#The Fountain Avenue Kitchen - Holiday Crafts

Growing up, my mom came up her fair share of clever craft ideas.  The projects alone were always fun, and when they resulted in a clever gift to give, all the better.

When I became a mom, I recognized the importance of my kids giving gifts that truly had meaning to them.  Every December, we decide on a fun project that they would enjoy making and giving to their dad and grandparents.  Over the years, they have painted terra cotta flower pots and wooden birdhouses, made pinecone bird feeders and created unique ornaments using everything from seashells to their school pictures.

By putting a little bit of their time and creativity into a project, they always have something they feel proud to give on Christmas morning so much more than if I gave them a few dollars to purchase something.  Even wrapping the gifts becomes a bit of an event, even if it does take a whole roll of tape!

The following are some craft ideas that we have made many times over the years.  My younger son loved to make the candy canes as a craft.  Two bags of beads and a package of pipe cleaners could literally entertain him for hours.  Not only do these make fun gifts that kids can make themselves, they are creative package toppers, too.