Finding Christmas crafts for kids to do around the holidays is a good way to get involved with your kids and spend some quality time. Most of these craft projects can be done using items that you find around the house and involve little, if any, expense. So gather up your construction paper, cotton balls, paints, glitter, some old Christmas cards, pipe cleaners, beads, pine cones, popcorn, and anything else that looks festive, then grab the scissors and the rest of the family and get to work!

There are many craft projects that families and kids can do. Some families have their own projects from their childhood that have become a tradition every year. The main objective is to spend time with the kids and enjoy the holiday season. Play some Christmas music, sing along, and get creative. Another fun project is to use old Christmas cards and make new ones with construction paper. You can paste the picture on the front, add some glitter, then open it up and write your own verse. Don’t forget to hang the mistletoe over the doorway, and be sure to leave the cookies and milk out for Santa!

An easy project to do with your kids is to make icicles and tape them all across the mantle. To do this you will need:

• several sheets of what paper or white construction paper
• tape
• scissors
• glitter
• spray adhesive
• a pencil
  
  

Tape the sheets of paper together end to end until you have a piece long enough to reach from one end of the mantle to the other. Make a crease of about one inch across the top of the long piece of paper. This will be taped to the mantle when it is completed. Start drawing icicles in all different sizes and shapes the way real icicles would hang from the roof. Do not draw up into the folded part. Cut them out. Spray on some adhesive and sprinkle with silver or multicolored glitter. Hang on the fireplace mantle. This idea can also be used to decorate a shelf or shelves if you like. http://www.aarp.org/relationships/grandparenting/info-11-2009/holiday_crafts.html?CMP=KNC-360I-GOOGLE-REL-GPR&HBX_PK=homemade_holiday_crafts&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=homemade%2Bholiday%2Bcrafts&utm_campaign=G_Relationships%2B-%2BContent&360cid=SI_155083317_5996363461_0

Decorating with pine cones is a really inexpensive way to make the house look festive for Christmas, and they are free. You can make decorate a wreath with them, put them in a bowl on the table, hang them as ornaments on the tree, or any other creative use you may find for them. You will need:

• pine cones of all sizes and shapes
• a can of flocking
• glitter
• spray adhesive
• pipe cleaners
• ribbon
  
  

Gather up the pine cones, clean them off, and spray all or some of them with flocking. Once the flocking is dry, spray them with adhesive and sprinkle several colors of glitter. You can use pipe cleaners or ribbon to attach to the pine cone for hanging on the tree. Take some of the pine cones and arrange them in a bowl and add other ornaments or decorations to get a festive look.http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/holiday-ideas/pinecone-decor

Another fun project the whole family can get involved in is making popcorn garlands to put on the tree. These garlands are done in three-foot sections and then tied together, so everyone can have their own sections to work on. You can add cranberries or raisins in between the popcorn for a more festive look. You will need:

• some popcorn (preferable stale)
• a bowl of cranberries
• some big plump yellow raisins
• dental floss, fishing line, or heavy white thread
• a thin, long needle
  
  

Cut your dental floss into 6 foot lengths, thread the needle, double the thread, and tie a knot four or five times, leaving about three inches below the know to tie together the sections. Put the needle through the width of the cranberry and put on a few cranberries interspersed with raisins. Next, string a few inches of popcorn and repeat your cranberry/raisin pattern, popcorn pattern, to three inches from the end. Tie it off. It is now ready to attach to another length of garland. If you are hanging them on the tree, you should do this before any ornaments are placed on the tree. Be sure to have an extra bowl of fresh popcorn ready for everyone to enjoy while they are making the garlands!http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/popcorn-garland-661167/