Christmas in July Craft Ideas

July 22, 2017 by lauraschachter@gmail.com (Edit)

By the end of July, summer fun tends to stagnate a little in our house. We need a little something to beat the heat and spark creativity. It’s the perfect time for Christmas in July!  Check out these fun Christmas in July craft ideas that are sure to bring a little Christmas joy to the long hot days of July!

Why Christmas in July?

1. Beat the heat!

The heat continues to rise outside. The pool does not spark the same level of excitement as it did at the beginning of June, so July’s end has us all searching for something new and exciting to occupy our time. The kids and I long for something novel to capture our attention. Christmas crafts give us the perfect chance for creative fun indoors!

2. Bring Christmas kindness back to our lives

Sometimes the giving spirit of Christmas gets lost amidst the ads and hoopla that are associated with the winter holiday time. I love the idea of setting a time that focuses solely on giving and kindness. It helps refocus our daily actions in a more positive way.

3. Creativity with a Christmas twist

Christmastime just makes me smile. I love the reason for Christmas, but I also love all of the traditions and fun that surrounds it. Creating ornaments and decorations is an integral part of our family celebrations. It allows all of us to gather together and get creative! The kids were so excited that it will happen twice this year!

4. Teach kids about delayed gratification

In the age of instant gratification, my kids tons of practice in patience and delayed gratification. The idea of creating fun activities and hiding them away for 6 months, is going to blow their minds! It’s great practice for them (and for me, too!)

Christmas in July Craft Ideas

Whether you are a DIY whiz or afraid of the glue gun, I’ve got you covered! Check out these fun ideas to make your Christmas in July so much fun.

DIY Christmas Crackers

My family loves Christmas crackers. It does not matter what is inside the cracker, the joy is in the anticipation of the mighty pull! You would not believe the excitement over a shoe horn…

I thought July would be the perfect time to create our own set of  Christmas crackers. They are unbelievably easy to make and so much fun. There is unlimited creativity in creating these crackers. The first round of crackers included a joke and a Christmas eraser, but anything can go inside!

Materials:

• Toilet paper rolls or paper towl rolls cut in pieces
• Some type of festive paper (wrapping paper, scrapbook paper, or child-decorated paper)
• Tape
• String or ribbon
• Little trinket (eraser, decoration, ornament, sticker, etc.)
• Optional: Stickers, glitter, or any other type of decoration

DIY Christmas Crackers:

1. Write a joke or special message on a small slip of paper. I used a post-it note.
2. Place the paper inside the toilet paper roll.
3. Put a small trinket inside the toilet paper roll.
4. Wrap a piece of festive paper around the toilet paper roll. Cut about 3-4 inches of extra paper on each end of the toilet paper roll.
5. Tape the paper in the middle.
6. Tie a piece of decorative ribbon or string around each end of the cracker.
7. Decorate the rest of the cracker, if desired.

DIY Christmas Streamers

Make your own Christmas streamers out of cheap materials. Cut up a plastic table cloth and tie it to a pony tail holder. Instant fun for dancing, running, and more!

 

DIY Ornaments

Making ornaments is a tradition in our house. We love creating with salt dough, clothespins and more! By creating ornaments in July, we are able to take our time while making each ornament. The kids love planning out who will get each little treasure. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Salt Dough Ornaments

 

 

Salt dough ornaments are always a hit, so we decided to create some ornaments now to give to friends and family in December. Check out our salt dough fun. My all-time favorite is the kissing hand ornament.

Sporty Ornaments

We have quite a few sport fan relatives, so these ornaments are always a hit. Get the directions for the sporty ornaments here.

Kindness Rocks & Decorations

Kindness rocks are all the rage in our town. My kids are having a ball painting rocks and leaving them around town to brighten someone’s day. They will love creating rocks with a Christmas flair. I can’t wait for the kids to find the perfect spot to leave our rocks. A few easy winter themed rocks are snowmen, Christmas trees, snowflakes, and penguins. I admit, penguins is stretching it a bit!

Summer Themed Ornaments

I have a ton of ornaments on my to-do list for this week. My kids love collecting shells at the beach and lake, so we have a ready supply to use. Check out my Christmas in July pinterest board for tons of great ideas!

Here are a few of my favorite Christmas in July Craft Ideas:

• Light Bulb Ornaments: Upcycle That
• Golf Ball Ornaments: Crafty Morning
• Twiggy Star Ornaments: Happy Hooligans
• Keepsakes with Sand Clay: The Imagination Tree
• Sandy Feet Ornaments: Crayons & Cuties in Kindergarten

Hope you found some fun Christmas in July craft ideas and activities to share with your family, class, or camp. Stay tuned for some ‘Christmas in July’ deals & steals, giveaway and more! The fun starts tomorrow, so get ready for some Christmas in July fun!!!

15 Ways to Inspire Outdoor Play

June 1, 2017

What Are Your Kids Doing This Summer?

As a child, summertime was a magical time. We went outside early in the morning and didn’t come back inside until dinner. I want my kids to experience that same magical, summertime outdoor play… Easier said, than done.

My kids get to choose one week of summer camp for the entire summer. The rest of the time, they are home with me.  I love having the luxury of staying home with my kids in the summer; however, it does require some creativity to keep my sanity.

Limit Screen Time

We’ve all heard that too much technology can have a detrimental effect on the health and well being of children. One month week into summer, I feel the temptation to give into the temporary quiet of screen time. At the one month mark, the novelty of summer has worn off and I begin to hear the inevitable “We have nothing to do…”

This year I am going to be prepared! I’ve teamed up with Joe Black, from Nature Rated, to share some great outdoor activities to preempt the “nothing-to-do” summer comments. Can’t wait to get the kids into some outdoor play!

Let’s Get Outside

While I am a crafting fool, I recognize the importance of and joy in getting outside. I still love digging for worms with my kids, exploring in the woods, and spending hours catching frogs and minnows. My kids love to do all of these things, too. However, they often need a little direction getting an activity started.

Joe, at Nature Rated, understands this all too well and has put together an infographic with 15 Summer activities to help your kids appreciate nature. From baking a blackberry pie to constructing a pond or insect hotel, there’s plenty of ideas for summer fun. Head on over to his site for step-by-step instructions on ways to get your kids outside this summer. Put these activities in your back pocket, for those “I’m bored” days!

Check out more ways to interact with nature over at Joe’s blog, Nature Rated!

Do you have more ideas for nature fun? I’d love to hear about them. Leave me a comment and let me know how you keep your kids excited all summer!

Want some crafts & learning ideas for summer?

Get busy with some sensory table fun.

Check out some summer math activities.

 

Check out some crafty shark fun. 

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

An outdoor enthusiast, Joe is the lead editor at Nature Rated; a website which rates and reviews the best outdoor gear for people who quickly want to know what to get. He believes in no fluff, to the point reviews, which help you choose the right gear for your next adventure.

Whenever daily life gets him down he heads to the nearest lake or river with his kayak and camera spending time recharging his batteries.