Christmas Crafts

‘Tis the season for some Christmas crafts! We have some ideas that you can make on your own, with friends and family, or enjoy with the kids.

Mini Cardboard Christmas Trees

Have fun making your mini trees all different shapes and sizes to decorate your table and house!

What you need:

Cardboard (use your My Food Bag or Bargain Box box)
Cutting mat
Pen / pencil
Craft knife and / or scissors
Paint
Paintbrushes

Directions:

1. Draw your Christmas tree outlines, allowing for the slits, onto cardboard.
2. Cut out the Christmas tree parts using craft knife or scissors.
3. Paint with your favourite colours and allow to dry.
4. Slide both pieces together and you’ve got yourself a mini tree!

TIP: It will be easier to paint your tree shapes before you slide them together.

Christmas Shaped Potato Stamps

Whether decorating wrapping paper, a table runner, or Christmas cards, potato stamps are a great way to do it your way.

What you need:

Potatoes
Knife
Vegetable peeler
Pencil
Paint
Paper plated or shallow dish
Card or paper

Directions:

1. Cut your potatoes in half and shave the cut surface of the potato flat with the peeler.
2. Using a pencil, draw the outline of your shape pressing hard into the flesh of the potato.
3. Use the knife to cut around the shape so that the stencil “pops out” of the potato – make sure to supervise the little ones for this part.
4. Pour paint into dishes.
5. Dip your potato into the paint and stamp away.

TIPS:

• Stamp onto plain paper and use as gift wrap or stamp on card and use as unique, one of a kind, gift tags or Christmas cards.
• Try different shape: circles, stars, triangles, zig zags, crosses. If you’re feeling ambitious, you could even cut out a Christmas tree shape!
• Use different sized potatoes for different sized stamps.

Christmas Bunting

Give your house a festive feel with some colourful bunting. These homemade decorations are also great for decorating your Christmas table or outdoor area on Christmas Day.

What you need:

Cardboard (use your My Food Bag or Bargain Box box)
Cutting mat
Ruler
Pen / pencil
Craft knife and / or scissors
String

Directions:

1. Using a ruler, draw a triangle shape onto the cardboard and cut it out.
2. Use this triangle as a stencil and draw as many triangles as you want onto the cardboard.
3. Cut out all of the triangles and paint or decorate as you like.
4. Use scissors or a hole punch to put a hole in the top corners of each triangle.
5. Thread through the string as shown.

Ice Block Stick Christmas Trees

These little Christmas trees are a great addition to your Christmas tree!

What you need:

Ice block sticks
Glue
Craft knife and / or scissors
Paint
Things to decorate (e.g. tiny pom poms, glitter, buttons)

Directions:

1. Paint your ice block sticks.
2. Take three sticks and glue into the shape of a triangle.
3. Cut 1/3 of a stick and glue in place as the tree trunk.
4. Have fun decorating your mini trees.

TIP: Use string to hang your mini stick trees from your Christmas tree.

Reindeer Mask

This one’s especially for the little ones! But we won’t judge you if you want to join in the fun, too.

What you need:

Pencil
Scissors
Coloured card
Card ( a cereal box would work well)
Glue stick
String or thin elastic

Directions:

1. Using a pencil, draw outlines on coloured card for your reindeer face, two ears, a nose and two antlers.
2. Cut out shapes and colour the nose red.
3. On the face shape, draw two circles for the eyes and cut out with scissors.
4. If you want to make your mask a little stronger, stick all the reindeer mask parts onto some card and cut out.
5. Make a hole under each ear and thread through string or elastic. Measure the right length to fit around your head.

TIP: Get really creative and see if you can make yourself a Santa mask, too! You could use cotton wool for the beard.

Christmasy Shortbread

Ready in: 50 mins
Prep time: 35 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Makes 24

Ingredients:

250g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/4 cups cornflour
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

1. Cream butter and icing sugar together for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, cornflour and salt into the butter mixture. Knead well on a lightly floured board until combined. Wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Roll out dough to 1cm thick. Cut into rectangles and prick with a fork.
4. Place on baking tray and bake for about 12-14 minutes, until starting to colour around the edges.
5. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before eating.

To serve, cut out festive shapes in cardboard, hold it over the shortbread and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Choc-Dipped Strawberries

Ready in: 30 mins
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

150g dark chocolate
150g white chocolate
20-25 strawberries

Method:

Line two chopping boards or trays with cling film.

1. Keeping chocolate colours separate, break into small pieces and place each into separate, heat-proof bowls.
2. Bring about 1 cup of water to the boil in a small pot on a low heat. Place bowl on top (one at a time) and stir chocolate for about 3 minutes, until melted, making sure no water gets into the chocolate. Remove bowl (careful, it may be hot) and repeat process with second bowl.
3. Dip half the strawberries in white chocolate, and the other half in dark chocolate, using the stem to hold onto as you dip.
4. Place dipped strawberries onto prepared boards / trays. Dip a fork into the remaining chocolate to drizzle white chocolate onto dark chocolate, and dark chocolate onto the white chocolate strawberries.
5. Chill dipped strawberries in the fridge for about 10 minutes, until chocolate has set.

To serve, pile onto a serving platter.