Gifts From Students

One week to go! 

Last week we spent some time making gifts for our parents for the holidays. We made three ornaments for them this year. We started off with snowman handprint ornaments. I had seen these around Pinterest (shocker) but had never tried them myself and I have to say I was a bit nervous! The blog Little Bit Funky has a great tutorial on them. 

The kids loved getting their hands painted and had fun turning their handprints into adorable snowmen. We added a little tag that had this poem on it:

These aren't just five snowmen

As anyone can see.

I made them with my hand

Which is a part of me.

Now each year when you trim the tree

You'll look back and recall

Christmas of 2012

When my hand was just this small!

The second ornament we made was my favorite because it was easy and sparkly! My friend Katie told me about these glitter ornaments using mopping solution that she had made with her firsties last year and now they are all over Pinterest. These are super quick and so pretty next to the lights on the tree! I made a couple at home so I could have some as a test and used the fine glitter a la Martha Stewart, but I just wasn't ok with the idea of the students dumping nine dollar glitter all over the classroom (precious stuff people!!!) so we used the bigger glitter. I think they still came out fantastic.

I saw some cute additions to the glitter ornaments and may have to step up my game next year!

Our last ornament is still drying in the classroom. We cut out some cinnamon applesauce ornaments that made the classroom smell delicious! I mixed up some dough before school started using this recipe of equal parts applesauce and cinnamon and had a volunteer call the students back one by one to use a cookie cutter to make their ornament. They poked a hole in the top using a straw and will be ready to tie ribbon on tomorrow. I'm toying with the idea of mixing up some mod podge and white glitter to add to the top tomorrow after seeing these: 

We decorated cards for the parents and wrapped the finished ornaments in tissue paper and put them in gift bags. The kids are very anxious to take home their finished products and present them to their parents.

Today I'm having a Christmas get together at my house with some friends and family. We call it the "Bake and Take" party as we all bake yummies, nibble on some, and then make containers of the leftover goodies as gifts for coworkers and family for the holidays. More on that tomorrow!

Glitter Text @ Glitterfy.com