unique.

There are a number of easy ways to reuse Christmas wrapping paper and cards, and children will be fascinated by the variety of decorations and flourishes that can be found on some types of Christmas cards. Many store-bought cards now come decorated with durable, sturdy trappings such as gold or silver foil, puffy snowmen, lace, ribbon, glitter and even pieces of colorful plastic. These decorations can be pulled off or cut out of the paper part of the card and glued to cardboard backing to create handmade ornaments for next year’s tree. To use this year’s Christmas cards as next year’s gift wrapping paper, let the kids cut out interesting images and sections from their Christmas cards this year and store the pieces away. Next year, let the kids choose their favorite finds from the old cards and glue them onto wrapped presents or fancy gift boxes. With a little bit of imagination, you can make a Christmas tradition that’s creative as well as good for the Earth, imparting environmentally conscious lessons to your kids along with the holiday spirit.



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Iveta Volegna asked:


It’s one of the busiest times of the year with the holiday season almost upon us and most of us are racking our brains for gift ideas. Shopping can be quite a chore. There are many choices for gifts and it’s not easy to pick out just the right present for family members, friends, and co-workers. If you are totally stumped for the right gift idea for an adult, you can always fall back on cash or gift certificates. This doesn’t work as well for children, who prefer the fun of opening a present and discovering something wonderful inside a beautifully wrapped box.

Here are a few “can’t miss” suggestions for the children on your list this holiday season. There are gift ideas and ways to personalize each gift for the individual child. Hopefully this will help take some of the mystery out of shopping.

Toys and Games

Although toys and games seem like an obvious idea for kids’ gifts, you might want to stay away from the simpler ones and go with a present that has some educational value. You could also pick a game that can be played with other children in order to increase the child’s social skills. For older children, a nice board game like Scrabble would be a nice fit. Older kids love video games, but you should pick something appropriate and make sure that you know which system they own and what games they already have. For younger kids, there are educational toys that can help with vocabulary or spelling. For the youngest children, a toy that can help teach numbers or colors is suggested. These are gifts that you can feel good about giving. They are not only fun, but provide long-term benefits for increasing the child’s skills.

Stuffed Animals

Kids love plush animals. The right stuffed toy can be a particularly spectacular gift. Kids can collect them as well as play with them, or even take them to bed with them at night. Most of us have fond memories of a favorite stuffed animal from childhood that we slept with each night. Although not obvious at first, the right plush toys can also be educational for younger kids. A realistic plush version of an animal can help a child begin to learn the features of the animal and help them understand its adaptations for living in its particular environment. It will help kids identify the animal in a zoo or in the wild. They can have fun and increase their awareness of wildlife at the same time! Stuffed animals can also tie in to popular kids’ TV shows or movies, like Madagascar or The Lion King. You can give a child a stuffed lion, their very own “Simba.” Perhaps you know that the child wants a pet, but their parents aren’t prepared to get them one for whatever reason. You could get them a realistic stuffed dog or cat. Such a gift could help them to better understand the animal and let them practice taking care of one.

Arts, Crafts, and Books

Another perennial favorite, books and crafts are great for kids. Most children enjoy coloring books. There are different levels of challenge available and kids can really get creative. You might be both surprised and impressed with what they can come up with! They can go from watching cartoon characters to making their own! There are many fine books available for children, both highly imaginative and practical. Books can open up new worlds for children and help them learn about everything from dinosaurs to outer space. They can learn new things and increase their reading skills while still having fun.

Clothing

Children seem to grow quickly and outgrow their clothes before you know it. They’ve probably outgrown the clothes that they wore last year, so a coat, hat or gloves can be a useful gift. Although clothing is not the most popular gift, you can make it more fun by getting creative. Pick something in their favorite color with a cool logo from their favorite movie, TV show, or other favorite character.

Candy and Food

Although it isn’t as popular a choice as a plush toy, candy or cookies can also be successful gifts for children. Food makes a good secondary gift to accompany another gift. You could give them a stuffed bear holding a box of candy. Just check with their parents first to find out about any allergies or dietary restrictions they may have.

Hopefully, this has given you some ideas, and if you can combine something fun with something practical and informative, you will soon have a great gift!



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Dienna asked:


Christmas offers a great opportunity for the whole family to come together and have a great time. But in these fast paced contemporary times, people are so engrossed in their personal and professional lives, that it gets difficult to spend a little special time with the family.

Christmas can be made particularly extra special by setting aside little time for family Christmas crafts. Making personalized Christmas Cards and Christmas invitation cards can be particularly fun. There are chiefly 2 ways of making personalized Christmas cards: the modern way and the old fashioned way.

The older method comprised of creating hand-made Christmas cards using construction papers, paints and crayons. The contemporary method includes creating Christmas cards on a computer and getting them printed. Both the methods are fairly simple and require some nice short text along with a nice picture. Use color patterns that suits the picture on the outside. You can use pictures from magazines or old Christmas cards or maybe even use some old family pictures, especially for use in the Christmas invitation cards. These personalized Christmas invitation cards is a great way to show your love to the family members.

A great picture on the outside sets the tome of the card and goes a long way in creating a beautiful card. The inside may contain your own personal texts or perhaps some lines from some popular Christmas Stories like “The Night before Christmas”. You may even burrow a couple of lines from scriptures.

Personalized Christmas cards create fond memories that last a lifetime. It is sure to bring a smile on the face of the receiver. These Christmas are easy to make and doesn’t involve much time or money.

Inviting Invitations is a leading Australian company specialized in designing invitations and cards on special occasions, be it birthday, wedding, kid’s party, Christmas invitation cards or Christmas cards.



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Gen Wright asked:


family traditions is all part of Christmas, and creating simple and fast Christmas crafts should be a family tradition in all homes, especially when you can recycle at the same time as creating thoughtful stocking filler gifts and decorations.

These creative Christmas crafts only require materials you will have lying around the house already, and if you buy a big pack of digital royalty free Christmas clipart graphic images to download, you will always have instant Christmas pictures whenever you want them, and can get amazing results with a bit of cut and paste imagination!

Christmas Placemat Craft:

Using recycled Christmas cards, tear off the backs where the writing is. Or to make it simpler just print out your choice of royalty free Christmas clipart graphic images. You’ll need about three regular sized Christmas card sized images to make each placemat.

Have the kids glue the cards decoration side up down on colored construction paper. When the glue dries, cover the craft front and back with clear contact paper, making sure there are no open ends or gaps.

Kids love setting their plates on their own special Christmas place mat.

Santa Ornament:

This makes a great little gift for kids to make and give their friends or teachers too. Pick up large plastic ornaments at the craft store. These ornaments will open for you to put items inside.

Open the ornament and fill it with peppermints. Secure it closed again. Using a medium sized wooden ball, glue on jiggly eyes. Once the eyes are set, glue the wooden ball onto the top the plastic ornament.

Next, add cotton hair for the head, mustache and beard. Glue a red felt ‘hat’ on top of the hair. At the base of the ornament, glue a long piece of black felt for Santa’s belt.

Glue the front bottom of the ornament to a thin wooden heart that’s been painted black. The curves in the heart will be Santa’s feet.

Christmas Countdown Chain:

For this popular craft, you’ll need red and green construction paper cut into thin, even strips. You can also cut up used Christmas gift wrapping paper from last year. The kids can decorate the paper strips with Christmas writing and glitter glue.

Form the strips into connecting circles and glue each one closed. Once the glue is dry, hang the circle within easy reach of the child. Each day that passes until Christmas, the kids get to tear off one of the links of the chain.

Candy Cane Reindeer:

This craft is an oldie but a favorite among children. All you need are candy canes, jiggly eyes, pipe cleaners, mini pom-poms and glue.

At the top of the candy cane, glue a pipe cleaner, twisting it into the shape of antlers. Glue jiggly eyes on either side of the reindeer ‘head’ and add the nose to the end of the candy cane.

Cookie Cutter Ornaments:

To do this craft, you’ll need an assortment of cookie cutters in various holiday shapes. The ones that work the best are snowmen, Santa, trees and bell shapes.

Place each cookie cutter on colored construction paper. Trace around it. Cut it out. Have the kids decorate each cut out with glitter and mini pom-poms for Christmas balls on the tree.

You can also just print out your selection from your set of royalty free Christmas clipart graphic images in the exact size and theme combination that you want for your decorations, and just cut out around their design.

For the snowmen, use mini black pom-poms for his buttons. You can use jiggly eyes on the snowmen and Santa.

Once each ornament is finished, use a hole-puncher to punch a hole at the top. Thread thin ribbon through the hole and let the kids hang their special ornament from the tree.

You can save yourself an absolute fortune by making your own Christmas cards, decorations and little creative gifts for the family this year, using simple materials lying around the house, recycling your old Christmas cards and gift wrap, and adding the images from the amazing royalty free Christmas clipart graphic images that you can find on the internet.

easy christmas kids crafts

Laura Seymour asked:


If you are looking for the top 10 christmas toys for 2009, look no further! Are you hunting for educational, fun, constructive toys that you can give as gifts?

I have lined up some of the bestselling toys of the year that consistently get excellent reviews and are also some of the top favorite toys that people love to gift. These toys are the best of the lot and make winning gifts. Here they are-

1) Transformers Movie 2 Combiner – Construction Devastator

The Construction Devastator is one of the biggest Transformers ever made and can be disassembled to form six completely functional Transformer vehicles. This toy features movie-accurate detail and will have any Transformers fan howling with joy.

2) Barbie 2009 Holiday Doll

Barbie lovers will be absolutely dazzled by the 2009 Holiday Barbie who looks especially eye-catching in a gorgeous bejeweled, multilayered pink gown. Girls will love admiring her and showing her off to their friends.

3) Bop It

Hilarious fun for everyone, ‘Bop It’ is a modern-day, handheld version of “Simon Says” where you follow the voiced directions to bop it, twist it, pull it, or shout it before the buzzer sounds!

4) LEGO Star Wars Venator-class Republic Attack Cruiser (8039)

No kid will be able to resist the lure of ruling the galaxy with the Lego Star Wars ultimate starship! It’s got enough special features to keep kids interested for a long, long time.

5) Lionel Trains Polar Express Train Set – O Gauge

The Polar Express Train Set is a beautifully crafted train set that’s based on the Caldecott Award-winning book “Polar Express” and is quite easy for kids to put together with a little adult supervision. This toy is easily the most gifted toy of the entire ‘top 10 Christmas toys for 2009′ list.

6) Knight’s Castle

Children will love cavorting in the medieval era with the ultra-realistic Knight’s Castle that has an actual working drawbridge! The weathered stone makes it look almost real and children are sure to enjoy playing with his high quality set for hours at an end.

7) EyeClops Mini Projector

The marvelous ‘Eyeclops Mini Projector’ allows kids to project movies, video games, and more. It’s portable and projects a screen size of up to 60 inches. Guarantees hours of fun!

Sorry! Sliders

This is a shuffle type board game where children can slide their pawns to home and victory or slide their opponents off the board! Children of ages six and above will enjoy it immensely.

9) IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit

The ‘Illustory Make Your Own Book Kit’ brings out the author in every child by allowing them to write and illustrate their own imaginative story in a special book. This book is then sent away later to be actually published and your child will receive a professional hard copy version of his or her very own book in a few weeks.

10) Transformers Movie 2 Bumblebee Role Play Helmet

The Transformers helmet is extremely popular since kids can alter their voices with the ‘Voice Mixer’ to engage in role-playing adventures. Children can morph into Bumblebee or even a car if they need to make a speedy exit.

If you haven’t found what you are looking for in the ‘Top 10 Christmas Toys for 2009′ list they are plenty of other fascinating toys you can consider.



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