3D Christmas trees decorated three ways

These bright and colorful trees were created as our contribution to 'Craftmas 2018'.  If you haven't heard about Craftmas let me fill you in a minute, its 12 days, 24 creative bloggers getting together to bring you all the Holiday crafting you'll need to get you through the season over on Instagram.  

I began by thinking we would create a 3D threading Christmas tree but as we began playing around it was fun to take his project into a couple of different directions so I'm going to share all three simple ways to decorate your 3D tree below. Pick your favorite or make all three!

You will need:

Colored or white card stock paper

Scissors

Glue

Cut out our Tree template

Depending on which tree:

Colorful washi tape

Sequins / Pom poms

Bleeding tissue paper

Ribbon/parcel string

Tree type 1 - invitation to decorate a tree

Using the tree template cut the two tree pieces out of some green card. Cut one tree up from the bottom and the other down from the top, so that they can be slotted together.  

Give your little one something to decorate the trees with sequins, buttons, beads, pom poms etc and some glue. Decorate one side of each tree and then when they are dry flip them over. to do the other side.

Once dry slot the two pieces together and top by gluing a pom pom onto the top.

Tree type 2 - Washi tape Christmas tree

We chose to use some plain colored washi tape to create a warm colored (red, orange,yellow) and cold colored (blue, green, purple). But any wash tape would look pretty.

To begin take a piece of white cardstock, tape all over one side.

Once one side is covered flip it over and tape the other side.

Once the two sides are covered in tape use the tree templates to cut out two tree shapes from the taped up card.

Again cut a slit up from the bottom in one tree and down from the top on the other, then slot the two pieces together.

Don't forget to add a star aka Pom Pom to the top of your tree

Tree type 3 - Bleeding tissue paper trees

 For our final tree I broke out the bleeding tissue paper, this is always a fun one with the kids, they love the magic of the dye transferring to the paper with the addition of water.  I precut the tissue paper into squares and once again sorted it by warm and cold colors - totally optional but by sticking to color families it helps to avoid 'muddy' end results.

Have the children paint one side of the card paper with water, then lay the tissue paper squares onto the wet paper. Once it is dry remove the squares, flip the sheet of paper over and repeat on the opposite side.

 Once both sides are dry and you have removed all the tissue paper you should be left with some pretty marbled looking paper. Lay the tree templates over the dyed paper card stock and cut out two tree shapes. Remember to make one cut on each again - one up from the bottom and the other down from the top.

On this 3D tree we also punched holes around the edge of the tree, one in each corner and one at the center of each triangle. Once you have made the holes slide the two pieces together again.

Take your decorative yarn or parcel string and have your child thread around the holes in the tree, this is a great exercise in fine motor. When they are all done threading add a pom pom to the top of your tree and your all done.  

Which one is your favorite? I think its so hard to pick just one I recommend making a whole forest of colorful christmas trees.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Craftmas fun over on Instagram, and thats us wishing 

Merry Craftmas to all! 

Decorate Santa's Beard

So we've all seen the glitter beard trend right? Well why not Santa? He's feeling left out and needs a little jazz and sparkle this year so lets decorate his beard! This is a super easy project to set up and your little one will enjoy picking out special pieces to Santa the best beard in town. Remember to print one for yourself too - crafty christmas fun is not just for kids plus what can be better than sitting with your little one playing christmas music and getting your craft on.

You will need:

Download and print the Blue Barn Santa Printable

Puffy paint - we mixed 1 part white glue and 2 parts shaving foam to make ours

Decorations - sequins, ribbons, straws, beads, glitter, buttons, pom poms (really whatever you have at hand)

Step 1

Mix up the puffy paint and apply paint liberally to the areas you wish to decorate, his beard, maybe hat and eyebrows too it you want him to really sparkle!

Step 2

Set out the pieces you have to decorate the beard with.  Remember scissors to cut ribbons and straws etc. Encourage your children to  pick out the pieces and add them to the foamy paint.

Then once you have added all the sparkle leave them flat to dry, the puffy paint takes about 24hrs to dry but it will dry all puffy when it does and then you can hang it on the wall for Santa to see on Christmas Eve.