Need a quick Christmas or winter based project?

Christmas is a time for gift giving, for showing others we appreciate them by thoughtfully bringing them a gift, for remembering the gift of Jesus by sharing a gift with others.  And trying to keep your kids anchored to that message is a challenge.

I hope that my kids will always have a personal connection to the gifts they give so I am purposeful in including them in the gift giving process.  This year, we made our gift bags.  A little white tempera paint, some paper scraps, some fabric scraps, and some buttons.  The general process is simple enough.

1.  Paint the bottom of your child's sockless foot. 
2.  Use the foot like a stamp to make a snowman shape.  The heel is the head and the toes small snowballs at the base of the snowman.
3.  Dip your child's finger in paint and randomly make fingerprint snowflakes aroung the snowman.
4.  Once dry, use markers to add coal eyes, a coal mouth, a carrot nose, and stick arms.
5.  Last, use hot glue to affix a paper hat, buttons, and a fabric scarf.

I did ours on a medium sized brown craft paper bag but I'm sure you could use other colors.  I also had my kids do one each on regular paper with the intent of framing them to hang up next winter.  I used navy paper for that and that was a great color for the background.  I can see these snowman making appearances on thank you cards for the gifts received over the holidays or even as a great grandma gift by having all the grandkids use fabric paint on a sweatshirt, tree skirt, or pillow.