Craft tip: Let's decorate the Christmas tree!
9.12.2020
Translation: machine translated
The children's anticipation of Christmas Eve increases during the Advent season. To reduce their impatience, I have prepared a small hanging Christmas tree for them, which they can easily decorate themselves.
During the Advent season, children are in a frenzy. They ask: "Mummy, Mummy tell us more: what does the Christ Child look like? Where does he live? Will I be able to see him?" As the candles on the wreath light up, the little ones' eyes get bigger. Because for them, the annual gift stress is non-existent. For them, Christmas is a time full of wonder and amazement.
They would love to get a tree now, put it up and decorate it. To fulfil their wish, I made this hanging Christmas tree for them. Admittedly, the construction is simple. It's supposed to be, because the few pieces of wood and the little bit of decoration are based on the motto of the reformist teacher Maria Montessori: "Help me to do it myself."
What you need for this
For the hanging Christmas tree, you need five pieces of wood of different lengths, which together form the shape of a Christmas tree. Alluvial wood is ideal for this, but moss-covered branches from the forest will also do the trick. You will need a cord to tie the branches together and decorations so that the children can decorate the Christmas tree: small Christmas tree baubles, chenille wire, aluminium wire, aluminium foil, tree tags made from salt dough, cards, little stars or whatever else you have lying around at home. You will need scissors and possibly a hot glue gun. A tea box is suitable for storing the tags.
Get to work
To join the five pieces of wood together, cut slightly longer pieces of string. Start with the longest piece of driftwood. Wrap the string around it at the front and back ends. Tie a knot and make sure that the top end of the string is longer. You can use this to wrap around the next piece of wood.
Do the same with the other pieces of wood. Attach a loop to the smallest piece of wood with the string so that the Christmas tree can be hung up later.
Fix the little stars to the pieces of wood with the hot glue gun. Use the aluminium wire to form a hook so that the children can hang something up. To do this, cut off a longer piece, wrap it around the piece of wood and bend the bottom piece into a hook.
Now you can fill the tea box with the tags and materials for decorating. Attach a string to all the baubles, biscuit shapes, salt dough tags and cards to hang them up. Cut the chenille wire in two. I have also included some pieces of aluminium wire so that the children can make their own hooks.
Now find a suitable place on the wall for the Christmas tree with the little ones and fix it there with a nail. Make sure it is the right height. Place the box on the floor next to the Christmas tree. Now your child can decorate the tree on their own.
Afterwards, the decorations can be removed from the tree. These are neatly sorted and placed in the box. When they feel like it again, they can decorate the tree again. Another lovely ritual for the Advent season that our children can learn to love.
Happy Advent season.
I'm more of a thinker than a doer. Yet I'm still always active: crafting, sewing, writing to-do lists, daydreaming, counting clouds, digging into soil, comforting my two little ones and collapsing into bed after a long day. If it were up to me, each day would have a few extra hours... I wonder if that would be enough.