Category: 12 December

Homemade Christmas Crafts & Gifts

Snowball Bucket

Glitter Tree

Button Tree

Jingle Bell Sled

Jingle Bell Bulb

Handprint Bulb

Christmas Wreath

Santa Bulb

Button Wreath

ORNAMENT BOX

The kids made ornaments for Grandparents and Aunts. I made this little paper that tells who made which ornament! My idea was to make it look like a box of chocolates when you open it… with the paper telling what is in each compartment. I love how they turned out!

MISTLETOES CANVAS

Storm made a cute Mistletoes canvas for her Grandparents! I tried to wrap the Mistletoes canvas with cute red jingle bells. The grandparents live in different states, so we wrapped them and packaged them in larger boxes.

CANDY POTS

We made painted pots filled with candy for their teachers! A snowman face filled with mints and a Santa belly filled with Santa Hershey’s Kisses. I also sent one of these to each of my nephews!

COUSIN SNACK BOXES

Each of the kids made a snack and we put them all in these cute boxes that I found at the Dollar Tree for their cousins! “J is for Jesus” candy cane, “Snowman Soup”, “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”, “Gingerbread girl Oatmeal Cream Pie”! The cousins live in different states, so we taped the lids on the boxes and packaged them up.

CHRISTMAS PACKAGING

I packaged the Ornament Boxes, Mistletoes Canvas, Candy Pots, and Cousin Snack Boxes into larger boxes. I used balloons to fill the empty space, which my nephews loved playing with when they opened the boxes!

Christmas Tree Fruit Tray

I also made my fruit dip that the boys LOVE! Mix one package of cream cheese with one jar of marshmallow cream, serve with fresh fruit!

Refrigerator Snowman

She sits in her swing while I work in the kitchen, so I made the refrigerator to look like a snowman for her!

Snowman Gifts

TEENY TINY GIFT

I made this tiny box from foam to trick the kids about their gift from Grandparents! They were so confused about what could fit in this box that was for the whole family! The note said that their was a trampoline in the shed for them!

4 Month December Christmas Baby Photos

Baby is 4 months old for her first Christmas. My oldest son was super sweet to amuse his mom and dress up like Santa for a few pictures!

I absolutely lover her sweet smile! I found this re bucket at Goodwill along with a belt, so I glued it on and added some white fluff too!

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”

My son had a “Candy Cane Dress Up Day” at school today, so he agreed to take a photo with Baby in her Santa dress!

Looking at the ornaments on the Christmas tree.

Playing with the lights was her favorite… I just had to keep her from eating them!

She hates being on her stomach, so she cried for most of these shots! But I LOVE the way they turned out!

“T’was the Night Before Christmas”

She tried to hold onto the ornaments, but had a difficult time commanding her hands to cooperate!

My little Santa Baby!

4 Month Belle Baby Photos

Baby Girl is 4 months old now! She is Princess Belle this month.

She hates being on her tummy, but I was able to get a few cute faces before she got too tired.


This is her favorite position, and mine too! She loves laying on the floor so she can kick and squeal, and I just love when she grabs her tiny toes.

Everything goes in the mouth now days… but it looks like she is trying to smell the rose! Such a cute thing!

I was super excited to find all of my props at the Goodwill. The curtain was just a dollar and I made the rose with a clock that I found for a dollar.

Family Christmas Minute-to-Win-it

This year we decided to try some fun family time for Christmas. We played a few Minute-to-Win-it challenges together. Our family has a large age difference, so we tried to choose games that would be equally challenging for each of all.

Deck the Halls

Deck the Halls

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • Cardboard Tube
  • Ruler
  • 6 Christmas Ornaments

Directions:

  1. You have just 1 minute to…
  2. place the ruler across the upright standing cardboard tube. Be sure that the ruler is smack in the middle so there is the same distance on each side of the tube.
  3. Then hang all 6 ornaments on the ruler (3 ornaments on each side of the tube).

Jingle Run

Jingle Run

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • 18 Jingle Bells
  • 18 Cups
  • Empty Cup (across the room)

Directions:

  1. Place a bell under each cup and spread them out on the table.
  2. Place an empty cup several feet away. (We put ours in the living room behind us).
  3. You have just 1 minute to…
  4. uncover 1 jingle bell at a time and run it to the empty cup across the room.
  5. Place the bells in the cup one at a time.
Jingle Run
Jingle Run
Jingle Run

Jingle Bell Race

Jingle Bell Race

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • Straws
  • Masking Tape
  • Jingle Bells

Directions:

  1. Spread out the jingle bells on 1 end of the table and place a line using masking tape across the other end of the table.
  2. In under a minute…
  3. use the straw to blow the bells across the table across the tape line.
Jingle Bell Race
Jingle Bell Race

Snowman Slide

Snowman Slide

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • Plastic Cups (with snowman faces)
  • Balloons

Directions:

  1. Arrange the snowman cups at one end of the table.
  2. In less than 1 minute…
  3. players stand at the end of the table and slowly release air from a balloon to knock the snowman cups off the other end of the table.
Snowman Slide

Snow Fall

Snow Fall

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • White Balloons

Directions:

  1. Players keep one hand in their pocket and try to keep two white balloons up in the air for one minute.
  2. You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking away a balloon.

Candy Suck

Candy Suck

Materials:

  • 1 minute timer
  • M&M’s
  • Straws
  • Plates

Directions:

  1. Player needs 2 plates with 10 M&M’s on one plate.
  2. In less than 1 minute…
  3. Use the straw to suck up the M&M’s, one at a time and place them on the second plate.
  4. Try to get all of the M&M’s to the second plate in less than a minute.
  5. You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking M&M’s.

North Pole Pop

North Pole Pop

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • White Balloons
  • Mittens

Directions:

  1. Player puts on mittens and has 1 minute to pop the balloon. (It’s much harder than is sounds.)

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • Hershey’s Kisses

Directions:

  1. Each player needs 6 Hershey’s Kisses.
  2. Players place one hand behind their back.
  3. In less than 1 minute player opens all of the Kisses with one hand.
  4. You can adjust the difficulty of this challenge by adding or taking Kisses.
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa

Christmas Tree Stack

Christmas Tree Stack

Materials:

  • 1 minute Timer
  • Green Plastic Cups

Directions:

  1. In less than 1 minute…
  2. players stack up a pile of cups like a pyramid.
  3. Then place them back into a single stack.
Christmas Tree Stack

Here is our Thanksgiving Minute to win it post

Christmas Crafts & Snacks

The kids and I made some fun snacks for our teachers, coaches, and neighbors… We placed a variety of Hershey’s Kisses on the square shaped pretzels and melted them for a few minutes. After they came out of the oven, we added M&M’s to the middles of them.

I saved our Crystal Light containers for the past few years, and then I wrapped them in paper and added a bow and tag.

We made fun ornaments in my son’s class Christmas party… Snowman, Santa, and Roudolph.

Christmas Cakes & Crafts

I participated in a Christmas Craft & Bake sale this year at a local church. Here are some of the things that I made and sold…

Snowy Wonderland Trees

I baked a cake and some cupcakes according to the directions on the box. Then I made my own buttercream frosting; 1 cup butter, 1 cup Crisco, 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 tablespoon milk (if too thick). I frosted the cake and cupcakes and added coconut to look like snow. For the trees, I got thin dowel rods, candy melts, and sprinkles. I melted the candy melts and placed in piping bags; then I placed the dowel rods on wax paper and squeezed out the melted candy back and forth across the dowel rods to look like trees. I added the sprinkles before the melts hardened.

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes

I baked Devils Food Cake box recipe into cupcakes. Once they cooled I topped them with my buttercream icing. Then I added mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, and crushed candy canes. I placed a small candy cane on the side to look like a handle to a mug full of hot cocoa.

Peppermint Lollies

I placed the hard peppermint candies with a lollie stick on some wax paper on a cookie sheet. Melted them in the oven at 250 degrees, waited for them to cool and put them into bags with a cute red ribbon.

Candy Cane Forest Cake

I baked a white cake according to the box directions and placed a few drops of peppermint extract in the cake mix. I topped the cake with my buttercream icing and then added crushed peppermints, and candy canes.

Holiday Pretzels

I covered pretzels in white chocolate and milk chocolate. I used hot glue to attach buttons and a scarf to my Snowman Jar. And I attached eyes, red nose, and antlers to my Reindeer Jar.

Melted Snowman Ornament

I filled clear glass ornaments with fake white powder snow. Then I added buttons, a carrot nose, tiny twigs, and a red scarf in the ornaments. I used letter stickers to spell out, “Some People are Worth Melting For”, on the outside of the ornaments. These turned out soooo cute!

Poinsettia

I added gold stars and cute poems to these poinsettia’s and gave them as gifts to co-workers and neighbors!

Christmas Tree Cake

I made a chocolate cake with my Giant Cupcake pan. I dyed my buttercream icing green and used it to decorate the top of my Giant Cupcake. I used yellow and red candy melts to make a star and bows to decorate the Christmas Tree Cake.

Santa Hat Cupcakes

I decorated cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.

12 Days of Christmas Advent Books

I love reading to my boys before bed. I got 12 books and wrapped them to look like Santa coats. Each night I let the boys take turns choosing a book to open for us to read together!

First book was “Tiger Can’t Sleep“. My son’s night time stuffed animal has been a tiger since he was born.

Next book was a “Look and Find the Mighty Avengers” book. We all LOVE the Avengers!

We had a Christmas cookie book too… We enjoy making Christmas cookies for our neighbors. “Arthur’s Christmas Cookies“

Here are some of the other books that we opened and read! “I Smell Christmas“, “Santa’s Stuck“, “T’was the Night Before Christmas“, Mortimer’s Christmas Manger“, “The First Rule of Little Brothers“, “The First Night“, “Magnet Max“, “Just Me and My Little Brother“.

Christmas Treats

The boys and I made Christmas Cookies to deliver to the neighbors. They love baking with me.

Mini Santa Hat Cupcakes

I decorated mini cupcakes with red buttercream icing. I added a mini marshmallow to the top and white icing around the base of the icing.

Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients Cookies:

  • 1 Box Devil’s Food Cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 C. butter melted
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

Ingredients Mint Frosting:

  • 3/4 C. butter softened
  • 1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
  • 2-3 C. powdered sugar
  • milk if needed
  • green food dye if desired

Ingredients Chocolate Glaze:

  • 1 1/2 C. chocolate chips 
  • 4 Tbsp. butter

Instructions:

  1. 1. Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
  2. 2. Combine cake mix, eggs, butter, vanilla and sugar. That batter will be stiff.
  3. 3. Make dough balls a little large than a Tablespoon and place on cookie sheets to bake. Pat each dough ball down a little bit.
  4. 4. Bake for 7-9 minutes and let cool.
  5. 5. Mint Frosting: Beat butter for 2 minutes. Add peppermint extract and slowly add it powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency. Add 1-2 Tablespoons milk if it gets too thick. Add green dye for color if desired.
  6. 6. Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
  7. 7. Assemble Cookies: Pipe on frosting, smooth over with a knife, spoon on your glaze in the middle, and top with roughly chopped chopped Andes Mints.

Christmas Lights Mini Cupcakes

I decorated mini cupcakes with white buttercream icing. I added a line of black icing around the buttercream, then I added Wilton Light Bulb Sprinkles.

Peppermint Fudge

Ingredients:

  • 24 oz white chocolate chips
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 cup crushed peppermint candy

Instructions:

  1. Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with non-stick foil.
  2. Combine white chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Stir in the peppermint extract.
  5. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  6. Top with crushed peppermint candy canes.
  7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.
  8. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Andes Mint Fudge

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups Nestle Dark Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup chopped up Andes Mints
  • 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Instructions:

  • Line 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish with foil, then spray foil with Pam.
  • In large microwave safe bowl, combine dark chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk.
  • Microwave for 1 minute, then stir.
  • Microwave for an additional 45 seconds, and stir until melted.
  • Once melted, quickly transfer to foil lined baking dish and spread out evenly.
  • Sprinkle chopped Andes Mints on top of the fudge.
  • Chill for approx. 2 hours, or until set.
  • Cut into 1 inch squares.

Candy Cane Hearts

Ingredients:

  • Mini Candy Canes
  • semi sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

  1. Place wax paper on baking sheet.
  2. Place 2 mini candy canes next to each other in the shape of a heart.
  3. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave proof bowl. Zap for about 30 seconds, then stir, then microwave in 10 second increments and stir until smooth.
  4. Spoon chocolate into the hearts.
  5. Place a few candy canes in a ziplock bag and crush them with a spoon.
  6. Add crushed peppermint to the chocolate in the hearts.
  7. Let the hearts cool.

Sugar Cookie Drops

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Red, Green food coloring
  • Red, Green Sprinkles
  • Variety of Hersey’s Kisses

Directions:

  1. In a bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms.
  3. Divide dough into 3 parts and color each part red, green, and white with food coloring. Place some sprinkles into the white dough. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  4. Roll spoonful balls of dough in the sprinkles.
  5. Grease a pan and place the balls of dough on the pan.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  7. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Place a Hersey Kiss into the center of each cookie.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I dipped pretzels into melted chocolate and then sprinkled crushed peppermint over them.

Christmas Candy Cookies

We placed various types of store bought cookie dough squares into our mini cupcake pan. We sliced the cookie dough and then cut them into fourths. Then we baked them for a few minutes and added the chocolate candies (Hershey’s Kisses and Mini Reece’s Cups). Let cool and removed from pan.

Rolo Pretzels

I placed wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread out square pretzels. Then I added a Rolo to each pretzel and melted in the oven for a couple minutes. Add another pretzel to the top of each Rolo and let them cool. Sweet and salty… my favoite!

Snowflake Canvas

The boys and I made homemade gifts this year. We make several snowflake canvases to give to friends and family. To make these canvases, we cut and placed masking tape on the canvas in the shape of a snowflake.

Then we used different shades of blue paint to cover the entire canvas.

After the paint dried, we gently pulled off the tape to reveal our snowflakes.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

We made Christmas sugar cookies for a family activity tonight.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

  1. In a bowl cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
  2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms.
  3. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  4. Roll the dough on a floured surface.
  5. Use cookie cutters to cut out Christmas shapes.
  6. Grease a pan and place the shapes of dough on the pan.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
  8. Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 4 cups powdered sugar (2 lbs)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk (if thick)

Directions:

  1. Cream together the butter and Crisco with a mixer.
  2. Slowly add in 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time.
  3. Add the vanilla, if it seems too thick you can add a bit of milk.
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