Bella Dia

Advent Day 24: The Night Before Christmas

Book: The Night Before Christmas
by Clement C. Moore and illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa

There are many beautifully illustrated versions of this poem, and we have several, but my favorite this year is the one illustrated by Gyo Fujikawa. Look at this Google image search here and I'm sure you'll recognize her work. I thought it was interesting that she designed the the little Eskimo child for the Eskimo Pie company and she also designed six U.S.P.S. stamps. Read her obituary in the New York Times if you'd like to know a little more about her.

You can read the The Night Before Christmas in full here and find your favorite parody of the poem here.

I'm sorry I don't have a craft for you today. I am running around like a crazy person trying to get everything done and the craft I had intended would take too long.

Thank you all so much for your kind comments regarding my book and activity advent! I really appreciated the encouragement and I found it so rewarding that you were using some of these projects as gifts for your special people.

Happy Happy Holidays to all!

Advent Day 23: Buying Mittens and felted wool mitten ornaments

Book: Buying Mittens
by Nankichi Niimi (scroll down) and illustrated by Ken Kuroi

Activity: Felted Wool Mitten Ornaments

Buying Mittens is such a precious story with gorgeous detailed illustrations by Ken Kuroi that you will fall in love with it as soon as you open it up. A mother fox sends her child into a town to buy mittens but warns him to be aware of the humans. The author, Nankichi Niimi, is considered the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan and has many stories to his name; it's a tragedy that he died at only 29 years old.

Activity: Felted Wool Mitten Ornaments

Supplies:
•felted wool sweaters: 3 coordinating prints
•cardstock if you want to print a pattern to trace, otherwise print on regular copy paper
•pattern
•embroidery floss to accent the felt
•embroidery needle
•scissors
•air soluble marker if you want to trace the cardstock pattern
•button that coordinates with felted wools

Step 1: print pattern; print on cardstock if you want to trace the pattern onto the felted wool or print on copy paper if you want to pin the pattern onto the wool

Step 2: using your pattern, cut out 2 mitten pieces from your main felt and 2 circle pieces - one from each coordinating wool

Step 3: stack circle pieces on top of each other and put the button in the center; stitch to the wrist area of one of the mitten pieces

Step 4: using a running, whip, or blanket stitch, stitch the pair of mittens together

Step 5: make a loop with your embroidery floss in one of the upper corners of the mitten to use as a hanging loop

Step 6: simple, cute, and fun! these make great package decorations too!

Advent Day 22: The Shortest Day and miniature felted wool wreaths

Book: The Shortest Day
by Wendy Pfeffer
Activity: Miniature Felted Wool Wreaths

Happy Solstice everyone! It's so nice to think that this is the shortest day and from here on into summer our daylight hours will get longer. Yea for the sun! Yea for light conquering darkness! Go here for some ideas on how to celebrate the Solstice. The Shortest Day explains all about the winter solstice, its history and astronomical information, in a pleasing kid friendly tone. It also has some solstice activities that kids can do in the last few pages.

Today's activity is a miniature wool wreath using felted wool sweaters. If you don't have any felted wool sweaters on hand then try regular felt but you will need more squares to fill the wreath up. I used 53 squares but how many you use will depend heavily on the thickness of the sweaters and how tightly you pack them onto the wreath. I made a little flower for mine using three circles of felt in different sizes and finished with a button in the center. I think they look great with or without a flower but I'll leave that up to you. The finished wreath is about 4 1/2" in diameter.

Activity: Miniature Felted Wool Wreaths

Supplies:
•felted wool sweaters cut into 1" squares
•sharp scissors
•floral wire size 18, plain or cloth-covered
•wire snips
•needle nose pliers
•ruler to cut 1" squares
•optional rotary cutter makes cutting the wool easier
•a round object about 2 1/2" in diameter to form the wire around

Step 1: take your wire and starting in the center, wrap it around your round object; create a hook like the one pictured above

Step 2: snip off the long ends of the wire

Step 3: make a hook with the other end of the wire; first hook should be vertical to be used for hanging later, the second hook should be perpendicular to the first one

Step 4: open up the hook you just made and begin stringing on wool squares; pierce the center of the square with sharp scissors to make a hole for the wire to go through

Step 5: string wool squares onto the wire until it is full then hook closed

Optional Step 6: get creative and make a decoration for your wreath if you would like

Woohoo, look what you did!

Advent Day 21: Ollie's Ski Trip and glittery foil icicles

Book: Ollie's Ski Trip
by Elsa Beskow

Activity: Glittery Foil Icicles

I know many of you are fans of Elsa Beskow's so I am sure you will enjoy this story and her charming illustrations. Ollie gets skis for his birthday and has adventures with Jack Frost and other winter-time characters.

To get an idea of Elsa Beskow's talent do an image search for her on google (or click here) with your feet up and a cup of tea; you won't regret it :)

Activity: Glittery Foil Icicles

Supplies:
•clear glue preferred or white glue
•aluminum foil
•fine glitter preferred or regular glitter in silvers, golds, and pale blues
•ornament hook
•scissors for cutting foil

Step 1: cut a piece of foil that is about 6" long and 4 1/2" wide at the top narrowing to 3" wide at the bottom (don't worry too much about measurements, this can be eyeballed)

Step 2: squish the foil lengthwise, then roll between your palms (like making a snake with play-doh); one end should be sharpish and the other end flatten between your fingers

Step 3: apply glue all over the icicle

Step 4: cover icicle with fine glitter and tap off

Step 5: pierce flattened end of icicle with sharp scissors and attach the ornament hook; fold over the foil and squish foil and hook end together

Step 6: these look so beautiful in clusters so make a lot!

Advent Day 20: Carl's Christmas and fancy felt dog collar

Book: Carl's Christmas
by Alexandra Day
Activity: Fancy Felt Dog Collar

Carl's Christmas is a wordless book but the illustrations speak volumes. Carl, the rottweiller, is the guardian of a little baby and they have many wonderful adventures together but always under Carl's watchful eyes. Check out Carl's website for some coloring pages and activities.

Today's activity is for the dog in your life. It is an easy to make collar cover and can be decorated any way you wish. I hope you have fun with it :)

Activity: Fancy Felt Dog Collar

Supplies:
•felt - wool prefered for durability
•embroidery floss
•fabric glue
•embroidery needle
•scissors
•ruler

Step 1: the pattern size will depend on your dog's collar; make a rectangle that is the length of the collar up until where it buckles; the width should be about 3/4" wider than the collar on each side

Step 2: using your pattern, cut out two pieces from your felt

Step 3: embellish one side of one collar piece; designs can be glued or sewn on; if you want it really fancy try adding sequins and jingle bells!

Step 4: lay your two felt pieces on top of each other, embellished side facing out, and stitch together on each long side about 1/4" from the edge; I used a running stitch but feel free to do what you like

Step 5: slide your dog's collar through your felt sleeve

Step 6: put the collar on your dog and tell her how pretty she looks, or how handsome he looks!

Advent Day 19: The Christmas Humbugs and festive fairy light votives

Book: The Christmas Humbugs
by Colleen Monroe
Activity: Festive Fairy Light Votives

Is the stress of the season getting to you? Feeling like a humbug? Read this book with your kids and you'll feel the grumpies drain right out of you. The humbugs do everything they can to test a family's Christmas spirit by tearing packages, breaking candy canes, and pushing the star from the top of the tree. But, the humbugs know that, "True spirit isn't bothered by their tricks."

For the original humbug, be sure to add A Christmas Carol to your movie viewing list. My favorite version is the one
with George C. Scott.

No one can be a humbug with
these colorful votives around!

Activity: Festive Fairy Light Votive

Supplies:
•small glass jar, drinking glass, etc. with smooth sides - try the thrift shop
for a nice selection
•Gloss Lustre Mod Podge (I love the
smell of Mod Podge!)
•different colors of tissue paper
•paint brush
•dish of water
•wax paper to cover work surface
•scissors

Step 1: tear the tissue paper into a variety of small pieces

Step 2: working one small area at a time, brush a thin coat of Mod Podge on your glass (you can thin the Mod Podge with water if you'd like or dip your paintbrush back and forth between the Mod Podge and the water)

Step 3: apply one layer of tissue at a time then cover with a thin layer of Mod Podge

Step 4: keep applying tissue then Mod Podge until your glass is covered - you will need a total of about 4 layers of tissue to cover well

Step 5: there is no need to cover the bottom of the votive; tissue can come up above the edge of the glass but don't glue it over the edge

Step 6: when the tissue is still very slightly tacky, trim the edges with scissors and press with your fingers to smooth it out

Step 7: when the votive is completely dry, place a tea light inside and enjoy!

Advent Day 18: The Polar Express and magical miniature wonderglobes

Book: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Activity: Magical Miniature Wonderglobes

I imagine most of you are familiar with this book, if not the movie. I'm a big admirer of Chris Van Allsburg's work so if you haven't seen the book be sure to take a look at it and his exquisite detailed drawings. His website is very cool and has a lot of fun activities for kids. Click here to go to his postcard page and send someone a postcard of The Polar Express.

Activity: Magical Miniature Wonderglobes

Supplies:
•glass bowl, cup, etc. that is easy to see through - try the thrift store for a good, inexpensive selection
•batting
•cardboard from a box
•marking pen or pencil
•scissors
•miniature trees, animals, people, etc. for decorating
•small mirror for lake if desired
•glue
•glitter
•glitter glue
•2 silver chenille stems

Step 1: trace upper edge of glass onto cardboard and cut out

Step 2: place cardboard circle on batting and cut around it a little larger than the cardboard

Step 3: glue batting to cardboard circle

Step 4: arrange miniatures on batting as desired; snip batting a little to get the object nestled in well

Step 5: glue objects onto the batting

Step 6: add glitter or glitter glue as desired to your scene

Step 7: twist two chenille stems together and glue around edge of cardboard circle

Step 8: make sure glass is very clean inside then put glue on the rim, turn upside down and glue into place

Step 9: admire your handiwork!

Advent Day 17: The Christmas Hat and white chocolate & peppermint spoons

Book: The Christmas Hat by A.J. Wood and illustrated by Maggie Kneen
Activity: White Chocolate & Peppermint Spoons

A little white owl is hard to see in the snowy winter time so his mother makes him a bright red hat to wear. Now he's easy to find in the snow, and the fox thinks so too! Beautiful illustrations and embossed pages make this book especially pretty and the plot is humorous and charming; there will be smiles all around after reading this story.

This book is a great jumping off place to discuss how animals use camouflage to protect themselves. Click here for arctic animals printouts and here for animals all around the world and how they use camouflage.

Activity: White Chocolate & Peppermint Spoons

Supplies:
•white chocolate candy melts or white chocolate chips
•candy canes or peppermints
•plastic spoons
•wax paper
•for packaging: cellophane bags and ribbon

Step 1: lay out wax paper

Step 2: put peppermint candy in a baggy and crush with the back of a spoon or rolling pin - nice little sprinkling size, not dust - then put in a dish for using later

Step 3: melt chocolate according to directions on the packaging

Step 4: dip spoons into melted chocolate being sure to fill the bowl of the spoon; place on wax paper

Step 5: sprinkle bits of crushed peppermint on the bowl of the spoon

Step 6: place spoons in refrigerator until hard

Step 7: use clear cellophane bags to wrap the spoons and tie with a ribbon

Step 8: to use, heat 6 - 8 ozs. of milk in a mug then stir with your chocolate spoon until all the chocolate is melted

Step 9: Enjoy!