Bella Dia

Advent Day 8: How The Grinch Stole Christmas and tinsel trees

Book: How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
Activity: Tinsel Trees 

For me, it just wouldn't be Christmas without seeing The Grinch and
A Charlie Brown Christmas. My favorite part of The Grinch is when
he makes a Santa suit for himself and dresses Max up as a reindeer!


Today's craft are tinsel trees made from glittery silver chenille stems.
They make great decorations for the holidays and also look
adorable in a doll house. Click over to The Crafty Crow for the tutorial. 

Advent Day 7: Santa's Snow Cat and popsicle stick stars

Book: Santa's Snow Cat by Sue Stainton and
illustrated by Anne Mortimer
Activity: Popsicle Stick Stars

This book is so beautiful - if you have any fondness at all for cats
you will love this story. Did you know Santa has a cat? She's white
as snow and has jade-green eyes and loves to snuggle down deep
inside Santa's red velvet pockets. One Christmas Eve, she falls
from the sleigh and has an adventure in New York City until she is
reunited with her Santa. The illustrations of falling snow are
mesmerizing and the kitty's expressions couldn't be captured more
perfectly. Anne Mortimer also illustrated A Pussycat's Christmas
that will appear a little later in the advent.


I love the perspective of this picture.

 
Popsicle Stick Star Tutorial

Supplies:
• 3-4 popsicle sticks per star
• wood glue
• white glue
• acrylic paint : silver, gold, white or your preference
• glitter : fine glitter is the best but any will do;
coordinate with your paint color
• paintbrush
• magnet or small spring clothespin



Step 1: Using a single dot of wood glue in the center of a popsicle
stick, repeat glue dots and stacking of 3- 4 popsicle sticks.

Step 2: After glue has set (it sets quickly) paint the star silver
or your color choice.

Step 3: After paint has dried, apply white glue where you
want the glitter.

Step 4: Apply the glitter and tap off.

Step 5: After glitter has dried, glue the magnet or clothespin to the
back of the star. You could also tie fishing line to one point (a little
hot glue should hold it) and hang for an ornament or decoration.
These would make great package add-ons too.

Optional Step 6: Experiment with smaller sticks
and vary your color combinations.

*This post includes affiliate links for your reference. If you make a 
purchase through the links I will receive a small commission without it 
costing you any more. Win win! I only recommend products that I like 
and think that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 6: The Baker's Dozen and time in the kitchen

Book: The Baker's Dozen retold by Aaron Shepard
Activity: Time in the Kitchen

Aaron Shepard retells this legend from Dutch colonial New York
about an honest baker that learns what true generosity really is and
begins the tradition of giving thirteen cookies as a dozen - a "baker's
dozen." Unfortunately the book is out of print but you can buy it used, 
read the whole story online here or check to see if they have it at your
library. For today's activity get out your favorite holiday recipes
and start baking with the kids!  

My sister and I love this spice tea that's super easy to make and
is also a great gift bottled in a pretty jar with a ribbon. I usually
make mini loaves of my banana bread and wrap them in parchment
with baker's twine. While you are getting things prepped, the kids
can watch Aaron Shepard read another of his books, King o' the Cats.

Need more time? Listen to Liam Neeson 
read The Polar Express or go here and listen to Dylan Thomas
read his book, A Child's Christmas in Wales - a real treat! I'd love to
know your family's favorite thing to bake for the holidays and if
you have a link to the recipe put that in your comment too!

*This post includes affiliate links for your reference. If you make a 
purchase through the links I will receive a small commission without it 
costing you any more. Win win! I only recommend products that I like 
and think that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 5: Santa's Toy Shop and no glue, no staples paper garland

Book: Santa's Toy Shop by Al Dempster
Activity:  No Glue, No Staples Paper Garland

Santa never gets to play with the toys anymore because he's so
busy getting everything ready for all the good children in the world.
Mrs. Claus, that clever lady, comes up with a solution for even Santa to
have a memorable Christmas Eve. Great vintage Disney illustrations
make this a charming little story for parents and kids.

No Glue, No Staples Paper Garland

Supplies:
• scissors
• paper (can be anything you have on hand,
even newspaper would be cool)
• pattern

Once you do a few of these you don't need to use the template
if you don't want to. They are easy to free-hand cut and a little variation
adds to the charm. Try some of your own designs too - it's fun!

Step 1:  print out the pattern

Step 2:  You can fold your own ½ sheet of copy/construction paper
or you can cut the pattern from the printout and fold that one.

Step 3:  Fold according to the instructions above and on the pattern.

Step 4:  If you folded your own paper, cut out the chain template
and trace along folds on your paper.

Step 5:  Cut out the chain link.

Step 6:  Do this several times so you can hook them together.

Step 7:  Open one chain and slip the circle part through the
doubled circle part of another chain; keep looping together
until it's as long as you want. 

*This post includes affiliate links for your reference. If you make a 
purchase through the links I will receive a small commission without it 
costing you any more. Win win! I only recommend products that I like 
and think that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 4: The Trees of the Dancing Goats and tissue paper ornament silhouettes

Book: The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco
Activity: Tissue Paper Ornament Silhouettes

I have to admit that this story makes me a little teary-eyed when I read it. This is a true story from Patricia Polacco's childhood growing up with her Russian immigrant grandparents. Tricia's family is the only one that celebrates Hanukkah among her Christian neighbors and when scarlet fever hits their village one winter, Tricia's grandparents teach a lesson of sharing and friendship.



I thought this craft was reminiscent of the charming little wood carvings that Tricia's
grandfather makes.


 
Activity: Tissue Paper Ornament Silhouettes

Supplies:
•cardstock for printing template
•black construction paper
•different colors of tissue paper
•scissors
•hole punch or paper punches
•glue stick
•template
•string for hanging

Step 1: print template on cardstock and cut out


Step 2: trace template onto black paper and cut out

Step 3: punch a hole at the top for hanging and then other holes as desired


Step 4: put punched ornament on scrap paper and cover area around the holes with glue stick


Step 5: using small pieces of tissue paper, cover all the holes of your ornament


Step 6: tie string at the top and hang in front of a window or on your tree

*This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through
the links I will receive a small commission without it costing you
anything. Win win! I only recommend products that I like and
think that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 3: Petunia's Christmas and chenille wreaths

 Book: Petunia's Christmas by Roger Duvoisin
Activity: Chenille Wreath Ornaments

This book is out of print but try to buy it used or pick it up at your library; you won't be disappointed. Besides being a wonderful story for Christmas it is an old-fashioned love story too and will tug at the heart of any romantic out there. The author and illustrator is Roger Duvoisin and you can find more information about him here. My sister used one of his books in a drawing activity with her kids not too long ago that came out absolutely charming; you could do the same thing but choose Christmas pictures.


Chenille Stem Wreath Craft

Supplies:
•cardboard (from a cereal box is fine)
•12-20 chenille stems in green, red, or white
•template
•a little felt or colored paper
•glue
•floss or something else to hang it with

Step 1: cut your template from cardboard


Step 2: wrap the chenille stems around the cardboard until completely covered

Step 3: using the template, or your own design, cut a flower and/or leaves from felt or paper and glue onto the wreath.

Step 4: to make little felt balls, cut teeny tiny squares from your felt and roll between your thumb and forefinger until a ball forms (this may not work as well on acrylic felt); glue where you want them

Step 5: attach floss with a needle to the top for hanging

Optional Step 6: Try making different sized wreaths with different colors. These would make a pretty mobile or package decoration too.

*This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through
the links I will receive a small commission without it costing you
anything. Win win! I only recommend products that I like and
think that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 2: Winter's Tale and pop-up cards

Book: Winter's Tale by Robert Sabuda
Activity: Pop-Up Cards

Are you as fascinated by pop-ups as I am? Robert Sabuda is well-known for his beautiful pop-up books and any of his Christmas or winter-themed books will do for this activity.

Activity: Pop-Up Cards

Supplies:
•cardstock
•scissors
•straight edge
•glue and/or clear tape

Robert Sabuda has instructions for several different holiday-themed pop-up cards on his site. Go here for a Christmas Tree, here for a reindeer, here for a poinsettia, and here for an angel. The tree is the easiest and a good place to start. Another version of a pop-up, and a bit easier for the younger ones, is here.

*This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through
this link I will receive a small commission without it costing you
anything. Win win! I only recommend products that I like and think
that you will like too. Thank you for your support!

Advent Day 1: Snowflake Bentley and paper snowflakes

Book: Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Activity: Paper Snowflakes

I thought we'd start the month with an easy activity that needs no more than paper and scissors. I use copy paper but any paper will do as long as you can fold it 4 times without it being too thick; experiment with tissue paper and coffee filters too.



Snowflake Bentley is a biography about Wilson A. Bentley (1865-1931.) His mother gave him a microscope at the age of 15 and when he discovered how beautiful snowflakes were up close he invented a way to photograph them. By the end of his life he was considered the world's expert on snowflakes! This article written in 1925 is an interview with him in his home. The writing is lovely and filled with quotes from a man who truly appreciated the small beauties in life. Here is another article written after his death that you will also enjoy. The book was illustrated using woodcuts by Mary Azarian and won the Caldecott Medal in 1999.

"Under the microscope, I found that snowflakes were miracles of beauty; and it seemed a shame that this beauty should not be seen and appreciated by others. Every crystal was a masterpiece of design and no one design was ever repeated., When a snowflake melted, that design was forever lost. Just that much beauty was gone, without leaving any record behind." - Wilson A. Bentley

You might want to warm up by making some virtual snowflakes. My favorite site is Snow Days because you can cut any shape, not just straight lines, and then you can print it out several ways: one of which is a greeting card!

Paper Snowflakes

Supplies: 
•paper (copy paper is shown here; try coffee filters too)
•scissors

Here's how to fold a typical piece of copy paper. The first fold and cut
get you to a square, if you are starting with a square then skip this
step. Click here for a PDF version to print out.

Steps 1 - 4: 



Step 5: After cutting, open up carefully and press folds open with your
fingers. Now marvel at your artistry!

Optional Step 6: An adult can use an iron to press the snowflake
really flat and you can spray it lightly with starch to stiffen it and
make it easier to hang.

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It doesn't take much viewing of snowflake images to become totally fascinated by them. If you want to see more try this site. Bentley also compiled a book of his snowflake pictures called Snow Crystals and Kenneth Libbrecht, who was the photographer for the snowflake images on U.S. holiday stamps lin 2006, has several books out with gorgeous photography. I like The Little Book of Snowflakes the best.

If you're in an area where it snows maybe you'd like to try your hand at identifying different types of snowflakes. Take a dark piece of paper (or use your coat sleeve) and a magnifying glass and when a snowflake lands on you look quickly at the shape and see if you can identify it using this chart.

Enjoy your snowflakes!

*This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through
this link I will receive a small commission without it costing you
anything. Win win! I only recommend products that I like and think
that you will like too. Thank you for your support!