by Karen & Grace Morris
It’s time to decorate! We have five Christmas wreath crafts for kids to choose from. Each activity uses a different material that is easy to find. You should find one project that your child can do today with the supplies that you have on hand.
Making a puzzle wreath is an inexpensive project. I found a hundred piece puzzle at my local dollar store. From the puzzle I was able to make two wreaths. If you have a puzzle with missing pieces, this project would be even cheaper.
Paint the picture side with green paint using a paint brush. Let the pieces dry.
Next turn the pieces over with the plastic brush dab green paint on the white side. Let dry.
When you are waiting for the paint to dry you can sing Christmas carols such as The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Cut a circle out of thin cardboard. I used the center of a paper plate.
Cut the inside again so that you have a ring. The puzzle pieces that I used are 1 inch so, I made the ring 1/2 inch wide.
Place a puzzle piece with the white side up, on the ring. On one of end of the puzzle piece make a line with glue. Place another puzzle piece on the glue.
Overlap the pieces all the way around the circle. It will take approximately 22 pieces to go around the circle. Let the glue dry.
When the glue is dry turn the wreath over and glue puzzle pieces around the other side of the circle.
Be sure to add a piece of string or ribbon for a hanger on one end.
The white on the wreath looks like snow, so we can sing…. Let it snow, let it snow.
Most people don’t think of making wreaths out of pasta but it is easy and fun for young children to use. Wreaths are usually made out of evergreen branches.
Cut a large piece of cardboard about 8 inches across.
Cut out the center, leaving about 1 inch of cardboard.
Dye your shell pasta green and your Penne Pasta red. You can find out how here. The page will open in another window.
When your pasta is dye and dry, glue the red Penne Pasta on the cardboard.
Glue the green pasta around the circle.
Wreaths are sometimes put around Advent candles at Christmas time.
A wreath made of pipe cleaners? Pipe cleaners are flexible and come in different colors. You can bend them into lots of things such as a wreath.
All you need are eight pipe cleaners and fabric lace to make a bow. I used four red and four green, but you could also do a candy cane wreath with red and white.
Twist the red and green together. Make four sets.
Next twist two sets together. Place the other two sets inside and connect everything together.
Tie your lace into a bow and place on the bottom of your wreath.
This smaller wreath would make a nice decoration for a present or Christmas tree.
Make ten pompoms with your fork. You can find directions for making a pompom with a fork here. The page will open in another window so you will not lose this page.
When you have made all the pompoms thread a tapestry needle with yarn.
Sew the pompoms together.
Make a circle and tie the string in a knot.
With a different colored yarn make bows. Glue the bows to the wreath.
Green is a common Christmas color. Years ago people used green in the dark winter months to remind them of spring.
A Lacing card is a great development tool. They can help with fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. By the way punching all the holes is fun for either the parent or child.
First cut the center out of your paper plate leaving the rim in tacked.
Now punch holes around the outside and inside of the circle. Don’t punch too close to the cut edge or other holes. I liked to have most of my inside and outside holes line up.
Cut a long length of yarn the same length from each of your different colors. Thread your needle with the yarn. Start at one hole. I taped the cut ends on the back of the plate. Now sew to the opposite hole.
To make the wreath fuller stitch twice in a hole.
Continue around the circle. If you need more yarn tape the ends to the back and thread your needle with yarn again.
Wreaths are not always used as door decorations, but are sometimes worn on a person’s head like a crown.
Wreaths for Christians symbolize eternal life because they are in a circle shape. They have no beginning or end. Though our Christmas wreaths for kids should not be hung outside, they would look great in your house.