Use these crafts to make wonderful Christmas ornaments with your class. They will make a wonderful addition to your Christmas unit and are even great to use on their own. You can also use these Christmas ornament crafts for preschool to teach shapes and colors.
Materials
Red or green cardstock
Various shapes of pasta
Bowls
Yarn
Glue
Scissors
Hole Punch
Food coloring (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Beans (optional)
Before you do this craft, cut out one six inch diameter circle for every student out of the cardstock. Punch a hole at the top of the circle. Also, cut a four inch piece of yarn for every student. Another option is to use food coloring to dye the pasta. Be sure to do this at least 24 hours in advance to allow the food coloring to dry.
Give every student a circle. Then, pass out bowls of the different pasta shapes and glue. Allow students to arrange the pasta into different patterns or shapes on the cardstock and glue it onto the circle. You can also allow your students to put glitter on their ornaments for a fun holiday effect. If you want to mix textures, you can use dry beans in addition to the pasta.
Once the glue has dried, place the yarn through the hole and tie it into a knot. Write each student’s name and the year on the back of the ornament. These ornaments will make a great keepsake. You can use them for a bulletin board display titled, “Our Christmas Ornaments.” You can also have a class Christmas tree and use these to decorate it.
Materials
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Mixing bowl
Wax paper
Rolling pins
Cookie cutters
Baking sheets
Straw
Exacto knife or serrated knife
Ribbon
Photograph of each student
Glue
Decorations such as felt tip pens, paint, and glitter
Oven (optional)
This project will need to be done over a period of a few days. Before starting this project, have students bring in a photo of themselves. Trim the photos so that they are a little bigger than the circle you will be cutting in the middle of the ornament.
Combine flour and salt in mixing bowl. Gradually add the water until the dough gets stiff. Place an assortment of cookie cutters on each table. Some great shapes include hearts, stars, and Christmas trees. Give each student some wax paper and a rolling pin if you have enough. If not, students can share. Then, give a small amount of dough to each student and save enough for you as well.
Show students how to use the rolling pin to roll out the dough. Have students roll out the dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Circulate around the room and help students as needed. When students are finished rolling out the dough, have them cut out the dough using the cookie cutter they choose. Using a sharp pencil or an Exacto knife, place the student’s initials at the bottom of the ornament.
Collect the ornaments from your students and place on baking sheets. Next, use the Exacto knife to cut a small circle in the middle of the ornament. Then, place a small hole at the top of the ornament using the straw. If you have access to an oven, bake these at 250 degrees for two to three hours. Turn these occasionally to keep the edges from curling. If you do not have access to an oven, allow the ornaments to dry on wax paper. This process may take several days.
Once the ornaments are dry, give them back to your students and allow them to decorate. They can use felt tip pens, paint, glitter, and sequins to decorate. Once the decorations have dried, have students place glue around the edge of the hole in the middle of the ornament. Pass out photographs and have students glue the photograph onto the ornament. After that, place the ribbon through the top hole and tie it in a knot.
These ornaments make wonderful keepsakes for your students to take home and place on their Christmas trees.