Finding clever ways to keep the kids entertained during the longest month of the year is no easy feat. What if you could turn cleaning up the holiday decorations into a fun activity for the kids to help with? Turn off the TV and Video Games, roll up your sleeves and get ready to turn the cold and bleak weekends of January into magical fun for the whole family, with these post-holiday DIY projects for Kids and Adults.
DIY projects for Kids – Holiday Card Booklet
You have taken down the hundred or so Happy Holiday Cards from friends and family and condensed them to a simple stack. Rather than finding room in a storage bin, let the kids help you make a Holiday Card Booklet. (This works for birthdays, graduations and other memorable moments too) All you need is a hole puncher, some scrap cardboard (We used leftover gift boxes) two or three Book Rings (2”-3” inches in diameter) and some embellishments like twine or ribbon, glitter or sequins, etc.
To start, find the largest card out of the bunch. Trace the outline of the biggest card on a piece of scrap cardboard. We used a large leftover gift box from a men’s suit shirt. Cut out the first piece of cardboard and repeat for the back cover. Next find a medium sized card and punch two holes, a half inch from the top and bottom of that first card. Use that first card as your guide to mark the rest of the cards where the holes will go. Note: This is a simple step for your children to assist with. As they hand you each marked card, make equally distanced punches. Repeat this step for the cardboard covers and all cards that are as big or bigger then the guide card. For smaller cards, just punch one hole at the top. The difference in size will add a scrapbook appeal to the finished project. String the book rings through all of the cards and set aside. Put down some parchment paper or old newspaper, in case of messy glitter or glue. Let your children design the two covers. Note: if you are doing this alone, wrapping a single ribbon once or multiple loops of thin twine around each cover, can be a simple and elegant way to add finishing touches. Once the covers are dry, add both to the front and back of the booklet and close the book rings. Your finished product makes for a wonderful way to catalogue memories and stores easily with the rest of your photo albums
DIY Project for Kids or Tweens – Upcycled Winter Sweater Lampshade
Remove the lampshade from the light. Pull the sweater over the lampshade. Use wood clothespins to hold the top and bottom of the sweater to the shade. (If no children are involved, sewing pins can replace clothespins) Cut excess sweater material that’s not pinned. You should have a little over an inch of extra material on both the top and bottom of the lamp shade. Use a non-toxic sewing adhesive, like liquid stitch, to glue the extra material to the inside of the lampshade at the top and bottom. If children are not participating in this activity and you lack patience, you can replace sewing adhesive by using a hot glue gun. Once the glue is dry, place your upcycled winter white lampshade on the lamp and enjoy!
***Save the sweater sleeves to make winter white large candle vases, pen holders or even coffee mug cozies.
DIY Project for Tweens or Teenagers – Photo Wall With Upcycled String Lights/Ornaments
This is a great project to do with a tween or teenager at home. All that is needed is some string lights and ornaments off the Christmas tree, clothespins, adhesive spray, glitter, thumb tacks or small adhesive hooks and plenty of photos. First, bedazzle the clothespins by spraying adhesive on the front side only, immediately dipping in a bowl of glitter. Place each clothespin on parchment or newspaper and allow time to dry. Optional: Spray on a layer of Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer, to the dry glitter pins to assure no excess glitter falls off down the road. Next, arrange thumb tacks or small adhesive hooks along the wall where you wish to hang the string lights. Hang the string lights so there are a few layers to hang the photos and enough left over to plug in or run an extension cord. Now arrange photos using the dried clothespins along the lights. Add random christmas tree ornaments to fill in space. This project looks great above a headboard and will also win you cool points with the impossible to please teenager.