Now that Halloween is out of the way, dare I say it is time to think about Christmas! What better way to get children even more excited (like they need encouragement) than by getting some Christmas Craft on. These do not have to be long and complicated – but something simple that they can do quite independently: Thus freeing up some time for parents to get on with all those other busy tasks ahead. I think now is the time to really get children to narrow down those Christmas gift choices – so that poor Father Christmas has time to sort them out! There are so many wonderful Christmas Toilet Roll Crafts, I love discovering and thinking up of new ideas with them too. So when I came across Crafty Morning’s Father Christmas Stuck Down the Chimney Craft I just knew it would be perfect to adapt into a Christmas Wishlist Craft.
Adapting The Father Christmas Stuck Down the Chimney Craft
First of all just follow the simple original craft – decorate your toilet roll holder to look like a chimney with brick effect, then add Father Christmas’ legs and sack. The beauty of Christmas Crafts like these is that you can adapt the level of complexity depending on the age and ability of the children. For example you could give an older, fully independent, child the instructions and materials – just letting them get on with it – down to a younger child who you prepare all the materials and help them stick them on. You can also vary the materials/method depending on what you have available and/or what kind of skills you want to utilise/how messy you want things! The original craft involved gluing red paper to a toilet roll holder (or using tape) that had already got red bricks drawn on with a sharpie. Alternatively you could paint the toilet roll holder red – and either wait for it to dry and paint black lines, or again use a sharpie pen. I guess the use of red paper works because then it can utilised again for the legs. If you do not have red paper though you could just continue using paint on whatever coloured paper or card you do have (a cereal box even). The same with the feet and bag if you do not have black – just paint it (or colour it in with felts, crayons etc)
The Christmas Wishlist Craft
What gave me the idea to adapt the Father Christmas Stuck Down the Chimney Craft into a Christmas Wishlist Craft was when thinking about the toy sticking out of the bag in the original idea. I begin to think that instead of making a bear you could use a sticker, or pictures from a catalgoue. I remember as a child always cutting out the pictures from magazines and sticking them down to make my wishlist. So then I had the idea to have a massive present bag for Father Christmas and have children fill it (by sticking the pictures on to the bag,, as if you can see all the toys in the bag) of the things they would like for Christmas. Not only a fun new way to do their Christmas Wish List, but it may even show that there’s only so much that poor Father Christmas can fit in his sack!
I hope you enjoy your Christmas Crafting and have a Merry Christmas.