Top Six Christmas Ideas For Parents

Why not spend time as a family, enjoying this special time of the year and try some of these Christmas activities?
1. Do it yourself decorations. Instead of buying expensive decorations from the shops, why not make your own. Things like paper chains - using old wrapping paper, paint some pine cones silver and gold, make cardboard stars, decorate lolly candy canes, different shaped pretzels can be strung together or tied with ribbon and placed on the Christmas tree.

2. Christmas Cards. Make your own Christmas cards this year.The whole family can help with this task. You can cut sheets of cardboard to the right size or buy blank cards from the stationary shop. The children can decorate the cards using stamps, (red, green and gold stamp pads), textas, glitter, pictures from old Christmas card or wrapping paper. Perhaps include drawings, digital photos or a personal message from each member of the family.

3. Wrap it Up. Instead of buying expensive wrapping paper, get the children to make their own. You can use sheets of newsprint or any large sheets of paper. Children can use stamps, pictures, crayons or textas to decorate the sheets. Potato prints are also an effective way to decorate the paper. You will need potatoes and coloured paint. Press a Christmas cookie cutter into the potato, cut away the excess potato around the design so that it stands out from the potato, dip the potato into asponge covered in paint and you're ready to stamp your print.

4. Bon Bons. Children love to make their own Christma bon-bons. You can cram them full of interesting bits and pieces and it can be a real family project.
You need: Cardboard rolls ( cut to length)
Crepe paper in Christmas colours
Snaps (available in craft shops)
Items to place in the bon-bons. things like Lollies, jokes, homemade hats.
small gifts, etc...
You need to:
1. Select a roll and place a "snap" inside so that it sticks out from both ends ( this is what is pulled tomake the "bang" sound.
2. Carefully fill your bon-bon with a joke, lollies, hat...
3. Roll a piece of crepe paper around and sticky tape together.
4. Twist the ends of the crepe paper.
5. Decorate with stickers, glitter...
6. Personalise with the name of your guests or friends who will share the bon-bons with you.

5. Countdown to Christmas. In the 24 days leading up to Christmas you could so something special each day. You could make an Advent Calendar which has 25 little doors to open with either a small gift behind each door or a verse from the Bible to read each day. Gifts could include- lollies, candy canes, small books, stickers, pencils, other little surprise trinkets you can find.

6. Christmas Cooking. Get the whole family involved in making some of the special foods for Christmas. Some foods (like shortbread - see previous post) could be made and wrapped as gifts. Special Christmas baskets with foods may be prepared and given to the needy at this time. Simple sweets like White Christmas, coconut balls or fudge are alway appreciated. Check out some recipe books for simple sweets that children can make. Wrap them up in green or red cellophane and add a gift card.

Christmas Shortbread Recipe

Christmas Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients :
4 ozs ( 110 grams) Butter
1 oz (28 grams) Pure icing sugar
1 Teaspoon vanilla
4 ozs Plain Flour

Method:
Melt & cool butter.
Mix into other ingredients until smooth
Lightly flour hands and roll into small balls.
Flatten with fork dipped in flour.
Cook at 400 degrees F (200 C) for 12 minutes. Do nor overcook.

Yields about 30 biscuits.

Let the whole family help in preparing special foods for Christmas. The foods prepared will be greatly appreciated as special gifts, made with love. You can start well before Christmas with the making of the Christmas cake and pudding - let the children help you cut and stir.
Simple sweets like White Christmas, coconut balls, fudge are delicious and easy to make. Make some Christmas shortbread (as above), when cooked, wrap it in green or red cellophane and add a gift card.