How to make Christmas Cards with kids-part one

This is a great time of year to help kids show love to others and to help them be creative! Why not combine the two by making homemade Christmas cards? These will encourage their creativity and their generosity as they make and give cards to neighbors, grandparents, teachers, or friends who are far away. They could even make cards and gift them to a nearby homeless shelter or retirement community. Here is a simple way to make a Christmas card with children. It takes simple materials, which you probably have at home.  If your child can color and cut paper, she can make this card!  For this Christmas card, you will need: (These are Amazon Associate links)

• oil pastels
• 2 pieces of construction paper, any colors
• scissors 
• glue, gluestick, or double sided tape
• hole punch

Here are the steps, or you can watch the 7 min. video to see exactly how I did it. 

1. Fold both  pieces of construction paper in half.

2. Draw half a Christmas tree shape on the fold of one of the  papers.

3. Cut out the tree shape.

4. Outline the tree shape with a yellow oil pastel, on the card paper that is folded but not cut.

5. Using all different colors, color the inside of the tree outline that you just traced, on the uncut paper card. 

6. On your cut-out tree shape, punch holes randomly around.

7. Glue cut-out tree shape onto the colored-in tree outline on your uncut paper card.

8. Outline again in yellow.

9. Smear the yellow oil pastel line away from the tree with your fingers, so the tree appears to glow.

Have fun creating Christmas cards and spreading joy! I'll be sharing how to make a pop up Christmas card next, so stay tuned!