Santa's Kid's Club

Homemade Decorations - Foil Ornaments

Posted In: . By Santa Claus





Ho Ho Ho Everyone,

Here is the next great idea from Mrs Claus for you to make your own tree decorations for your tree this year. I know it's going to be fantastic and I can't wait to see your hard work when I visit your home very soon.

Sheets of foil are twisted and scrunched into stars, balls, and canes, all hung with yarn. Turn cupcake liners inside out; stack, and then glue back-to-back; tie on yarn to hang. Poke string lights through small liners for a radiant glow.


More liners decorate a foil-covered cardboard star (with a toilet-paper tube back).

A silver mouse sits atop shining gifts.

Foil Ornaments How-To
For bell, cut away bottom third of cup; wrap cup in foil. Roll foil into clapper, catching end of yarn inside. Knot yarn about 2 inches above clapper; slip other end through hole in cup bottom. Loop to hang. For candy cane, roll two strips of foil into rods; twist together and shape. For star, fold rod into zigzag with ten sections; shape, and glue ends together; tie on yarn.

Foil Mouse How-To
1. Twist a small piece of aluminum foil into a tail.
2. Squeeze foil into a ball for mouse's body.

3. Cut a slit to the center of a small metallic doily; form a cone for the snout; secure with hot glue. Hot-glue snout to body; hot-glue on a tiny ball of foil for nose.

4. For ears, turn foil candy cups inside out; use red paper fasteners to pin cups to body, placing as shown. Glue on the tail.

 
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Homemade Decorations - Ornaments and Garland

Posted In: . By Santa Claus


Ho Ho Ho Everyone.

It's just as well Mrs Claus talks in her sleep or else I would be having real problems here. Thank goodness she doesn't just mumble. Ho Ho Ho

Today we are going to make ornaments and garlands.

Two circles fit snugly together to form one ornament. To make, cut two disks identical in size from a card; you can use a circle punch, or trace a round object and cut with scissors. Cut a slit halfway across each disk. In one circle, punch a hole near the edge opposite the cut with a hole punch. Hold the disks so that the slits face each other. Slide the slit of one disk all the way into the other (you should feel the disks "lock").
Thread string through the hole, and tie a knot.
Make a garland by using disks popped out of cards with a circle punch (you can also trace a round object and cut out). They're attached to heavy thread with stickers; to make sure they're secure, rub with a craft stick.
Happy crafting everyone. Don't forget to come back soon for the next great idea!!
As always,
Santa ô¿ô

 
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Homemade Decorations - Recycled Tree: Cones

Posted In: . By Santa Claus


Ho Ho Ho Everyone.
Mrs Claus has another great idea for you and the children. Your tree can be made up of all your own decorations this year so make sure you don't miss any. I'll be giving you a new one to make each day.
Cones can be cut from plain colored paper or from greeting cards. To create, draw an arc onto a corner of the construction paper or card using a compass opened up as wide as it can go.
Using a pair of pinking shears, cut inside the line. Roll the paper into a cone and staple; reinforce with tape along the inside seam.

Happy cone making everyone!!
As always,
Santa ô¿ô

 
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Homemade Decorations - Shaped Gingerbread Cookies

Posted In: . By Santa Claus



Ho Ho Ho Everyone.

Here is another great idea for you and the children to make for your tree this year. Make sure you leave some on the tree for me when I call by your home. :-)

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen town houses, 4 dozen deer or trees, or 6 dozen men

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsulfured molasses

Directions

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Divide dough into 3 portions, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.

Cut out desired shapes. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes.

Bake cookies for 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven, and tap them firmly on counter to flatten cookies. Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 6 to 8 minutes more. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Spoon icing into a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip (such as Ateco #0 or #1).

Pipe designs on cookies. Let cookies stand at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers for up to 1 week

Make cookie doughs through step 3. For ornaments, use a small, plain pastry tip (such as Ateco #10) or a skewer to make a hole in the top of each house. Cut out doors and windows. Transfer houses, doors, and windows to parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze for 15 minutes. Brush houses with a damp pastry brush, then decorate with doors and windows in contrasting color of dough. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake cookies as directed, and let cool completely before decorating. Use a pastry bag fitted with a very small plain round tip (such as Ateco #0 or #1) to outline house, doors, and windows with royal icing. Decorate as desired, and let set overnight. Outline backs of cookies with icing, and let set. If you are making ornaments, tie ribbons through holes for hanging.

Now I hope that all makes sense. If not, ask Mrs Claus. She gave me this recipe and I can only say that up until now I have only been involved in the taste testing so Good Luck!! everyone. Happy cooking!!

As always,

Santa ô¿ô

 
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