DIY: Kids Craft Christmas Tree

Im not a craft kind of person. I don’t DO crafts. If there are directions, and pieces that can be put together in a timely fashion I might be able to assemble it. But starting from scratch? Doesn’t happen very often for me. I am scheduled to baby-sit on Friday for three little boys. The oldest being 6, the youngest being a year. The middle one is 3. If left to their own ideas – with a person who doesn’t know their routine then there is kicking, running, yelling, and thrashing about. As well as throwing toys, tossing pillows, hurting brother and everything else that they can get away with while mom and dad arent there. They are good kids, really and honestly. But they are boys. And they are all under 6. And they love a good time.

To be honest, I would not be surprised if this craft ends up as a sword, to beat one another across the head with. But as long as they don’t kill each other on my watch – Im cool with it. Oh and, yea, try not to hurt your brother either. That’s always a bonus.

I was trying to come up with an idea of something to do with them while babysitting. They still remember last year this time when Amanda and I went over with two light up, stretchy worms. They still talk about it. Every time I come over. And the candy. Yes they remember the candy. “Remember when you brought us candy?” They say. And I tell them that’s because it was Christmas time. And they remind me about the googly worms, and their names, Googly, and Worm, respectively. And they laugh. And I smile. And then I try to keep them from launching their brother off the couch because “You said I COULDN’T jump. But you didn’t say I couldn’t THROW him!”

Amanda reminded me of a time when our aunt helped us make cardboard trees. I don’t really remember it, but I do remember all the other creations she made with us – giant cardboard forts with REAL windows – Oh that was just the bomb! And so I set to work.

What you will need:

Cardboard
Scissors
Paint
Decorations

I took a big cardboard box and drew out a Christmas Tree (I am NOT artistic in any way shape or form.) Then I painstakingly cut it out. Trimmed the edges, then traced out two other threes.

This is a somewhat important part – when I got to the trunk I left the extra cardboard on the bottom where it folded. It really sounds more confusing than it is, but I wanted this to be able to fold in the back to make a standing tree.

See?

Then I painted with some cheap craft paint, and cut out a little star and painted that. Then contemplated setting them up here as a little forest. Cute, right? Boys like cute, no?

I plan to cut out some shiny paper, get some garlands, maybe some beads and pictures of animals or trucks for them to glue onto their tree. If they were older, and perhaps not boys, and maybe even if they weren’t at their own house I MIGHT have let them paint the trees themselves. But I figured we get in enough trouble with markers without even TRYING and didn’t want to explain why there was green paint all over the house when their parents got home.

I also printed some templates off from here and plan to give the tree some meaning with selected ornaments and bits and pieces similar to this.

After they go to bed, I am going to put a little gift bag under the tree with a small present inside. And maybe, if their lucky, give them a candy cane too.