Merry Christmas!!

Well, the cookies are baked, the menus are planned, the house is decorated inside and out, all the gifts are bought (and wrapped!) and I’ve pinned a number of tasty hot chocolate recipes for Christmas Eve.  Every day, my children go about the house singing Christmas songs and gazing out windows searching for Santa Clause.    Oh!  Almost had you, huh?

In reality, a batch of cookies WAS baked, but then they were consumed before they were even frosted. Nevermind they were actually baked for the neighbors!  Menus?  Let’s not even go there!  Decorations were up, but most have since been destroyed and even though I still have about 3 more people to buy for, I’m avoiding the mall like the plague.

How about you??

One thing we ARE doing this week is making some gifts for others.  Chipmunk is almost three, so I think it’s a good time for her to give as well as receive.  We’re making Salt Dough Star Ornaments to give to others.  Want to follow along?  I received the Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter 24 Pack to review last week and decided to use the glitter in the project.  I confess, I’ve been eyeing up the pack at Michael’s for some time now, so I was thrilled to take a look at it.

Let’s Get Started!

What You Need:

• Salt Dough (I used this recipe)
• Cookie Cutters
• Glitter, Paint, or other decorating supplies

What You Do:

Mix up a batch of salt dough together.   As you mix, explain that soon it will be Christmas and that people like to give gifts at Christmas.  Say, “Wouldn’t it be nice to make some decorations to give to our friends and family this Christmas?”  Of course, you’ll probably get a resounding “Yes!”

All mixed up and ready to roll!

After the dough is mixed up, roll it out onto the table (you may need to put flour on top of and below the dough).  As you roll out the dough, talk about thick and thin and observe together how the dough is getting thinner as you roll.

After the dough is about 1/4 inch thick, start cutting out those ornaments!  We just used a star for simplicity’s sake, but you can make all kinds of different decorations.

Place the ornaments onto the cookie sheet and use a straw to put a hole at the top.  This will be used for a ribbon later in order to hang the ornament up.

Our original plan was to paint and glitter AFTER the ornaments were baked, but then I decided to do a little experiment!  What if we put the glitter in the dough BEFORE we bake them?  It might look cool and it would cut down on the glitter debris everywhere (I personally love it when glitter gets everywhere, but apparently, not everyone shares my same sentiments).

Chipmunk went a little crazy with the glitter, but I didn’t mind (after all, it was free!).  I tried to put some on top of the dough and then roll it INTO the dough, but that just resulted in a very glittery rolling pin.  You kind of had to knead the glitter into the dough a bit to really get it embedded.

Bake the decorations for about 2 hours in a 225 degree oven.  When we made the dinosaur ornaments earlier this year, I didn’t leave them in long enough, so make sure the ornaments are good and stiff before you take them out.  Rainy Mum claims you can microwave them, so you could try that too! 

After letting the ornaments cool, decorate at will!  Of course, this was Chipmunk’s favorite part.

I must say, the glitter turned out lovely inside the dough and as a decorating afterwards.  It really sparkles.  I love the fine texture and all the vibrant colors.

I can’t wait to use it for some more projects!

After the decorations have dried, string a ribbon through and tie in a loop.I plan to put all the ornaments in a basket and let Chipmunk pass them out during gift giving this Christmas.

*GIVEAWAY*

Win Your Own Glitter Set!

*GIVEAWAY!*

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CONTEST ENDS: December 24th at Midnight CST

OPEN TO: United States 

*DISCLAIMER: I was sent items by the S3 Agency to help facilitate my review. Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

Looking For More Glitter Fun?

The holidays are the perfect time to add some sparkle to your life. Create a glitter wonderland with help from Martha Stewart Crafts! Their glitter collections and project ideas will help you add dash of glitz to just about anything – from holiday decorations to party invitations. Why not share the fun and hose a Glitter Girl Party to get to glittering?! Invite your girlfriends over for some wine, snacks and an evening full of bedazzling creativity.

Try starting with the “Rich Essentials Glitter Set” from MarthaStewartCrafts.com. The rich array of 24 elegant colors lets you shine on the sophisticated side, whatever you’re glittering. Creating party invitations or sending out holiday greeting cards? Another glitter get is the “Essential Christmas Glitter Glue” pack – perfect for writing on cards and scrapbook pages, and the fine tips are ideal for detailed and dimensional designs.

Worried about the mess from your Glitter Party? Martha Stewart Crafts has the solution! Keep crafting surfaces clean by using the “Glitter Tray and Rack,” which features an opening in one corner to easily brush excess glitter back into its container. And, if something does spill, the “Glitter Cleanup Roller” makes removing it a cinch. Plus, the roller remains sticky even after washing! So go ahead and visit MarthaStewartCrafts.com.  Order by 12/31/12 and save 20% when you enter Coupon Code BLOG20 at checkout!

Want to Win Some Holiday Cash?

Holiday shopping is expensive…but now, Martha Stewart Crafts has created a way to bag those holiday bills. It’s the BAG YOUR HOLIDAY BILLS CONTEST! Craft something unique and festive with a shopping bag and you might win $2,500 from Martha Stewart Crafts! For details or to click here!

More DIY Gift Ideas for Kids:

Santa and Reindeer Painted Ornaments at My Sister’s Suitcase

DIY Glitter Snow Globe at The Sweetest Occasion

About the Author

Lindsey Whitney is a blogger over at Growing Kids Ministry.  A blog designed to help parents, teachers, and Children’s Ministry workers who want to help the kids they love grow in their faith.   You can connect with her via twitter or on facebook.

Disclaimer: I was provided a glitter kit in exchange for this post.  However, I do really love glitter.

**This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for exact details.**

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