Of course the memories of the holiday preparations and fun are yours forever and they are another Christmas present that crowded shopping malls just don’t provide.
Something to remember is that children are most influenced by their home environment during the first 10 years. After that it is peer pressure that begins to have much more of an impact.
It is a good activity for both girls and boys as each ornament can be personalised with messages or photos.
What you need:
- Paper clay
- Newspaper to protect your table
- Poster paint
- String or ribbon for hanging
The clay you can find at stationary shops and is inexpensive, around $4 for 500 to 800 grams. With 800 grams, we made 12 ornaments… of which around 10 survived the decorating process.
The most important thing to have is a happy and settled mind so that you can create a gift that your friend or relative will cherish. In other words…try not to rush your child.
The few easy steps:
- Take a lump of clay and form it into the shape desired. (Try to keep the shape simple so that you can be more elaborate with the painting.)
- Let it air dry (between 10 – 12 hours depending on the thickness and if it is very wet outside then it will take longer)
- Once it is dry you can paint it, glue stuff on it and decorate it as you please.
- Again let it dry
- Wrap it up and send it off with a nice card.
Easy designs to start with:
- A heart shape is great for the holidays and is a stable shape for young children to work with. If it is thick it won’t break easily and has plenty of space to write on and decorate.
- A star is beautiful but the points of the star are delicate and could break while painting. If you want to use a star, keep the thickness even and don’t let the points extend out too far.
- Square, rectangular, circular or triangular shapes are strong and fun to decorate.
You can poke holes through the tops and bottoms and hang several shapes together.
Decorating ideas:
You can etch a message into the clay before it dries, you can write something personal after it has dried or even glue a photo on it. This is wonderful since you can put your picture on one side and your friend’s photo on the back.
Punching one hole to hang it will allow it to turn. Two holes are more secure for larger ornaments but while it is hanging on the tree it will not turn about. Keep this in mind when you design the ornament.
Also, thinner pieces are very delicate. If this ornament is to be mailed or being painted or given to younger kids then stick to the thicker shapes without points that can break off easily.
Ribbons, cloth, glitter and even beads can be used to decorate the ornament. Let your child experiment a bit and get the feel of using different types of items. They will find the right combinations for their friends.
