With your kids at home for the summer, you’re bound to hear a lot of moans about “I’m bored!”  Instead of giving them a couple dollars to go buy junk food, or setting them down in front of the TV, why not start working on some crafts for this coming Christmas?

Now of course we aren’t talking making a gingerbread house in July (ignore the picture in this post on that part), but instead things like making ornaments.  Name a grandparents that wouldn’t love getting a handmade ornament from their grandchild.  Exactly, you can’t do it.  Instead of waiting to until a week before Christmas when everyone is busy, you can do it now and take your time with the project.

And also think about the lessons you can teach your kids with this.

• Christmas is about a spirit of giving, and you can keep it in your heat all year long.
• Handmade gifts can always beat store bought ones.
• It’s never too early to get an “assignment” done.

So it may seem a little odd to be making a Christmas ornament with fireworks going off, but it can keep kids entertained while teaching them sneaky lessons about life and family.

Post from: RememberingChristmas.com

Summer Activities To Prepare For Christmas

Inevitably you always have a few unused Christmas cards laying around when the season ends, so who not do something creative with them like making ornaments for your tree?  The Frugal Babe blog has a great idea of how to just use some cards, embroidery floss and a needle to make these nifty ornaments that you can hang on your tree, or even give them away as gifts next year to family and friends.

I would even add that you could use cards sent to you.  Use the area where people signed them and wrote little notes, and then you could add another ornament each year of your favorite cards you received.  It is a great way to repurpose them as opposed to just throwing them in a drawer or out with all of the other Christmas trash.

Post from: RememberingChristmas.com

Make Christmas Ornaments From Christmas Cards