I have fond memories of making magazine Christmas trees as a child using the Sears catalogue. In retrospect I realize how smart my mom was to give us such a big magazine to make these cute crafts. This is a fun project for kids of any age and I'm happy to report my two boys had an absolute blast making them.
3 Fun Kid-Friendly Crafts You Can Make With Old Christmas Cards
Step 1: Break the spine of the magazine and tear off the front and back covers.
Step 2: Fold the upper right hand corner down until it is even with the left edge of the book (the seam). Run your finger over the crease to make the fold crisp. It should resemble a triangle.
Step 3: Take the same page and fold it over again so that the edge is even with the seam. It will form a triangle with a pointy bottom. Again, make run your finger over the crease to make the edge crisp.
Step 4: Fold the pointy part up so the bottom edge is even with the bottom edge of the magazine.
Continue to do this with every page of the book and you will end up with this!
To take it one step further I sprayed the trees with an aerosol glue and covered them with glitter (do this in a well ventilated area and wear a mask).
The bright colours give them a whimsical feel, like Christmas trees from Whoville.
The holidays are coming up which means kids are home from school and lots of time to create fun memories (or keep from going completely insane). While we do a lot of old-school stuff like sledding, skating, and gingerbread house making, here are a few ideas—some new, some tried, tested and true—to help you over the holiday hump.
Does the phrase 'Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated' mean anything to you? If you have kids who love Phineas and Ferb, that little jingle has reverberated around in your head more than once. My guys love it so much they have a sheet of paper where they've written down every single Doofenshmirtz jingle that's played.
Doofenshmirtz Evil Annex
Doofenshmirtz Abandoned Self Storage
Doofenshmirtz Out In The Forest
So when I got an invite to a Phineas and Ferb event to promote the Phineas and Ferb Live! Tour, there was no way I could say no. The kids had a blast doing science experiments, dancing with Phineas and Ferb, and getting a small taste of what the show entails.
I may have absconded a Perry The Platypus mask for myself.
I took the kids to see it this weekend and it was a HUGE hit. Both boys loved it and I didn't fall asleep in the theatre like I usually do. Loved, loved, loved the references to old-school video games. Anyone else remember Qbert?
I don't take my kids to this anymore because they're older but if you have young 'uns at home (think pre-school/kindergarten age), I highly recommend it. It's an interactive show with the jolly old man himself! Santa read the kids a story, there's singing and dancing and lots of opportunities for pictures. Mine always had a blast and it's so much better than the trip to the mall for a single picture.
I can't believe my child was ever this little.
Every year for the past four years I've taken the boys to Casa Loma on the holiday break. There's something magical about seeing the castle decorated (and yes, seeing Santa). They apparently have a Breakfast With Santa and an Elves In The Workshop program but we just go and tour the castle on our own and make a game of counting how many steps it takes us to get through the underground passageway.
Our Christmas tree is a mish mash of ornaments, each one with its own unique story. But my favourites are the ones my kids and I have made together. Each year we visit a local ceramic studio and create a masterpiece that will sit front and centre on the tree. It's a great way to kill a few hours and create a memory that will last forever. Or at least until it falls from the tree and breaks. Been there done that. (I'll also have a fun craft you can do with your kids coming very soon. I just need to get off my butt and take pictures).
What are some of the things you'll be doing over the holidays?
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