Steal the Small Moments: A Fast Craft for Kids

“Can we bake a Christmas cake?”
“Can we make coconut donuts?”
“Can we do a craft?”
“Can I paint my fingernails?”

With the extra decorating, designing and ordering Christmas cards, planning a cookie exchange, choosing photos for our annual calendar, my girls and I haven’t had enough time doing fun Christmas stuff together. After church today, we had lunch then I tidied up the kitchen.

“Well, look at that! We have a half-hour before going to see The Living Christmas Tree!”

I chose an impromptu craft, and we went to work. Within 15 minutes, we’d glued up these cute angels. Then we had a heck of a time giggling over the results! Check it out! I’m so happy I took that time with the girls rather than checking e-mail, calling Mom, or picking up the living room.

Okay, for real. I’m embarrassed to tell you how to make these because I know you’re thinking, “Hmmm…those are quite the angels…” But they were fun and super easy. I’m thinking about having the materials out for our cookie exchange for kids to make if they want. Instead of using a glue gun, I think glue dots might work.

Missing from photo: glue gun and yarn

Materials:
3 coffee filters
2 cotton balls
colored ribbon of your choice (we used gold)
pipe cleaner for wings, hook (we used gray)
glue gun or maybe glue dots may work
pipe cleaner for halo (we used yellow)
scissors
toothpick
paint (for eye color, lips, cheeks, eyelashes, and nose)
Optional: yarn for hair and small cardboard to wrap it around

Step 1: Place cotton balls inside one filter and gather filter around them.

Step 2: Insert a second coffee filter inside the first and gather the filters together around the cotton balls to form a head. Tie off with ribbon.

Step 3: Fold third coffee filter in half and gather in center to form wings. Tie off with the pipe cleaner.

Step 4: Hot glue the wings to the “neck” of the angel. Form the pipe cleaner into a hook and cut to length desired.

Step 5: Form the pipe cleaner for the halo in to a circle of desired size. Snip off the rest.

Step 6: Hot glue the halo to back of the head.

Step 7: Put a tiny bit of desired tempera paint colors onto a palette. We used blue for eyes, black for nose and eyelashes, pink for cheeks, and red for lips. Use the toothpick to paint onto the faces. Markers and other paints will bleed.

Step 8: While paint dries (it does so quickly), make the hair if you wish!

Step 9: Wrap yarn of desired color around about a 4-6 inch piece of cardboard (we used a flashcard) about 10 times (or more or less depending on how thick you want the hair) and cut.