If your house is anything like our house, we have loads and loads of Holiday cards. I know how much time and money it takes to send out a hundred cards during the season and I just can't toss them in the trash when the New Year hits.
So since there is that magical white thing outside, and its got a great sheet of ice under it. I thought I would share with you two ways to do an at home project with your kids and use those cards for something more than burning fuel for a fire or worse taking up space in your trash.
Option One: Thinking of you sticks.
My daughter loves these! Each night before bed, she chooses one or two of them and we think about those that are on the sticks. We also combine visually seeing some of our family and friends that we don't get to see often enough and she's reminded of what they look like. When we do get the chance to see them, its not so hard to rekindle the relationship as she already remembers them from these sticks. Secondly, we write their name at the bottom of the stick so we are practicing letter recognition and sounds each night too. (I know I'm a teacher in the class and at home, but its hard to take that hat off)
So what do you do? It's so easy!!! Obviously we're using the photo cards. Cut out around the picture that you want to use. Using tape, tape the card to a popsicle stick and then write the person's name on the end of the stick. Voila, instant "Thinking of you" sticks.
Don't mind Zoe's pjs. She waits to do this project on New Years Day since the beginning of getting our cards in the mail. She was a bit excited to use scissors and tape.
We store them in a little bucket in her room and add in the new photos, exchange some of the current ones with updated pictures and then celebrate them.
Onto the other cards. Some of you are going to say "Really Miss Shelly, you have time for that?" And honestly, . . . there are a million other things I would rather do with my time than sit down to cut and paste. But spending time with my little princess as she practices her cutting is priceless to me. So I sit and cut.
Option Two: Holiday Gift Tags
Find the cards that have pictures that you would like to use. Sometimes I find after cutting out the item that it wasn't what I had imagined and I don't use it (instead save it in a box of items my daughter can glue onto pieces of paper as most 4 year olds enjoy pasting ANYTHING onto ANYTHING). And other times, I cut something out thinking I won't like it and it ends up being one of my favorites.
Cut out the pictures. It doesn't have to be perfect, going around them is perfect.
Next using a glue stick (I've found that Elmers liquid glue doesn't do well for this). Make sure you get around every edge of the picture. Paste them onto any color of construction paper that you want to use. Then cut around the picture leaving a small amount of the colored construction paper visible.
Now you have gift tags, that next year when its time to wrap you add a small piece of ribbon and attach to your gift bags or your wrapped presents.
Voila, two small projects that you can do at home today on this COLD snowy day.
Excited to see everyone on Tuesday! Parents, your small "Mommy" time is in the future as Pre K begins again ;) I know you've been counting down until it starts back up.
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