"Stained-glass" Nativity

At church I am currently serving in the Nursery class for the children 18 months through 3 years old.  I wanted to do a little something different from our typical coloring this week since it's Christmas and I wanted it to be Christ-centered.

What I came up with was an easy craft--simple enough for the little ones but interesting enough that my 9-year-old was excited to make one with my extras after church.

I first searched the Silhouette store for a simple nativity--I didn't want to spend a ton of time picking out all the little pieces to prep everything.  I then sized the silhouette so that I could fit 2 to a page.  After cutting the pieces from cardstock I laid them out on contact paper.  Since I didn't want anything stuck to them quite yet I replaced the backing on top of the contact paper.  On Sunday it was so simple to pass one out to every child and pull the backing off.  

I placed some cut up pieces of tissue paper in front of the kids and I instructed them to cover all of the "sticky parts" with paper.  Once they were done I put another piece of contact paper on the back and trimmed the edges.

They all turned out uniquely beautiful and each of the children had something to take home to remind them the real reason for the season.

Gifts Kids Can Make: Sunshine Notes - Free Printable Included

I'm excited to be over at Goodly today.  I love this site because it's all about giving and serving others.  Today I'm over there sharing a gift idea that kids can make.

I've found that when children make gifts for family and friends during the holiday season they learn to love to give.  I have loved seeing the transformation that has taken place in my kids over the last few years as they've thoughtfully created gifts for their family members.  They've gone from having mile long wish lists to hardly giving a thought to what they want at all.  Instead they look forward to the presents they get to create each Christmas.  They love to give!

 These little bundles of sunshine notes make the perfect gift to send off to grandparents, make for a friend or family member going through a hard time, a loved one sick in the hospital, or for parents for a mother's or father's day gift.  The options are endless!

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Christmas Books

I have discovered some Christmas books this year that I am just loving.  Just in case you haven't discovered them for yourself I thought I would share!

Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck

 

I grew up watching The Gift but never realized that it was based on this story written by Pearl S. Buck. It's about a young boy who wants to get his father something really special for Christmas.  He has no money to spend but ends up giving the best Christmas gift of all.

Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo

 

A story about an organ grinder and his monkey--and the kindness they receive from a little girl.

Helping Santa by Bert Dodson 

 

Told by his older sister that there is no Santa, a little boy rushes off to his grandma's house.  In a way that only a grandma can she brushes the accusation aside and helps the boy to become one of Santa's helpers.

Christmas Oranges by Linda Bethers


A touching story of a little orphan girl and the act of kindness she received.



The Mansion by Henry Van Dyke

John is a man who wanted the best of everything.  One evening he has a dream and learns what it means to give unselfishly.

  

And one of my favorites:

Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson

The story of a little mouse who finds a new house and discovers the true meaning of Christmas.


What are your favorite Christmas books?

Gifts Kids Can Make: Baking Soda Oranments

These homemade ornaments are a fun gift that kids can make or simply a fun craft to do with them any time of the year.  Last year my kids made some for their grandparents for a Christmas gift and this year I made them with my Activity Day Girls group at church.

I love the pure white look of the baking soda ornaments compared to the look of the salt dough ones.  These are so easy to make and worth giving a try.

To make the dough:

2 cups baking soda

1 cup corn starch

1 1/4 cups water

In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water.  Stir mixture over medium heat.  After a few minutes the mixture will start to boil and thicken.  When it looks like smooth mashed potatoes remove dough from the heat and transfer to a bowl.  Cover dough with a damp cloth or paper towel until it's cool.  

Once cool, knead the dough on a smooth surface, adding a little more cornstarch if it feels sticky.  Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet to dry.  Use a thin straw to place a hole at the top of the ornament for hanging.  My kids love to decorate the ornaments with stamps and I love how pretty it looks.  Let ornaments dry on the tray overnight, turning over the next day to continue drying.  To dry ornaments faster bake them in a 175 degree oven for 1 hour, or until completely hard, turning over after 30 minutes.  Once dry the ornaments can be painted (I love how they look just being white though) and string a ribbon through for hanging.

Gifts Kids Can Make: Fleece Blankets

Last year my two oldest boys made a fleece blanket for Mr. A for Chirstmas.  He loved  it and still does.  This is a great project for elementary aged kids.  

I first taped off the blanket a few inches from the edge and then marked the tape where they would need to cut.  Then they went at it.  I had them cut the strips and then tie them together.

They did a great job and we all enjoyed working together on something we knew their little brother would love.

Christmas Ornament Wreath

This week I made an ornament wreath and I was so happy with how it turned out that I wanted to share it with you.

Several years ago I made a different ornament wreath by stringing ornaments onto a wire hanger bent into a circle.  I liked it but I didn't love it.  The ornaments were always popping off and it just seemed like a jumbled mess most of the time.  When I spotted Decor Chicks ornament wreath on Pinterest I instantly felt compelled to remake my wreath.  I had already been to the craft store earlier that day but I dragged my kids again the next day so I could pick up a base for my wreath and some ribbon.

I left the plastic wrapping on the wreath and then covered it in ribbon.

After taking off the silver tops from each ornament I began gluing them around the wreath with my hot glue gun.

I glued the tops facing down and also put a dab of glue between the ornaments where they touched to help make the wreath sturdier.

After making my way around the wreath once I added another layer of ornaments in front and behind the original one.

 After that I filled the the bare spots with smaller ornaments.  I think I used four different sizes of ornaments total.

This project took a lot longer that I thought it would but I still was able to get it done in an afternoon.  It also used quite a bit more ornaments than I thought but luckily I had enough to finish the project without having to make another run to the store.  I just love the pop of color it adds to our front door.

Tell me, what kind of wreath do you have hanging on your front door right now?

Quiet Book Patterns Giveaway!

*** This giveaway is now closed ***

It's December!   I just love this time of year!  I can hardly believe how fast this year has flown by.

To celebrate the giving season I'm giving away another copy of my book Quiet Book Patterns!

Keep it for yourself or give it away to your crafty friend/sister/aunt as a gift this Christmas.

Already have a copy of my book?  I'd love to send you the link to the updated templates.  Please email me at servingpinklemonade@gmail.com along with an attached receipt or even just a picture of you and the book (something to show me you own a copy) if you'd like to receive the updates.  I'll respond with a link where you can get the updated templates at no cost to you.  These templates are exactly the same as what's in the book, just labeled for additional clarity.

Interesting in buying one?  Quiet Book Patterns can by found at Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Deseret Book, and Cedar Fort.

To enter to win:

1. Simply leave a comment telling me what you'd like for Christmas this year.

Want a second chance to win?

2.  Post this giveaway on Facebook or "Like" my entry on Facebook sharing this giveaway.  Super simple!

3.  Then be sure to enter through rafflecopter below to make it count!

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