Starting Christmas Gift Crafts

Is it too early to start getting some Christmas crafts done?  Today, at the store, my daughters and I were looking at craft items.  I was simply looking for materials to handcraft hair bows for my younger daughters for less than what I can buy them for new.  We went from shopping for hair bow supplies to brainstorming Christmas gifts we can make instead of buy.

Megan quietly pulled me aside and asked if she could make a craft too.  We chose little sun catchers she could paint for her sisters.  

It's only October, but hand making gifts takes time.  Plus, buying gifts is expensive.  Making things helps keep expenses low.

I'm looking forward to what other treasures we might create in the next few weeks.

The Leaf Project

The beauty of fall this year has left me admiring the wonder of God's creation.  The weather has been unseasonable warm and sunny.  The trees have been breathtaking, almost appearing to be on fire with the golds, yellows, oranges, and reds in the sun.

Megan catching leaves that blew off the tree.

I decided to have Megan collect some of the leaves.  In school, I remember collecting leaves and putting a paper over them, coloring with a crayon.  Do kids still do that?  I wanted to try that with Megan.

We went out and collected our leaves.  We took our time to look for a variety of different kinds.

We admired all the different colors and shapes we saw.

We looked at tree leaves, leaves from bushes, and even the ivy leaves growing on our garage.

We brought them in and colored over them with paper and crayons.  It was fun, and Megan had a very good time.  The time we spent outside in nature was a blast, and a nice addition to the nature books we have been reading about fall.

Mpact Girls Art

It was art time in Mpact Girls Wednesday evening.  Making Christmas ornaments out of clay, the girls had a great time forming the clay and decorating their creations with paint.

Laura loves art projects.  She looks forward to our monthly projects we do for Mpact girls.  Our badge this month that we are working on is Women of the New Testament.  So far we have leaned about Mary the mother of Jesus and Anna.  We weren't going to do an actual craft, choosing instead to focus on a service project, such as working for or donating to our food pantry.  However, when we were invited to join the younger class (Prims) in their art project we decided to join them.  Next week we are not working on our badges, but instead we are having a birthday party for Jesus.

A New Skill

Laura's sister, Tasha, decided to teach Laura crocheting with the little wheel.  Laura loves it.  She has started making a scarf for her Great-Grandmother.  This is definitely a skill that is teaching Laura patience.  She may mess up, and have to take out a bunch of the work she has already done.  Yet, she keeps plugging away.