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Let's Go, Let's Go by Maynard's Groovy Bible Tunes

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Let's Go, Let's Go by Maynard's Groovy Bible Tunes

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"Let's Go, Let's Go (Shepherds' Song) " Children's Christmas Carol (+ actions / motions) NEW VERSION

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Phil Wickham - Shepherd Boy (Official Lyric Video)

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🎶 Shepherds on the Run | Joyful Christmas Lyric Video for Kids 🌟🐑

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TrueSong - The Shepherd's Song (Official Lyric Video)

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Shepherd Salsa - Bethlehem Ballroom Nativity - Sing Along

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This playlist contains songs such as O come, O come Emmanuel; It was on a starry night; Once in royal David's city and more. Signed in Makaton by Becky George

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Resources you may find useful during Christmas time.

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SHINE - a New Children's Christmas Song by Angie Killian #lighttheworld

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Quick telling of the true meaning of Christmas

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Quick telling of the true meaning of Christmas

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The true meaning of Christmas: A kids Christmas animation

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Short video of the story written by Bob Hartman

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The Christian Story of the First Christmas | Religions of the World

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Retooning the Nativity | Igniter Media | Christmas Church Video

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Link to book can be found below

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Joy (Sing & Shout) by North Point Kids - Actions & Lyrics

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Preschool Songs - Jesus Savior of the World, Preschool Christmas Music - Newspring Worship

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By Fischy Music

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"christian songwriter" "christian music" "children's songs" lds "latter-day saint" "church of jesus christ"

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Hi! I'm Angie. Welcome to my channel! I write music to spread the light and love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For more about me, visit my website: www.angiekillian.com.

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Song by Fischy Music

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Yancy & Little Praise Party - It's Christmastime -[OFFICIAL KIDS MUSIC VIDEO] Happy Day Everyday

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Duggie Dug Dug / Doug Horley Official Channel

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Duggie Dug Dug - All the Angels Sing (Official Video)

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Duggie Dug Dug / Doug Horley Official Channel

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No ordinary baby - Doug Horley/Duggie Dug Dug Official Video

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Best Gift Ever by Audacious Kids - Actions & Lyrics

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Yancy & Little Praise Party - Best Present Ever- [OFFICIAL KIDS WORSHIP MUSIC VIDEO] Taste and See

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A Band of Angels - The Shepherds and the Angels  - Fun Kid's Christmas Song with ACTIONS

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Hush! There's a Baby - OFFICIAL actions / motions - Christmas Kids' Song

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Hark! the Herald Angels Sing | Christmas Dance-Along for Kids | CJ & Friends

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Animated song video

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We Three Kings - Claymation Christmas HQ

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Drama Kirk have created new videos for Christmas. Read more about them in the post.

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Classic Christmas film.

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An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would had been like if he never existed.

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A dramatic retelling of the Christmas story.

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A powerful retelling of the nativity story

This major motion picture bring the Christmas story to life

Dramatic & compelling, ideal for Church film nights

The Nativity Story chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus. The dramatic and compelling film traces the perilous journey of a young couple who must travel from heir home in Nazareth to Bethlehem, Joseph's ancestral home, to register for a census ordered by King Herod.

This Christmas story comes to life in a major motion picture starring Academy Award nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) as Mary, Oscar Isaac as Joseph, and Academy Award nominee Shoreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog) as Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.

The Nativity Story is directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) from a screenplay by Mike Rich (The Rookie, Finding Forrester)

The Nativity Story was published by Kingsway Trust in October 2016 and is our 1798th best seller.

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The Nativity Story: Free Delivery when you spend £10 at Eden.co.uk

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A powerful retelling of the nativity story This major motion picture bring the Christmas story to life Dramatic & compelling, ideal for Church film nights The Nativity Story chronicles the arduous journey of two people, Mary and Joseph, a miraculous pregnancy, and the history-defining birth of Jesus.

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Free to download. Be sure to check out their other resources.

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Sensory Stories for Christmas – Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education

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Sensory stories are short stories broken up into seven to ten parts designed to engage the senses. Each section is matched with a sensory input to animate it. These stories have proven to be especially effective with children with additional needs, but we think that all children will be able to enjoy them too. This collection of six sensory stories for Christmas share the accounts of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Angel Gabriel’s Visit to Mary, The Birth of Jesus, The Shepherd’s Visit, The Wise Men’s Visit and Simeon in the Temple. To accompany the Story Scripts, you will find Storyteller Notes and a list of recommended sensory resources. There is also a set of Widgit Symbols to accompany the Sensory Stories for Christmas.

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How to make a nativity story box. I love story boxes and story sacks , they are great for helping children concentrate on and interact…

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With only a few days to go before Christmas, here is the new Nativity Story Bag I've made up with lots of things to help to explore the characters and events...

Nativity peg figures (see how to make them here)

3 boxes to represent the gifts of the wise men

a variety of hearts to help think about God's love

a selection of Nativity themed Christmas cards

A story book- here I've included the brilliant Touchy Feely Nativity by Fiona Watt

A background cloth

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With only a few days to go before Christmas, here is the new Nativity Story Bag I've made up with lots of things to help to explore the char...

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A great interactive and engaging family Bible. A Bible that is designed to not just bring you closer to God, but closer to each other.

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This family edition of the Good News Bible has been created with the heart of putting the Bible back at the centre of family life.
Add to basket
Plenty in stock

ISBN: 9780564081776

Author: Various

Pages: 1296 + 32 full-colour

Dimensions: A4

Format: Hardback

Here at Bible Society, we believe that the Bible should be at the centre of family life, as something that is experienced together. But when we looked at the family Bibles currently available, we realised that they actually weren't designed in a way that a family could engage with them together.

So in partnership with our good friends at Youth for Christ (along with a plethora of other family focused organisations) we set to work to create a Bible that is truly designed for a family to engage with together.

We involved a broad and diverse range of different families in the concept and design to ensure we created something that would authentically meet the needs of those who engage with it. The end result? A Bible that is designed to not just bring you closer to God, but closer to each other.

Key Features

Removable and reusable 'whiteboard' jacket, for writing, drawing and being creative

Unique landscape page layout that encourages family engagement around the Bible

Over 400 interactions throughout, based on the themes of Think, Chat, Do, Create and Watch

Loads of space inside for writing, doodling and drawing

26 online videos that help guide, support and unpack the tricky bits as you journey through the Bible

An online community of Family Bible users, where you can share ideas, stories and offer each other support

Regular new content that can be downloaded or printed for free, with content based on feedback and suggestions from active users of the Bible

Endorsements

God's word was intended to be read, understood and applied as much together as alone - and there is no better context to do this than within a family. This Good News Bible Family Edition will be a wonderful resource to help anyone lay that foundation within their home.

This is a fantastic idea and a great resource for all ages to use and engage with, whether as a family, youth group or small group, or with individuals with learning difficulties. It will really help everyone to engage with the Bible more and to grow in their relationship with God and each other. I cannot wait to use this Bible with not only my 3-year-old son but also the young people and families I work with.

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This family edition of the Good News Bible has been created with the heart of putting the Bible back at the centre of family life. Add to basket Plenty in stock ISBN: 9780564081776 Author: Various Pages: 1296 + 32 full-colour Dimensions: A4 Format: Hardback Here at Bible Society, we believe that the Bible should be at the centre of family life, as something that is experienced together.

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Journey through Advent with these family devotionals, colouring pages and advent calendar.

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An Illustrated Advent for Families: God With Us is an opportunity for families to take time each week during the Advent season to be intentional and focus on their faith.

The stories of Advent are stories for hard times. Jesus was born amid upheaval and historical change and among people who seemed powerless. But when the world feels hopeless, Advent reminds us God is with us.

In chaos, God is with us.

In suffering, God is with us.

In uncertainty, God is with us.

In whatever our family endures, God is with us.

This Advent resource invites your family to explore the ways in which Emmanuel, God-with-us, brings hope, peace, joy, and love to your home and community, especially during hard times. Use this Advent guide to center your thoughts on the ever-present hope that sees us through change and challenge. Each week you will explore how the good news of God-with-us changes our perspective and gives us courage for each day. We rejoice in Jesus' birth because God is with us!

What you will receive:

Five Family Devotions: Weekly family devotions include a suggested scripture to read, a short reflection, discussion questions, an activity, and a prayer.

Coloring Pages: Each week's devotion comes with an accompanying coloring page.

Advent Calendar: Our Advent Calendar starts on December 1, and each day brings an opportunity to complete a simple activity as a family. We consider families' busy lives, so the activities are short and meaningful without distracting from the real purpose-family time. We include a full-color version you can print out and a black and white version that families can color together as they complete daily activities.

Ways to use:

Churches often purchase this and send it home with parents to use during Advent. An Illustrated Advent for Families also makes a great addition to the Advent boxes you might be putting together to send home to families. One could also adapt it to use for a virtual Sunday School program.

Purchase details:

After completing your purchase, you'll instantly receive a link to download the PDF. You will find everything you need in the PDF, and then you can share it with the families in your church and community. Please refer to the information included in the PDF on best practices for sharing our products with your community.

Looking for other "God With Us" resources? Check these out!

Pricing:

We aim to make the price of our products both accessible and fair, and so we ask that you select the appropriate option for your church size. While we don't have a way of verifying your church size, we trust that you'll make the correct selection. This ensures that we're able to continue to provide low-cost options for individual families and small churches with even more modest budgets.

Weekly Themes

Below is a list of the themes for each of the five weekly devotionals:

Week 1: We have hope because God is with us.
Scripture: Matthew 1:1-17

Week 2: We have peace because God is with us.
Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25

Week 3: We have joy because God is with us.
Scripture:Luke 1:39-48

Week 4: We have love because God is with us.
Scripture: Luke 1:57-80

Christmas Eve/Christmas Day
Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

More Advent Products

We have an ever-growing catalog of Advent products for both families and churches, including large format posters. You can view all of our Advent products here.

If you're looking for a quick craft for either your family or for a church program, check out these Advent activities:

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An Illustrated Advent for Families: God With Us

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An Illustrated Advent for Families: God With Us is an opportunity for families to take time each week during the Advent season to be intentional and explore the ways in which Emmanuel, God-with-us, brings hope, peace, joy, and love to your home and community, especially during hard times.

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It's a Wonderful Life, Illustrated Storybook

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It's a Wonderful Life, Illustrated Storybook

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A lovely illustrated companion to the classic film.

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Relive the beloved holiday classic with this lavishly illustrated storybook the entire family can share!

It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most beloved films in cinema history. The heartwarming story of George Bailey and the guardian angel (second class) who shows George that his acts of compassion and kindness have changed his town of Bedford Falls for the better has become a Christmastime favorite enjoyed by generations of families.

This engaging illustrated storybook retells the tale of the 1946 classic film through charming original artwork and allows readers to return to the town of Bedford Falls to watch George dream big, fall in love, and learn the important lesson that "no man is a failure who has friends." Just like the film, this picture book can be enjoyed by the whole family and is the perfect gift for the holidays.

It's a Wonderful Life: The Illustrated Holiday Classic by Sarah Conradsen was published by Insight Kids in October 2020 and is our 88534th best seller.

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it's a wonderful life: the illustrated holiday classic

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It's a Wonderful Life: The Illustrated Holiday Classic

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Relive the beloved holiday classic with this lavishly illustrated storybook the entire family can share! It's a Wonderful Life is one of the most beloved films in cinema history. The heartwarming story of George Bailey and the guardian angel (second class) who shows George that his acts of compassion and kindness have changed his town of Bedford Falls for the better has become a Christmastime favorite enjoyed by generations of families.

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Travel through Advent with this free downloadable journal for the family.

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These are FREE printable, pdf versions of pages from our Advent Family Creative Journal. Putting it up as downloadable pdfs comes in response to a number of people saying they would like to copy specific pages to use at home, with Junior Church, kids clubs or school sessions.

Each A4 sheet, or double A3 sheet is now available FOR FREE and can be printed or copied as many times as you like (for use in church, school or other non-profit contexts). You can also email them out to people for home use.

Please note that these sheets are not to be re-sold. If you are unsure about appropriate useage please email us.

We have also added "U.S. Versions" of some of the pages for users in the United States or other places where you spell "colour" as "color", talk of "diapers" and use Imperial measurements. We hope these are useful!

Below are previews of the pages currently available.

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These are FREE printable, pdf versions of pages from our Advent Family Creative Journal . Putting it up as downloadable pdfs comes in response to a number of people saying they would like to copy specific pages to use at home, with Junior Church, kids clubs or school sessions.

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As you journey from the first of December up to Christmas Eve, take a moment out of each day to dwell on the scriptures with this beautiful contemplative advent calendar.

Based on the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, our contemplative advent calendar is designed to help you meditate on a passage of scripture each day in the lead up to Christmas.

Each pack contains 12 double-sided postcards, one instruction postcard and a miniature wooden easel for displaying the cards.
(please note: candle, star and other decorative items used in photography are not included)

With a selection of 24 individually designed Bible verses around the theme of advent and waiting, this advent calendar is a creative way to engage with the Bible and to set aside some time for quiet contemplation in what can be one of the busiest times of year!

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As you journey from the first of December up to Christmas Eve, take a moment out of each day to dwell on the scriptures with this beautiful contemplative advent calendar. Based on the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, our contemplative advent calendar is designed to help you meditate on a passage of scripture each day in the lead up to Christmas.

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What if instead of telling our kids to be grateful, we broadened their perspective? Becky shares 24 ideas to spark gratitude this Advent.

Well, the Christmas season is here! And this year, is likely to be a little different from the usual busyness of numerous parties and events.

I remember as a kid the anticipation of Advent, watching as the pile of presents under the tree grew bigger and bigger. And then the frenzy of ripped wrapping paper on Christmas morning, followed by the huge, unwelcome task of writing those thank-you notes. Somehow much less attractive than receiving the presents!

We want our kids to be grateful. Not only because God asks us to, but we know that truly grateful people are happier and more content. So we teach them to say, 'Thank you.' But what if that isn't the key to raising grateful kids?

At school, I had a geography teacher called Miss Swann. I didn't actually like geography and gave it up as soon as I could, but one thing Miss Swann said changed my life forever. She had done some voluntary work in Africa and peppered her lessons with anecdotes about her time there. One day, as I was day-dreaming at my desk, she described how the children she'd taught in Africa had only one cup of water a day to wash themselves in. Bam! For some reason, that picture changed my attitude to water forever. To this day, whenever I turn on a tap, I say a silent prayer thanking God for our never-ending supply of clean and life-giving water.

I wonder if the key to raising grateful kids isn't about their behaviour, but their perspective? Not telling them to say, 'Thank you', but widening their vision so that gratitude becomes part of who they are? God designed us to be thankful, so let's explore ways to show them a view of the world, of God and of themselves that allows them to grow into that.

This Advent, we thought about spending a bit of time exploring what might spark gratitude in our kids and ourselves. So here are a few ideas for starting conversations about gratitude during Advent. Use them in whatever way works best for your family, whether doing one a day or doing one or two from each category when it suits you. It's not about making everyone say 'Thank you', but about changing our perspective so that gratitude naturally overflows.

Some will work for your family; some won't. Use this as a springboard to spark your own ideas. Wouldn't it be great if together we could discover how to really make this Advent a season of gratitude and joy? Share your experiences and ideas using #growinggratitude.

Creating opportunities for gratitude in our relationships

1. Start a family gratitude jar to use for the next year. Grab any jar, some slips of paper and a pen. When somebody does something that you are especially grateful for, write down what they did and why it sparked gratitude in you. Once the jar is full, plan a family night where you cook your favourite food and share what you wrote and why it meant so much to you.

2. Check out Paul's letters - he is always listing people he is grateful for. Chat about which people you are especially grateful for at the moment and why. If there's a natural way to do so, maybe mention someone you're thankful for in your next email or text.

3. Talk about your favourite hobbies or activities. Who has made it possible for you to do them?

4. Have a scroll through some old photos on your phone or computer. If you have family photo albums or photobooks, dig those out too. Enjoy reminiscing and remembering special people and memories.

5. Draw a heart in the middle of a piece of paper and write or draw your family in it. Around that heart, draw a series of hearts, so your family is enclosed in hearts. In each one write the name of people who surround your family with love.

6. Ask someone else in your family, 'What's the best thing someone's done for you this week?' Share your answer too.

7. Think about the different people in your life who've helped you to meet God and know him better. Chat to God about them and see if you can catch from him any encouragements to share with them.

8. Run through your day in your mind and share about anybody who you saw today who made your life easier.

Creating opportunities for gratitude for what we've been given

1. Try an experiment taking away one of your senses for one meal. Wear a blindfold, ear plugs or oven gloves. Tell God your favourite sense and why. Ask Him any questions you have about them.

2. As you are enjoying something you love to eat, talk about whose work made it possible for you to enjoy it - not just the person who cooked it, but the person who worked to grow it in the first place, the person who harvested it, the person who packed it up, the person who drove it to the factory... you get the picture!

3. Count the number of pairs of shoes in your house. Consider going on a short walk barefoot or in the wrong shoes (like flip flops on a rainy day) to experience firsthand what a difference it makes to have the right footwear.

4. Give everyone three stickers or Post-it notes and ask them to imagine they are only allowed to keep three things from the whole house. Ask each person to stick them on the things (not people or pets!) that they would choose. At the end of the day, share with each other what you chose and why.

5. Get creative! Spend some time using whatever your child is into at the moment whether that's Lego, Minecraft, playdough, video animation, baking or painting. Build, draw, paint, mould or bake something you are grateful for and share it with God and each other.

6. Try going one hour (or however long you can manage) without electricity and see what you miss most.

7. If you have a gratitude journal or somewhere you scribble down things you're thankful for, leave it out for your children to see. If not, why not start one? You might want to each do your own thing or decide together to do a family one. A cheap diary or blank notebook works really well for this.

8. Ask God to show you things he's given you. Write down whatever you catch in a wordcloud (using pens and paper or digitally) or draw what God shows you. Put it somewhere you'll see it often.

Creating opportunities for gratitude to God and for who he is to us

1. Encourage your children to ask other people in their life (grandparents, godparents, friends from church) what they are grateful to God for and how they thank him.

2. Share stories of what God has done for you, big or little, over this last year.

3. Ask God what makes his heart happy and see what you catch back.

4. Watch a nature documentary or go for a walk, taking time to stop and examine nature close up. Chat to God about which parts of his creation you find funniest, most beautiful and most amazing.

5. Pause and go over the highs and lows of your day with God. Ask Him to help you notice things you might not have seen at the time.

6. Talk about the different names of God - for example, shepherd, rock, healer, almighty, provider. Which is your favourite? Why? If you want, you could decorate a decoration for the Christmas tree to remind you of this. Save any decorations with names of God that you don't use and put them in your Christmas decoration box for next year - a different name might be significant to you then.

7. Share a tough time where you had to learn to thank God in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Explain what was so hard and how you chose to be thankful through that, or what you are more thankful for as a result now. Was there anything that helped you share your heart with God during that time?

8. Read the Christmas story together. Wonder together: 'What would the world be like if God hadn't come to earth?'

Some of these ideas use skills from the Key Tools of Parenting for Faith. If you haven't discovered them yet or need a reminder, you can check them out here.

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Parenting for Faith | Growing gratitude in our kids

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What if instead of telling our kids to be grateful, we broadened their perspective? Becky shares 24 ideas to spark gratitude this Advent. Well, the Christmas season is here! And this year, is likely to be a little different from the usual busyness of numerous parties and events.

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The 6 Games of Christmas - Faith in Kids

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So it’s Christmas again – and as a children’s minister I groan at the list of Christmas events, parties, nativity rehearsals, assemblies, over excited children, snotty noses and diva strops from the kid who wanted to be a donkey … such a marvellous time of year… for paracetamol sales! NO! This year will be different. […]

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Games can be used in a variety of settings and for all ages.

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It just isn't the holidays without a bit of cheer-like a fun activity off your Christmas bucket list for the whole group! That's why we've rounded up the best family Christmas games that should become a part of your traditions. Whether you need an activity for your annual Christmas party or a simple Christmas kids' table idea to keep them occupied, we've got something that'll suit your style on our ultimate Christmas game list. After all, these games are perfect for all ages and are incredibly easy to put together or gather materials for. From Hallmark Channel movie bingo that'll put your family's Christmas-movie knowledge to the test and Pictionary to charades games that reference Christmas songs, there's something here for everyone.

Is there a Grinch in the family? (It's okay-we've all got one.) With fun Christmas games like a hands-free "hang the ornament" challenge and an equally ingenious poke-a-tree, it'll be difficult for them not to crack a smile (let alone laugh out loud). And after the kids go to bed, try the best Christmas party games for adults and Christmas drinking games.

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5 Naughty or Nice Christmas Game

This version of the classic White Elephant game uses gag gifts but with a catch-some of them have gift cards and money hidden in them!
Get the tutorial at Let's Get Together.
This group game has become a Christmas party staple in recent years thanks to this viral video. Gather up some goodies (candy, toys, trinkets, etc.) and give it a go!
SHOP SARAN WRAP
32 Minute-to-Win-It Christmas Games

Play these easy and simple games with your whole family, and you can make the loser clean the dishes from your holiday feast.
SHOP PLASTIC CUPS
Jessica Leigh Mattern Web Editor Jessica Leigh Mattern is a web editor and writer who covers home, holiday, DIY, crafts, travel, and more lifestyle topics.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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These Family Christmas Games Will Bring Joy to Your World

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It just isn't the holidays without a bit of cheer-like a fun activity off your Christmas bucket list for the whole group! That's why we've rounded up the best family Christmas games that should become a part of your traditions.

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Your Whole Family Will Love Playing the Saran Wrap Christmas Game

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Engage your family and friends in a little competition with these fun Christmas games, for kids, adults and everyone else. You'll make memories that last a lifetime.

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Find out what the Posada is and the various ways you can use it in your church. A wonderful intergenerational resource.

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This year I have seen a variety of lovely ideas online for helping children and families to get involved with the Advent season. Drawing…

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Add this cheerful character to your Christingle service.

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Home / Puppets / Creative Productions / Seasonal Puppets / Christingle Puppet (Mid December Pre-Order)

Description

Searching for a new and fresh way to share the story at your christingle events? Or maybe you are looking for a way to connect with your local schools by sharing something which is familiar to them? We believe we can help...

Explore the meaning of Christmas with our Christingle Puppet! With big eyes and bright colours he is sure to grab people's attention of all ages. Perfect for school assemblies, children's talks, services and video presentations too!
*NEW CHOICE AND OPTIONAL EXTRA*
Choose from either the fabric candle or an LED candle (includes batteries).
Can't decide? Have both for only £10 more!
He features 3D Printed sweets which can be removed at the start of your performance and added to help 'build up the story' starting with a plain Christingle (the red band is fixed in place). Both candle options (fabric or LED) feature a thread at the base to be attached as part of your presentation. The LED candle is just over 16cm tall and includes two AA batteries. It's turned on by simply twisting the candle stem. This is a brilliant option for those who may be using the puppet with children/adults who will be making their own christingles as your puppet version can be 'lit' too! Includes a long black sleeve to mask the puppeteer's arm and two versions of a performance script, 1) For two people (puppeteer behind stage and person up-front) 2) For one person (using the whisper in your ear technique).

Our Christingle puppet is precision built by hand by the One Way UK Creative Production team of professional puppet designers for the highest quality finish and function. Features our signature ball grip in the mouth.

Concerned about more plastic waste? We are too, so our 3D printers use a filament called 'PLA' which is biodegradable and actually made from plant-based resources so no plastic waste is created!

Approx. 45cm tall (not including black sleeve), each sweet is approx. 5cm x 5cm x 5cm. Available exclusively from One Way UK.

Free Delivery on orders over £150 (1-3 working days)
Standard - £3.95 (3-5 working days)
First Class - £5.95 (1-3 working days)
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*Unfortunately we are unable to offer a Next Day Delivery to customers in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Scottish Highlands, Inverness, Aberdeen, the Scilly Isles, the Channel Islands, British Isles and BFPO addresses. If an item is out of stock or Next Day Delivery is not possible, a member of our sales team will call you as soon as possible.
Our Returns Policy is available here

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Christingle Puppet (Mid December Pre-Order) - One Way UK

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AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (Delivery by Mid December 2021) Searching for a new and fresh way to share the story at your christingle events? Or maybe you are looking for a way to connect with your local schools by sharing something which is familiar to them? We believe we can help...

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Yes, I know, It’s not even Hallowe’en yet, let alone Remembrance Sunday or Advent. But these things have a habit of creeping up on us, don’t they? So this week I bring you an ador…

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Free Christingle resources from The Children's Society.

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Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Only undertake activities if they're absolutely safe for you and others (eg virtual challenges or events collecting online donations). Always refer to https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest advice.

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JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Coronavirus is contagious. Please take every precaution to ensure you are spreading only kindness. Only undertake activities if they're absolutely safe for you and others (eg virtual challenges or events collecting online donations).

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Our downloads are all free, please honour this and give credit back to Muddy Church.

Winter is a wonderful time for wandering outside and offers a space away from hustle and bustle and strips back to the simple exploring the stories of our faith. The cool chill on your cheeks and the crisp crunch of the ground adds to that wonderful opportunity to engage all of our senses into moments of joy and memories.

Instead of only having the tree inside we are encouraging you to enjoy the outdoor senses - the smells, feels, that chance to gather your thoughts. The resources are ideal for following through the Advent season (and beyond), for individual devotions or even a family walk after Christmas lunch!

Take a stroll and take a picture, share your snap and discover the story.
Different formats available from a Wondering Trail, to the QR Photo Shoot and even a 1 sheet wonder!

An adaptable trail that can be followed using one sheet or with set Pause spaces around an area.

Nature was the one to guide the king's to Jesus, join the journey to see how it speaks into your life.

A fresh adventure through the Christmas story. Discover the characters and connect with their story and find who is missing this Christmas.

An interactive advent journey through the bible to find our place in the story.
Wonder and wander through the 24 days and moments to rediscover the meaning of Christmas.

Created for The Children's Society, the Muddy Church Christingle offers the space to explore outside.
Using the familiar symbols and spaces around us to celebrate the light of Christmas

These resources are all available for free. If you would like to make a donation, simply click here.

Simple Wanders and Activities
Click on image to download PDF

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Winter, Christmas and New Year | muddychurch

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Our downloads are all free, please honour this and give credit back to Muddy Church. Winter is a wonderful time for wandering outside and offers a space away from hustle and bustle and strips back to the simple exploring the stories of our faith.

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Ideal for use as outreach or as a gift to your staff (voluntary and paid).

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Despite the biting winter wind she wasn't allowed a cup of tea mid-shift. Besides, she explained, if she did drink a brew she would only need a wee and that was a big no-no and wasn't allowed by her boss. She had to stand for four hours without moving, holding a sign with her gloveless, cold shaking hands, an arrow pointing to the nearest Cash for Gold shop. It wasn't exactly her idea of an ideal job but she had to do it. How else was she to pay for the kids' Christmas presents?

We chatted for a while and she spoke of how she managed to keep the children's expectations of Christmas lower by explaining to them the real meaning of Christmas, not all the commercial bling and tat and plastic crud. I smiled; thankful that I had met someone who, like me, knew the reason for the season.

"You see," she explained, "Christmas is all about the birth of..."

I nodded in agreement waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"...Santa Clause. isn't it."

Wide-mouthed and lost for words I stood under the Cash for Gold sign contemplating her understanding of a Christmas that celebrated Santa's birthday."What about the nativity?" I finally perked up from my shocked state.

"The nitty watty?" she asked. "What's that then?!"

I gently explained about the birth of Jesus and the gift of him for her and her family too. She hadn't thought about Christmas like that before.

This short conversation woke me up once more to the fact that most people around me simply just don't 'get' what Christmas has to do with Christ. I must admit that I love it when people 'get it' and when mad creative ideas actually work and spark off people's imagination as it dawns on them that this good news of Jesus is, well, flipping good!

So, here's my top 10 ways to reach people in your community with the story of Christ's birth, they don't include events or carol singing as I think the church as a whole has got this down to a fine art. So, instead of the 'come and hear' kind of things churches can do, here is a list of 10 'go and tell' kind of activities.

Here's a mission file that will help you set up a free Christmas project that is loads of fun! getinthepicture_sep16

One of the easiest and fun filled projects you could ever do! This is a project I started in 2008 which has now been used by hundreds of Churches in the UK. It enables all kinds of people to be involved in the Christmas story by encouraging them to participate and experience being part of the nativity in a fun way.

After setting up a nativity scene in their local town, churches invite people from their local community to dress up and be part of the scene.

At the heart of the Christmas story is the message of love. A love for every person on the face of this planet, overwhelmingly loved and loved and loved some more. The most outrageously generous over-the-top gift that has ever been given is this: Jesus. For you and me. So whatever you give with the message of being loved: Mince pies, gifts, gold coins, the story of Jesus in booklets, whatever it is, give something away that echo's the gift of Jesus for the world! A free gift is a symbol of grace. Last year I joined a team giving away small bags of chocolates and sweets with a simple message: 'because you are loved.'

There are two places I love to get my nativity story booklets from: Bridge builders and Life Words. There simply isn't another time of year when people are willing to take and read a booklet about the life of Jesus. Some parents have commented to me how they would like to read to their children about the life of Jesus as they feel they haven't learnt the 'true meaning' of Christmas.

How about running a film night in your local school/ shopping centre or village hall showing The Nativity as a means of giving the story away? It's a beautiful adaptation of the Christmas story and one that will spark conversations.

Paint some oval shaped pebbles as a baby sleeping and lay on a bed of straw in different places around your community, on doorsteps or benches, bus stops or pub tables... hide the baby Jesus for people to find!

This is something that everyone can take part with. Also, don't be put off by the painting aspect, it really is as simple as 1,2,3.

1. 1. Using white acrylic paint, paint an oval shape on one side of the stone. Let it dry.

2. 2. Using a brown or pink acrylic paint, paint a roundish smaller shape for the face of Jesus. let it dry.

3. 3.Using a permanent black marker draw around the face and body. Draw 4 lines for the swaddling clothes. Add the eyes, smiley mouth and one curl for the hair. Have fun!

Find 3 willing volunteers to don a high viz security jacket for a few hours guarding an empty cot. (I got my jackets off ebay for £15 each) I've done this for a few years now and as people ask I'm doing, I've found myself saying:

"We are waiting for the birth of a king!"
"There's a baby going to be born soon!"
"The king is coming."
"Apparently there's a king going to be born soon."

People look and try to figure out the strange sight... If people want we also offer booklets of the nativity story. On a number of occasions people just say, "arh, I get it..."

The idea came from British artist Mark Wallinger. The Guardian newspaper reported his attempt of a commission for Leicester square.

I wrote and asked Mark Wallinger if I may use his idea. He didn't reply, so I took that as a yes! It is a fun art installation to do. Full of anticipation and incarnation, a baby born right here in our midst.

Some of the most deep heart-felt conversations have been down pubs while I have been dressed up as a shepherd or angel! I usually carry gifts and combine some of the ideas already shared, but the most effective is offering beer mats.

Pub managers love them (they are a good free gift) and those drinking in pubs usually accept them with thanks. We've got some awesome ones made up which declare:

It's a boy! Don't forget to whet the baby's head this Christmas.

The message brought by the angels resonates with people. Buy a load of feathers and attach the 'announcement' of good news from the angels. When I have done this I have been amazed as to how many people want to talk about angels and finding feathers. A beautiful opportunity to talk about God's presence and reality in their lives.

It really is quite amazing how many people find feathers in weird places. I heard a story once of a lady who in a time of heart ache and bereaving the loss of her child found feathers everywhere, including one in the fridge placed on top of a chocolate bar. I love how the Angels announced: do not be afraid. They brought good news and as I have given out feathers in the pub and on the streets I have also retold the good news of the one born for all people.

When I first gave out feathers last year I was amazed as to how such a simple gift brought joy to people. As I put them together down the pub some of the locals came over and asked about them... Some asked if they could take one for a friend too.

The challenge with the feathers is to be brave and tell someone who has yet to hear... ' I am bringing you good news that will be great joy to all people.'

It really couldn't be easier. Ask people to sign a birthday card for a friend. Other ideas around this theme that a friend of mine did included giving out birthday candles with a simple message.

The card idea I used down the pub and one card I left in a plinth in the streets.

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Getting dressed up to share the news of Jesus is fun! There really isn't a time of year like Christmas when you can dress up like an idiot and get away with it. Here are a few ideas:

1. A live nativity complete with donkey brings the old story close to people, and children love to pet a donkey gather round and take pictures. Nearly 20 years ago I did my first live nativity through the streets of Chester complete with Mary riding a donkey. It was a powerful roving nativity and people literally stopped in their tracks.

2. Get a group of mates to dress as Kings who then frantically search for a star around a busy town centre. this creates a scene and a half and asks people of they have seen the 'star!'

3. Last year as a small team in Peterborough we wanted to give away gifts and to publicize this we dressed up one of the team as a star. He wasn't too happy about it, but it certainly got people's attention.

I know this may seem like a cop out, a ruse to make a list of 10 rather than 9, but using what you have is simply the best gift you can give to let others in on the Christmas story. If you paint, then paint. If you sing then reverse busk (give away things instead of receiving donations.) If you dance then dance in your high-street! If you've got money, give it away to those who have none. If you rap or wrap, then get rapping or wrapping. If you have time use, serve, love and bless others who would be lonely this Christmas. whatever you've got, use it for the sake of those who have yet to connect with the Christmas story.

One year The Light Project made a stall on a busy shopping street with free teas and coffee and got a load of wrapping paper to wrap up people's gifts. This generated lots of conversations!

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Despite the biting winter wind she wasn't allowed a cup of tea mid-shift. Besides, she explained, if she did drink a brew she would only need a wee and that was a big no-no and wasn't allowed by her boss. She had to stand for four hours without moving, holding a sign with her gloveless,...

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Here is a cut out and create Nativity scene that you can use in the windows of church members, the church and local schools. You could even encourage the schools to give one to every pupil.

Cut out these characters and scene and assemble / display the different elements across the Sundays in Advent.

These characters are given to you along with a prayer that wherever they are used, they may bring both an understanding of the Christmas story and something of the joy and love of Jesus.

Click Here to Download

You can share a story of hope with your community by getting local business and schools involved to create a trail of nativity characters. Ending up with the full story being displayed in your church window / front.

This is a great way to get families involved in following the story through the month of December.

Messy Church have done this with numbered sheep - and all the material to adapt is free and here to download: Go to Messy Nativity Page

Or use the Jesus Rocks outreach idea - read about it here

Get creative - use the basics of the Christmas story to inspire some create window art, soul do:

Do the 12 days of Christmas

The Nativity Scene

Make a large backdrop and daily / weekly add something to the window

Don't forget to include your church website / social media for people to find out more

Take a picture of something that means Christmas to you - every day in Advent.

Along with the picture include one sentence of what Christmas means to you - share this on your social media and link it up to your churches carol services / Christmas outreach.

Pre-record a carol service and upload it on your social media - this will give something for your church to share with others.

Try and involve the local school and business - get them to do a ready from their context and show this - bring the carol service from the streets to peoples homes.

Include in this a short message explaining the message of Christmas (remember not everyone is use to the church language we use.)

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Reaching Out | South Wales Baptist Association

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Here is a cut out and create Nativity scene that you can use in the windows of church members, the church and local schools. You could even encourage the schools to give one to every pupil. Cut out these characters and scene and assemble / display the different elements across the Sundays in Advent.

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Official site. The website has a page where you can buy the books in the UK.

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a book by Simon Camilleri. Illustrated by Matthew Boutros.

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Leading Christian charity enabling ministry and mission

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You searched for Christmas - Leading Christian charity enabling ministry and mission

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Here are various Christmas resources from videos to lesson plans for schools.

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Lovely resource that can be used for families or could form a church service. Follow the story of the Nativity through the use of candles, being left with the light of the world.

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Last year, my internet friend Caitlin posted about a candlelight nativity her family had done on Christmas Eve. I was intrigued. When I asked if I could have a copy of the script, she kindly sent it over...and it was beautiful.

Unsurprisingly, it was almost identical to the nativity script my family has used for years. We always dressed up as Mary + Joseph + the shepherds + so forth, read the Christmas story from the Bible, and sang hymns in between verses. In fact, the first time David met most of my extended family, he wound up playing one of the wise men.

I knew my girls would love acting out the story of Jesus' birth. However, there aren't quite enough of us for all the parts, unless we invite some friends over. And we may still do that.

Meanwhile, this candlelight nativity is a great alternative. We still get to see each character represented. We still read the story and sing the songs. Instead of dressing everyone up and direction them through their parts, though, I just have to pull out the candles, matches, and script.

Hooray for simplifying!

Even better, it ties in well with my goal to bring into our home this Christmas season.

If you want to have your own candlelight nativity this year, you can use this free printable script I've put together.

It's a combination of Caitlin's original script, my family's, and some of my own words. The narration is almost entirely from the KJV Bible. The songs are (I hope) familiar to you, but if they aren't, you can find the music here.

The instructions suggest using different colored candles for each character. I chose to use all white ones in different sizes, shapes, and holders instead. To reproduce the candlelight nativity exactly as shown in these photos, you can use these items from IKEA:
To download + print the candlelight nativity script + instructionsCLICK HERE or click the pinnable image below.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Photos by Kylie Pond Photography

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A Candlelight Nativity (+ printable instructions) - Real life, on purpose.

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Last year, my internet friend Caitlin posted about a candlelight nativity her family had done on Christmas Eve. I was intrigued. When I asked if I could have a copy of the script, she kindly sent it over...and it was beautiful. Unsurprisingly, it was almost identical to the nativity script my family has used for [...]

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Product Description

With Seven Christmas Candles you can share the Nativity story with a little candlelight, party blowers and indoor sparklers, and our normal mix of humour and nonsense.

Imagine this. You excitedly show an early Christmas present from your Auntie; her card reads, ' This will shed new light on Christmas.' Inside the gift bag are seven silver candle holders and seven coloured candles. You take out the Silver candle, put it into a holder and light it. Then you have a lightbulb moment.

'This reminds me of the Christmas star shining over the stable.' Now a yellow candle is taken out and lit. 'The same colour as the hay in the manger where Jesus slept.' Five more candles and five more colours. Royal purple candle for the new born king, Gold for the Wise Men's gifts, White for the angels, Evergreen for eternal life and Red for God's love. The lights are dimmed. You now have a row of seven colourful candles, each alight with the story of the Nativity. 'Our Saviour has come! Now that's something worth celebrating.' So with a party hat on your head and a party blower in mouth, you light the indoor sparkler and lead everyone in your favourite Christmas Carol.

Seven Christmas Candles is a enchanting presentation suitable for all ages. Perform straight from the box, scripts included. EVERYTHING you need is included; we even give you a box of extra-long safety matches. Perfect for the busy church worker. We've done all the work, you take all the credit!

(Note - overseas customers will not receive the matches or the sparklers but will get a £2 refund!)

OFFER: Save £1 when you order Mylar Throw Coils with Wisest Choice. Fill the air with a shower of sparkling multicoloured streamers for a BIG ending to this effect.
8 BONUS OBJECT LESSONS
Teaching with coloured candles is such fun we've written 8 extra object lessons you can use ANY TIME of the year. We'll teach you the trick of holding a balloon over a candle flame so it doesn't burst; an unforgettable illustration of how our God is our 'unpoppable' strength. You learn how to teach the Lord's Prayer using the colours of 6 candles and a new way to preach on John 3:16 using 4 candles. Plus there's all the gags, puns and jokes you'd expect from the Mission Magic team. 'I tried to look for lighters on Amazon. All I got was 879 matches!'

Avoid the Christmas rush and order Seven Christmas Candles today!

Look what you get: 7 tall candles - Red, Green, Silver, Gold, White Purple and Yellow (20cm high), 7 chrome effect candle holders, 10 low odour low smoke indoor sparklers, gift bag, Christmas card with envelope, pine cone decoration, candle snuffer, party hat, party blower, a box of extra-long safety matches and our exclusive booklet with 2 different Christmas scripts, 8 bonus object lessons, 2 candle stories and lots of gags, jokes, puns, and ideas.

SPARKLERS - These are low odour, low smoke indoor sparklers. Not your standard bonfire night sparklers!

Product Videos

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Seven Christmas Candles - The Nativity Story Told by Candlelight - 8 Bonus Object Lessons

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With Seven Christmas Candles you can share the Nativity story with a little candlelight, party blowers and indoor sparklers, and our normal mix of humour and nonsense. Imagine this. You excitedly show an early Christmas present from your Auntie; her card reads, ' This will shed new light on Christmas.'

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I've been thinking about ways of helping children to use the Nativity story in prayer and this is what I've come up with!

Each Nativity story character leads to a different prayer...

Print out the sheet, laminate the cards (or stick the paper onto a sheet of card) and then let children choose a character and pray the prayer that goes with it. If you have a Nativity set, the children might like to hold the characters as they pray :-)

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Printable Nativity Character Prayer Cards

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I've been thinking about ways of helping children to use the Nativity story in prayer and this is what I've come up with! Each Nativity story character leads to a different prayer... Print out the sheet, laminate the cards (or stick the paper onto a sheet of card) and then let children choose a character and pray the prayer that goes with it.

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With only a few days to go before Christmas, here is the new Nativity Story Bag I've made up with lots of things to help to explore the characters and events...

Nativity peg figures (see how to make them here)

3 boxes to represent the gifts of the wise men

a variety of hearts to help think about God's love

a selection of Nativity themed Christmas cards

A story book- here I've included the brilliant Touchy Feely Nativity by Fiona Watt

A background cloth

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With only a few days to go before Christmas, here is the new Nativity Story Bag I've made up with lots of things to help to explore the characters and events...

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Nativity Story Stones with Printable Book

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Nativity Story Stones with Printable Book

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One of the best times of the year is when we pull the Christmas storage tubs from the closet and begin unpacking the decorations inside! Everyone is so excited.

"Look! I had forgotten about this music box!"

"Here's my stocking, and here is yours!"

We don't have a "matchy" tree... instead, our tree is trimmed with an assortment of things that the children have picked out over the years. For example, there's the Egyptian mummy ornament that Aidan picked out when he was studying Egypt in 2nd grade, Gresham's farm ornament that he chose when he was 3, Janie's pink mitten ornament, and so many more.

Today we are sharing a craft project that is sure to become a family keepsake you'll want to get out year after year! Make some Nativity Painted Story Stones. They are not difficult to make! I also created a set of printable Nativity Story Cards to go with them. (The story cards are a good resource on their own, even if you don't make the painted rocks!)

If you've been following this blog awhile, you probably know that we are big fans of rock painting. I usually use Mediterranean beach pebbles purchased from Home Depot for rock painting, but when we removed am ugly water feature (and mosquito breeding area, ugh) at our new house this summer, we discovered a ton of river rock under it and around it. We want to turn that area back into lawn, so now I have lots and lots of stones to work with!
Supplies Needed:

Rocks - if you don't have access to good river rock like we used, you can always buy a bag at Home Depot!

Acrylic paint

Good, quality paint brushes. Get a tiny detail brush!

Sharpie Oil Based Paint Markers

I used the paint markers for the star and for the words on the rocks that have words. The other details were all painted with a brush as I feel like I have more control with a brush. However, you can use the paint markers for almost everything if you prefer those!

I think it's always best to sketch out your design with pencil first. Even if you think the paint will cover up the pencil details, it always goes better if you plan it out first.

For each of the rocks with a night sky, I painted the black sky part first. I think that looks a little more natural than trying to paint the sky at the end.

I found the perfect wood tray at Hobby Lobby for displaying our Nativity Story Stones! I put it a little bit of paper gift filler in the bottom of the tray.

I decided that I also wanted to create some Nativity Story Cards to go with the stones. The story cards can be used separately, or you can put them together on a metal ring like I did.

The story cards have Bible verses that go with the elements of the Christmas story. For older kids, I would just read the entire account of Jesus' birth in the Bible! However, for toddlers and preschoolers, these cards will create a great discussion point while they hold the stones in their hands.

Each of the cards matches with the stones I made, but you can use the cards without the stones, or paint the stones a different way. It's totally up to you!

Here are some close up shots of the stones, and I'll let you know which card I intended each stone to go with.

Crown - Goes with Luke 1:31-33 (could also do a Mary stone)

Call His Name Jesus - Goes with Matthew 1:21 (could also do a Joseph stone)

Baby Jesus - Luke 2:7

Bethlehem - Goes with Luke 2:1-5

Shepherds - Goes with Luke 2:8-11

Angel - Goes with Luke 2:12-14

Star - Goes with Matthew 2:1-2

Wise Men - Also goes with Matthew 2:1-2

Stable - Also goes with Luke 2:7
Ready to print the Nativity Story Cards? Click the link below. The file will open, and you can either save it or print it directly.
CLICK HERE: Nativity Story Cards

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These Nativity Painted Stones will Become a Christmas Keepsake - Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls

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One of the best times of the year is when we pull the Christmas storage tubs from the closet and begin unpacking the decorations inside! Everyone is so excited. "Look! I had forgotten about this music box!" "Here's my stocking, and here is yours!" We don't have a "matchy" tree...

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Use stones with pictures painted on tell the story of the Nativity.

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Published by Kate from Crafts on Sea .

I'm a bit addicted to creating story stones for my kids, they're the kind of thing that I wasn't sure if my children would go for but they love to use them as story prompts and these DIY nativity story stones are a great way to help them remember the story of the very first Christmas.

Looking for more Nativity Activities and Crafts for Kids? T hen see our Best Nativity Crafts & Activities for Kid s to find great inspiration.

Unlike the Christmas story stones I shared recently (over on Crafts on Sea) I was a bit worried about making these, to put it politely my drawing skills are not my strongest and drawing people is.... well it's tricky. I've made these story stones simple enough so that older kids can make them and also simple enough that I was brave enough to pick up a pen and do it too.

After all, I'm a great believer in always giving something creative a go and not being held back by your own fears.

What You'll Find on This Page

Materials needed for Christmas Story Stones for the Nativity
We have included affiliate links to some of the products and resources as an associate we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Stones or Pebbles - you can buy bags to use that are perfect.

Pens - I used a mixture of Posca pens for the black fine line work. Chalkola pens for the thicker colours

Note - You could also use Acrylic Paints

How to Make your OWN Nativity Story Stones

Create the outlines

I started by drawing all the outlines using a thin black pen. Both the sets of pens I've used are easy to remove if you make a mistake, just give the stone a bit of a rub with a baby wipe and then try again when it's dried off (if you use a sharpie or acrylic paint then nail polish remover is your friend especially with acetone in it).

Top Tip!

I've also previously covered both my own hands and my children have drawn all over their hands in the pens I recommend. They were really easy to clean so I'm happy to report that these are pretty child-friendly!

Fill with Colour Using Chalk Paints

The outlines only take a moment to dry and then I filled in some colour. Originally I was going to leave all the pens as black outlines. But I was a little concerned that my kids wouldn't know who was Mary and who was Joseph so the thicker pens came out for colouring.

If you want to colour your Nativity story stones with paint I would recommend giving a few minutes between the layers of paint.

Give your stones a minute or two to dry and they are ready to share with your kids for them to use as a story prompt or to talk about the nativity story. These are also great for kids to make themselves and to display as a little nativity scene.

Simple DIY Nativity Story Stones

Easy to make, story stones depicting the story of the very first Christmas, ideal for kids to play with and retell the Nativity Story.

Author: Kate from Crafts on Sea

Draw the outlines of the characters in black POSCA pen.

Use the chalk pens to fill in your black outlines. This makes it easy for a child to distinguish between some of the characters.

For staying power. Use the matt Mod Podge to give the stones a coat and allow to fully dry.

Using POSCA and Chalk Pens instead of sharpie or acrylic paints means that you can use a baby wipe to remove if you make an error.

Love decorating stones! Why not create your own stone game inspired by the book Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

Nativity Craft and Activity Ideas for you to Share with your Children

Simple Nativity Ornaments

Nativity Shadow Puppets to Print and Download

Nativity Sequencing Cards

Make some wooden nativity ornaments with the kids to hang on the Christmas Tree.

Create your own Shadow Puppets to retell the story of the First Christmas with our FREE printable.

Help your child to understand the events that happened during the Nativity Story with our Nativity Story Sequencing Cards.

Kate Williams is a Mum to two small superheroes who are often found trying to climb on top of her head or running into the ocean.

A crafter, a play at home Mum you can find her at Crafts on Sea where she shares achievable ideas for creative family life including ideas for Creatives Mum's as well as the kids.

Kate has also got some other Christmas Story Stones which you can find on her blog Crafts on Sea.

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Published by Kate from Crafts on Sea . I'm a bit addicted to creating story stones for my kids, they're the kind of thing that I wasn't sure if my children would go for but they love to use them as story prompts and these DIY nativity story stones are a great way to help them remember the story of the very first Christmas.

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As promised here are the instructions for making the paper bauble. You will need: Bakers Twine 2 small brads Snowflake or other pap…

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Using only a jar, glue, card and tissue paper and some lights!

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This festive light-up jar creates a beautiful silhouette of the Nativity scene when illuminated. The jar is decorated with a Nativity design cut out of black paper, and when you turn on the lights inside, it casts a warm glow, revealing the scene in stunning detail.
How to Make

1. Print off the template and carefully cut out the silhouetted characters.

2. Take your jar and use a small amount of PVA glue to stick them on to the front.

3. Next, cut small strips of white tissue paper and fill the space within the stable, then cut small strips of blue tissue paper and fill the space on the outside of the stable.

4. Once this is completely dry, cut a large strip of white tissue paper (big enough to wrap around the jar in one piece).

5. Wrap the jar and then stick this to the jar at the back only.

6. Insert string lights into the jar and place the lid on.

7. Twist two pipe cleaners together and place them around the top and bottom of the jar.

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Secret Silhouette Nativity Jar craft activity guide | Baker Ross

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Create Secret Silhouette Nativity Jar with our fun craft activity guide template. Buy art and craft supplies at Baker Ross, inspiring creativity

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Free printable Nativity Crafts from Baker Ross

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Nativity craft ideas | Craft guides & templates | Baker Ross

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Nativity craft ideas and guides. Fun, easy to follow instructions to create Nativity crafts| Baker Ross

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How To Make Snowflakes out of Toilet Paper Rolls

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Do you want to decorate your home with beautiful DIY Snowflakes this year? I will help you! Learn how to make these cheap and easy snowflakes with toilet paper rolls! Follow the step-by-step instructions to create beautiful DIY decorations. These snowflakes are the perfect Christmas ornaments and hanging Winter decoration that every beginner crafter can make.

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As much as I love the Christmas holiday season, I always have to be careful with how caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all. It's so easy to get suckered into the commercialized aspect of things and completely lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.

My family celebrates Christmas because it symbolizes the day that God sent his son, Christ Jesus the Messiah to be born. Christ's entrance into the world is nothing short of miraculous, and I want my daughter to know why we celebrate. Sure, we can get excited about Santa Claus and presents, but those are all Earthly things that will pass. We celebrate our Lord who is not of the world, and gives us eternal life in Heaven!

So since December is quickly approaching, I decided to throw together a compilation of cute and fun little Christ-centered Christmas crafts that are geared towards little children. I know that there's going to be plenty of Santa Claus crafts to go around this season, but these crafts offer a valuable teaching lesson and an opportunity to share with children about the birth of Jesus Christ!

All of these crafts have been put together by some pretty AMAZING crafty moms and bloggers from all over the world. If you decide to try out some of these crafts with your kiddos, I'm sure they'd love for you to leave them a kind and encouraging word on their posts!

Nativity Finger Puppets (Source: The Crafty Classroom)

Stained Glass Nativity (Source: Housing a Forest)

Star of Bethlehem Ornament (Source: Equipping Godly Women)

Wise Men Stick Puppets (Source: Made by Millie's Mom)

DIY Stable Ornament (Source: Adventures of a DIY Mom)

Clay Pot Nativity (Source: Fun Family Crafts)

Angels We Have Heard on High Craft (Source: Happy Home Fairy)

Away in a Manger Cookies (Source: Catholic Icing)

Jesus Lights Up My Life Crafts (Source: Danielle's Place)

"Names of Jesus" Printable Ornaments (Source: Bible Story Printables)

Paper Plate Angel (Source: Our Potluck Family)

Christmas Shepherd Craft (Flame: Creative Children's Ministry)

Baby Jesus Ornament (Source: What Shall We Do Today? Life as an Air Force Family)

Jesus in a Manger Hand Print Craft (Source: Crafty Morning)

Stained Glass Window Advent Craft (Source: Kinder Craze)

Christmas Scripture Kisses (Source: My Daylights)

Symbols of Christmas Kit (Source: Peppermint Plum)

Footprint Christmas Nativity Canvas (Source: Munchkin Time)

Nativity Chalk Silhouette (Source: The Chaos and the Clutter)

Graham Cracker Nativity Scene Edible Craft (Source: Gluesticks Blog)

Cookie Jar Christmas Craft (Source: The Lettered Cottage)

Fingerprint Manger Scene (Source: Crafty Morning)

Scripture Craft Stick Christmas Tree (Source: Fun At Church)

Simple Baby Jesus Craft (Source: Happy Home Fairy)

Wise Men Toilet Paper Roll Craft (Source: JDaniel4's Mom)

I hope that you've been inspired to share the word of Christ with others this season through these creative crafts projects! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas season coming up, and that you find the love of Christ wherever you may go!

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25 Christ-Centered Christmas Crafts for Kids - Southern Made Simple

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As much as I love the Christmas holiday season, I always have to be careful with how caught up in the hustle and bustle of it all. It's so easy to get suckered into the commercialized aspect of things and completely lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas.

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Check out this FREE downloadable Random Acts Of Kindness Advent Calendar to celebrate the holiday season. Kids can colour them in and then proudly display them as artwork. They are perfect for both home and classroom use.
How to Make

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Random Acts Of Kindness Advent Calendar craft activity guide | Baker Ross

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Create Random Acts Of Kindness Advent Calendar with our fun craft activity guide template. Buy art and craft supplies at Baker Ross, inspiring creativity

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Do you ever browse a craft on Pinterest that everyone and their mother has done and you just have to give it a try yourself? I've seen so many different versions of this toilet paper roll snowflake. Simple ones, intricate ones. There are just so many creative ideas on how to do this that I needed to experience it myself.

I discovered that the steps to this craft are very simple. But deceptively so. My perfectionist side really came out with this craft and had me struggling to get everything exact. From carefully painting the inside of each roll, to cutting it up evenly with straight lines, to gently holding two pieces together at just the right angle while the glue dried. I didn't always manage it, but as you can see in the photos, these snowflakes look beautiful regardless of the imperfections.

I made several of these snowflakes so I could experiment with different colors and patterns, you can see them all in the photos. But, the following steps outline how to make this basic white snowflake.

Another note: This isn't a quick project, though it's great for multi-tasking. Once you complete each step, it'll be a few hours at least before you can move on to the next step. Make sure you have a place set aside where you can work, leave your project there to dry and it won't be disturbed.

Here's What You Will Need
Optional:
Let's Get Started

Step 1: Paint and Cut the Toilet Paper Roll
(or Cut and Paint the Toilet Paper Roll)

I put both of these steps together because it's really debatable which to do first. I painted my toilet paper rolls first, reaching down with my paintbrush to get the inside. Mostly because I felt it would be too tedious to paint each piece individually after I cut them. Turns out, while more time consuming, it probably would have been easier to cut first paint later.

When you're ready to cut, use a ruler and mark the roll every inch or so. I found that every brand of toilet paper is a little bit of a different size. The ones I used for this were four inches long, so it worked out perfectly to cut it into 1-inch pieces. The size doesn't really matter so much, just so they're all the same. Use scissors to cut toilet paper roll along the 1-inch marks you made. If you're as worried as I was about making them all even, feel free to use an X-Acto knife for this part.

You'll need to cut 12 pieces.

If you're limited in the number of rolls you have to work with, cut your pieces smaller. Half-inch pieces make for skinner snowflakes which look just as cool.

Step 2: Glue the Toilet Paper Roll Pieces Together in Your Chosen Design

To make this basic white snowflake, start with six of your painted pieces and glue them together, piece by piece to make the center of your snowflake. These are the pieces outlined in orange in the photo below.

I went really slow with this to make sure that they glued together at the right angle. I held them down against the table to make sure that one side was flat/even. Another tip, I used clothespins to pinch the pieces together while they were drying. This worked really well because the points in which the pieces touch are so small it's hard to use your fingers.

Once the first six pieces are glued and dried, you can start on the outside six. These are the ones outlined in blue in the photo below. Again, keep your snowflake flat on the table and use clothespins to keep them together.

When it's dried, make sure it's all glued together well. You should be able to hold it up with a finger through the point. Take the time to reglue any part you feel needs it.

Step 3: Decorate your Toilet Paper Roll Snowflake

Once your snowflake is glued together really well and dried, it's time to decorate!

I started by taking white paint and repainting the places where the brown of the toilet paper roll was exposed. For example, the top edges of the snowflake (the side that had been flat against the table) to make that white as well.

Once that dried, I took silver glitter glue and painted all the outer sides of the snowflake.

Then, I took the same silver glitter glue and slowly, carefully, laid it over the top edges of the snowflake. This gives it a puffy edge, but as it dries, it flattens and leaves a really cool look. Another way to do this is to paint the top edge with glue or mod podge and then lay it in glitter.

Let us know what cool ideas you come up with for decorating your toilet paper roll snowflakes!

Other Options

As you can see, I made several different snowflakes. I actually started with the blue one and had a lot of fun adding the white with a sponge brush to give the snow-like effect.

I really enjoyed using the glitter glue on these snowflakes. I'm not one for using loose glitter, but I can imagine how cool it would be to use for this project.

When it comes to design, don't be afraid to experiment. Cutting each piece of the toilet paper roll in half (vertical this time, not horizontal) gives you a smaller piece that adds some variety to your snowflake.

Now what?

Once my toilet paper roll snowflake was finished and I experimented with a couple other designs, I had to figure out what to do with them. I ending up hanging them up. They look so pretty, almost like falling snowflakes!

The only negative about hanging them is that you miss out on all the pretty details. You have to get closer to notice all the glitter and the little things you've added. In the picture below, I hung them in the window, which looked really neat. But I had to wait for the sun to set to get a picture where you could actually see the snowflakes. If I had a table, I think I'd rather just leave them as a centerpiece so people can get really close and admire the hard work.

So many options! What are you going to do with your toilet paper roll snowflake?

Congrats! You've completed your Toilet Paper Roll Snowflake!

Where are you going to display your newest creation?
Leave us a comment below.

Easy Pinables to save for later!

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Toilet Paper Roll Snowflake | Winter Crafts | WoLi Creations

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Do you ever browse a craft on Pinterest that everyone and their mother has done and you just have to give it a try yourself? I've seen so many different versions of this toilet paper roll snowflake. Simple ones, intricate ones.

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Eco friendly tip - use larger pieces of tissue paper and glue them together instead of using contact paper.

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I found this adorable stained glass nativity on Pinterest and I couldn't wait to make it with my kids. This nativity project is perfect to make with your preschooler this Christmas, and will look great hanging in your window, or on your Christmas tree.

1. Print and cut out your nativity

2. Lay out your contact paper sticky side up.

3. Center your nativity silhouette on top of the contact paper.

4. Begin placing squares of tissue paper inside the nativity silhouette to create the look of stained glass.

5. Once the nativity is filled with tissue paper, lay a second sheet of contact paper on top of the entire project. Be careful not to trap air bubbles.

6. Trim the excess contact paper with scissors.

7. You can either tape your stained glass nativity to your window or use a hole punch and hang it from a string. Either way, it will look great.

We also created mini stained glass nativity ornaments. We used the same process above. I just shrunk the nativity on my printer, and cut the squares of tissue paper smaller.

I think the kids actually enjoyed making the mini version better.

Both versions are adorable and a fun treasure to pull out each Christmas. They would also look great as gift tags, or on special Christmas cards.

If you are looking for more simple stained glass projects for kids, check out these adorable recycled stained glass ornaments we made a couple of weeks ago. Another simple and inexpensive Christmas craft to make with your kids. I love them! We also made this simple Tinfoil and Sharpie Art that looks just like stained glass.
Jeweled Christmas Tree Craft Paper Strip Christmas Tree Gingerbread Play Dough Popsicle Stick Manger Gingerbread Ornaments

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I found this adorable stained glass nativity on Pinterest and I couldn't wait to make it with my kids. This nativity project is perfect to make with your preschooler this Christmas, and will look great hanging in your window, or on your Christmas tree.

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Paper Trail Design | This post may contain affiliate links

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Christmas Nativity Banner Free Printable - Paper Trail Design

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Christmas Nativity Banner free printable. Print this silhouette banner for easy and cute Christmas decor. The chalkboard nativity with gold is classy & fun.

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Need a quick and easy winter craft to keep the kids busy? This Snowflake Suncatcher Craft is such an easy craft. Simply start by making a snowflake out of paper, then apply it to contact paper and decorate with tissue paper and finish it with another piece of contact paper on the back. They look so pretty hanging up in your windows!

Got the winter blues? Chase them away by making this cute and easy winter craft. This Snowflake Suncatcher Craft is an easy craft for cold winter days. After you are done making them hang them up in your windows to brighten your day.

Suncatchers are so easy to make and each one is unique. It's one of the easiest kids crafts to make at home. You need minimal supplies, they are quick and easy!

Plus, you can display them in your windows to add a festive and fun decoration. For an extra festive display, make this Christmas Tree Sun Catcher to hang next to your snowflakes!

Supplies Needed for Snowflake Suncatcher Craft

How to Make a Paper Snowflake

Begin by making your snowflake. To start, fold one corner of a sheet of blue paper into a triangle.

Cut the excess strip.

Fold over into another triangle.

Now, fold one side over to a point.

And fold over the other side.

Cut the top.

From here, begin cutting patterns into the edges of the paper. All snowflakes are unique so make yours however you want.

Once cut, unfold the paper to see your design.

Cut Tissue Paper

Pick out the colors of tissue paper you want to use to decorate your Snowflake Suncatcher Craft and cut them into small squares.

Finish Snowflake

Now, tear a sheet of press n seal wrap. You could also use clear contact paper instead.

Press the snowflake into the wrap.

Next, cut a bunch of squares of tissue paper.

Press the tissue paper into the open spaces of the snowflake.

Once finished applying the tissue paper, tear another sheet of wrap and position over the tissue paper, sealing in place.

Trim all the excess wrap from around the snowflake. Make sure your scissors are clean or they may stick, making it difficult to cut.

Continue with more uniquely beautiful snowflakes with more fun colors of tissue paper. Hold against the window to watch how the light makes the colors glow!

More Winter Craft Ideas!

If you take a picture and share them on Instagram make sure to #kidsactivityzone or tag us @kidsactivityzoneblog so we can see them!

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This Snowflake Suncatcher Craft is such an easy craft. Decorate a paper snowflake with tissue paper and hang it in the window!

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At Christmas we tend to splash out in all the wrong areas. We know that quality time together creates the memories and not how much we spend in cash! So why do we continue to make the same mistakes? I hope that I can inspire us all to a better festive period with homemade crafts ready for new family traditions. From filling the house with gorgeous smells with dried oranges to spending Boxing day repurposing old wrapping paper. Let's make this year an easy debt-free year without feeling like we are on a budget. You can have all of this and benefit the planet as well by not contributing to the landfill which Christmas can result in!
These ideas are just the start of what I refer to as Luxury Economy. When you practice and get your skills together these will look like the most expensive artisan rustic crafts, which is what they are of course! I would really like to hear how you get on with these crafts and treats and would love some images from your Christmas creations. You can Subscribe or use ourcontact page to get in touch. Please start to share your successes with the community we are creating here.

Lots of these Christmas ideas are traditional with a little spice for a twist, some are pure DIY. All are family friendly to get the kids involved and create those memories. So please remember that a budget Christmas is not a Penny Pincher Christmas, you are not a Grinch if you don't get in to debt!

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Christmas Crafts and Treats - The Mini Smallholder

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At Christmas we tend to splash out in all the wrong areas. We know that quality time together creates the memories and not how much we spend in cash! So why do we continue to make the same mistakes? I hope that I can inspire us all to a better festive period with homemade crafts ready for new family traditions.

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Wheatpaste is flour and water.

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Make cute snow covered pine cones with things you already have in your kitchen!

These snow pine cones are eco-friendly and non-toxic. A simple, easy and quick Christmas craft for kids.

You'll just need three things for the snow pine cones: pine cones, obviously, 😉 salt and flour. You can use common table salt or coarse salt. I used table salt for these snow covered pine cones.

DIY Eco-Friendly Snow Pine Cones With Salt & Wheatpaste

You'll need:

Make DIY Wheatpaste

Make DIY wheatpaste with flour and water. Stir together flour and cold water till the wheatpaste has the consistency of thick pancake batter. Let the DIY wheatpaste stand for 10 or 15 minutes.

Related: How To Attach Labels To Glass With DIY Wheatpaste

Dip each pine cone into the DIY wheatpaste.

Roll In Salt

Then roll the pine cones in salt.

And that's all! Now let the snow covered pine cones dry overnight and you have cute snow frosted pine cones.

Related: DIY Eco-Friendly Icicle Luminaries With Snowy Pinecones

You can use the snow pine cones for wreaths, Christmas table decorations, garlands, to decorate your mantel or Christmas tree.

Please Pin It!

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DIY Eco-Friendly Snow Pine Cones - Sew Historically

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Make cute snow covered pine cones with things you already have in your kitchen! These snow pine cones are eco-friendly and non-toxic. A simple, easy and quick Christmas craft for kids. You'll just need three things for the snow pine cones: pine cones, obviously, 😉 salt and flour.

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Paper Plate Christmas Wreath Craft.  To be more eco friendly, use recycled paper and plates.

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This post may contain affiliate links, read our Disclosure Policy for more information. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, thank you!

Make this fun paper plate wreath craft with the kids this Christmas! It's so easy and beautiful to hang up for decoration!

Start by cutting out a circle in the middle of the paper plate. Cut strips of light and dark green colored paper. Loop it around the plate then glue the ends together. Once they dry, go around and cut little triangles out of the ends. Cut out circle paper dots and glue them on. Add a ribbon and a scrunchy white paper candle! Add a string and hang up.

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This post may contain affiliate links, read our Disclosure Policy for more information. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, thank you! Make this fun paper plate wreath craft with the kids this Christmas! It's so easy and beautiful to hang up for decoration!

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Christmas keepsake. Could be used in services, (intergenerational) inviting everyone to put a fingerprint on a tree.

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What is not to like about this fingerprint Christmas tree ornament made from air drying clay? Anyone that knows me will tell you I am a big lover of creating Christmas ornaments from air drying clay and that I also a fan of using fingerprints to create keepsake decorations such as these Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornaments. In the past, we have made fingerprint snowman ornaments and also heart ornaments. I have seen Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornaments made with salt dough, but I wanted to use white air drying clay.

I adore personalised and handmade ornaments, decorations and keepsakes and these fingerprint air drying clay ornaments look adorable hanging on the Christmas tree. Follow our step by step instructions below to see how to make a fingerprint Christmas tree ornament from air drying clay to bring out year after year!

There is something really magical bringing out homemade decorations year after year, so I do try to make sure that I always add the year we made something to our ornaments. These Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament make a fabulous keepsake gift from grandparents and godparents. I have come to treasure these sort of tree decorations now my boys are getting older. These Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament are great for including all the family's fingerprints, so a fabulous collaborative art project.

Plus using air drying clay means they coordinate with any tree decoration and theme.

Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking one of these links, I will make a small commission (hopefully enough to keep me in tea all year) - at no extra cost to you! This allows me to keep creating and sharing free tutorials for you to try. Thank you!

Materials:
How to Make a Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament

Roll out your clay about half a cm think on a silicone mat and cut out your trees using a cookie cutter, ensuring you cut a hole for the twine.

Do not remove the excess clay yet as keeping it ensures everything stays in shape. Then take turns at pressing a finger into the clay to leave your fingerprints.

The remove the excess clay and allow the tress to dry - this will take at least 24 hours. Make sure that you do not place them by a radiator as the change in temperature will cause the clay to crack.

Take it in turns to colour over your fingerprint indent with ink on your finger. We all chose which colours we wanted to use.

Then using a sharpie add a line between the fingerprints to turn them into a string of lights.

Also, add a little black blob at the top of each fingerprint as this makes them look more like lights.

Then add the date in the trunk area using a sharpie.

All you need to do then is add some cords for hanging off the Christmas tree.

I like the matte finish that you get with air dry clay and I have ornaments that are four years old. As long as they are stored in a dry space then they will keep for a long time.

However, you can seal your Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament with Modge Podge.

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Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornament - Air Drying Clay - Mum In The Madhouse

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What is not to like about this fingerprint Christmas tree ornament made from air drying clay? Anyone that knows me will tell you I am a big lover of creating Christmas ornaments from air drying clay and that I also a fan of using fingerprints to create keepsake decorations such as these Fingerprint Christmas Tree Ornaments.

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Love the DIY wrapping paper

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It's that time of year again and we all need cheering up, especially this year.

But you don't need to shop like crazy. Here on pebble, we have 10 easy eco-friendly Christmas decorations you can make at home.

Molly Waring-Moore

Fri 6 Aug 2021

This Christmas, go for a natural, zero-waste theme with your decorations and table settings, rather than buying them new.

From scraps of fabric to using things found in your kitchen, these bright, beautiful - and most importantly - eco-friendly Christmas decorations will make anyone smile.

Take a look and get inspired by these Christmas craft ideas.

Festive Dried Citrus Garland

We love that this super simple DIY decoration makes your home smell just like Christmas with a touch of Scandi style added in.

Most of what you need can be found in your kitchen making it an effortless decoration too.

Hang these garlands on your tree or around your house - the choice is yours!
Learn how to make it here.

Popcorn Tree Garland

This popcorn garland looks super pretty and is so easy to make. We recommend saving a bowl of popcorn to snack on while you make these eco Christmas decorations.

Make this DIY decoration festive by adding cranberries for a pop of colour. Dried cranberries will make it last a little longer.

Use this garland instead of tinsel around your home or on your tree.

Check out the full guide here.

Make Your Own Printed Wrapping Paper

Reduce the huge amount of Christmas wrapping paper waste, and make your own this year.

You can either save newspaper throughout December and use it to artfully wrap your gifts with twine and sprigs of holly.

Or buy some recycled parcel paper and stamp it with fun designs using potato stamps and vegetable inks.

Your loved ones are guaranteed to love the unique and personalised touches to your gift wrapping this year. And it's sustainable!
Here's how to do it.

Fabric Wrap Your Gifts

Reduce the huge amount of wrapping paper waste and learn the Japanese art of furoshiki. This tradition involves wrapping your gifts in fabric rather than throwaway paper.

Choose your favourite sustainable cloth - FabRap does some seriously beautiful ones.

Or go even more zero-waste and reuse scraps of fabric you have at home. You just need to make sure your fabric is in the shape of a square for it to work.

The best part is your loved ones can reuse the fabric themselves, making it a wrapping technique that keeps on giving!

Learn how to fabric wrap your gifts here.

Natural Place Settings

If these decorations and wrapping weren't enough to impress, here's how you can really up the game with a zero-waste, festive place setting.

These homemade Christmas decorations give your table a natural flourish. Make each place setting unique with seasonal foraged items. We love holly and rosemary.

You can add dried berries for colour or get your guests ready for Christmas dinner with divine smelling cinnamon sticks, dried sliced oranges and sage leaves.

Follow these steps to make these natural place settings.

Origami Stars

Origami stars are a fun and creative way to decorate your home.

You can hang these DIY paper Christmas decorations on your tree, stick them on the windows, make them into garlands or add them to your place settings.

You can make these pretty stars out of upcycled paper you have lying around the house whether it's old newspaper, sheet music or battered up books.

Each one is completely unique too!

Read the full description of how to make them here.

Twig Stars

Yep, we can't get enough of stars this year. These plastic free, zero waste Christmas decorations are made from twigs, string and just a bit of creativity - that's it!

These stars are super easy to make and look so pretty on the Christmas tree or as part of your eco-friendly Christmas table decorations.

You could even pop them up on the fireplace if you have one.

We recommend dyeing your string with natural dyes in advance to give it enough time to dry.
Full details can be found here.

Newspaper Christmas Cards

Have some scrap odds and ends after your origami stars? Some colourful string leftover from your twig stars? Keep them for easy DIY Christmas cards!

They're so simple to make but are guaranteed to stand out with their fun rustic look. You can make them for your friends and family or stick up your creations at home - why not.

Play around with Christmassy shapes and see what you come up with!

Learn how to make these DIY Christmas cards here.

DIY Christmas Wreath

Instead of getting a shop-bought Christmas wreath, why not make your own?

We have five creative ways for you to make your own Christmas wreath at home.

They're easy, they're eco and they're a great excuse for a day of boozy, cosy Christmas crafting.

The cherries on top of this Christmas cake are that these ethical Christmas decorations will either last for years or will break down in the compost.

Here are five Christmas wreath ideas for you to try.

DIY Christmas Tree

Now you've got your Christmas wreaths, cards, wrapping paper and decorations all sorted, why not take it a step further and make your own Christmas tree?

This is a unique way to upcycle old items around the house and your tree will certainly stand out. It'll be a zero-waste Christmas tree too!

There's no wrong or right way to make a DIY Christmas tree. You can keep it simple by making a pile of books in a tree shape. Or you could tie sticks together with the smallest size at the top descending to bigger sizes further down.

Adorn your creation with festive garlands and decorations - perhaps some of the tree ornaments mentioned above.

Here are some more sustainable Christmas tree tips.

You may also like...

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10 Easy Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations To Make

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It's that time of year again and we all need cheering up, especially this year. But you don't need to shop like crazy. Here on pebble, we have 10 easy eco-friendly Christmas decorations you can make at home.

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Eco-friendly Christmas crafts are becoming more and more popular every year and we're fully behind them! Handmade Christmas gifts, eco-friendly wrapping, and sustainable decorations are great ways to start on your eco-journey. It's about using what you've got, raiding that stash, and using nature's foliage to create beautiful ornaments and home decor.

To help you make this December the greenest one yet we've gathered a whole bunch of eco-friendly Christmas crafts for you to create. Keep scrolling to find your next project and make sure you check out our hundreds of free Christmas crafts.

Best sustainable Christmas crafts

1. Pom napkin rings

Sarah Heart's shows you how to turn yarn into holly pompom napkin holders. She uses wooden rings for these napkin holders so for a more sustainable version dig out some old curtain rings and repurpose those into these cute decorations. You can learn how to make a pom pom right here on Gathered.

2. DIY foliage wreath

Every home needs a festive wreath on its door. Learn how to make Christmas wreath from scratch with The Flower Appreciation Society's free tutorial. They use natural foliage and winter blooms making it fully sustainable. Simply compost once the Christmas celebrations have ended.

3. Orange peel decorations

This Healthy Table shows you how to turn old orange peels into mini stars for the ultimate eco-friendly Christmas craft.

4. Embroidery hoop wreaths

Turn old or spare embroidery hoops into adorable Christmas wreaths with Love Create Celebrate's tutorial. Once Christmas is over you can turn your hoops back into embroidery holders and stitch one of our free embroidery patterns!

5. Leaf decorations

Decorations don't come more sustainable than Sweet Paul's rustic tree ornaments. Using just leaves, twine and scissors they've created a bunch of eco-friendly decorations for you to replicate.

6. Advent calendar stockings

These mini advent calendar stockings are the perfect stash-busting project. Use up all those spare Christmas materials and turn them into a DIY advent calendar. You could even fill them with eco-friendly presents and vegan treats.

7. Cinnamon stick decorations

Eco-friendly Christmas decorations don't come anymore au natural than Jojotastic's cinnamon stick himmeli ornaments.

8. Christmas sack

Avoid gift bags this Christmas and opt for the more eco-friendly choice, fabric Santa sacks! Learn how to make a Christmas gift sack with Rebecca Reid's free tutorial.

9. Eco-friendly Christmas wrapping

Ditch wrapping paper this year and make your own! We have everything from suminagashi gift wrap tutorials to handmade wrapping paper DIYs. You can also learn how to make gift bags out of wrapping paper so you can make this Christmas the most handmade yet.

10. Star place holders

Another stash-busting project is Anna Alicia's star place holders. These are great because you can use them again and again for New Year's Eve, birthday parties, dinner parties or you could even turn them into bunting for the little one's room.

11. Rosemary wreath decorations

Spoon Fork Bacon's mini rosemary wreaths make wonderful, eco-friendly gift decorations or place cards. They're even more sustainable if you grow the rosemary yourself!

12. Origami star decorations

Learn how to make origami stars from fabric scraps with Anna Alicia's free tutorial. We have lots of easy origami for beginners here on Gathered so get folding!

13. DIY clay decorations

Forget the cheap plastic decorations, air clay ornaments are simple to make, affordable and will keep the whole family entertained. Homemade Productions shows you how to make your own in their free tutorial. They also show you how to make little trinket dishes which would make fab gifts! For more clay tutorials check out our DIY coasters and Scandi Christmas star garland projects.

14. Christmas tree bunting

Turn old clothes into eco-friendly Christmas decorations with Anna Alicia's free Christmas bunting pattern.

15. Turn sweaters into stockings

Use Skip to my Lou's tutorial and turn an old fleece into a stocking. If you need all your fleeces to keep warm this winter then we recommend raiding the charity shops. We also show you how to refashion a blanket into embroidered Christmas stockings right here on Gathered!

16. Fabric scrap baubles

Collect up all your scrap materials and revamp last year's baubles with our fabric scrap bauble tutorial. You can also turn your scrap fabrics into eco-friendly Christmas decorations with our fabric paper chain tutorial.

17. Scrap yarn trees

Vicki Howell shows you how to make eco-friendly Christmas decorations using scrap yarn from your stash. Her free tutorial includes the pattern for this super cute knitted tree.

18. Toilet roll tube snowflakes

Eco-friendly Christmas decorations are ones you can easily recycle when the festivities are over. Save up your empty toilet rolls and transform them into these snowflake decorations with Vera's tutorial.

19. Quilted gift tags

If you're a quilter this is an eco-friendly project for you. Gather up those scraps and use our free Christmas foundation paper piecing patterns to create these lovely gift tags. Browse our modern quilt patterns and free Christmas quilt patterns for more stitchy projects.

20. Lollypop stick snowflakes

A Girl and a Glue Gun show you how to turn wooden lolly sticks into gorgeous wooden snowflakes over on her blog. As her name suggests you will need a glue gun for this tutorial so if you're on the hunt for one have a read of our best glue gun s guide.

21. DIY Christmas cards

Shop-bought cards often come wrapped in plastic and contain lots of glitter which is both bad for the planet and for your carpet! Learn how to make your own cards with our knitted Christmas card patterns and for more card making projects check out our free card making downloads.

22. Recycled paper stars

The Mini Smallholder has a whole collection of eco-friendly Christmas crafts on their blog. They include a tutorial on how to turn old papers into these ornate Christmas stars.

23. Macrame decorations

Spruce up old baubles with A Place of My Taste's macrame tutorials. There are four designs to choose from so grab your rope and start knotting. If you're a macrame newbie then head to our basic macrame knots guide.

24. Make your own Christmas jumper

We all know the effects fast fashion has on the planet so rather than buying your 2020 Christmas jumper why not transform an old t-shirt? Simply Crochet show you how to make and add this T-shirt tree embellishment to your outfits. We also have a whole bunch of free Christmas decoration crochet patterns which will help you make your own handmade ornaments for the tree.

25. Pinecone swans

Pick up some pinecones on your winter walks then turn them into Handmade Charlotte's elegant swan decorations.

26. Peanut snowmen

Evermine shows you how to turn peanuts into little snowmen over on her blog. This would be a fab and festive afternoon activity to do with the kids. Look through our craft ideas for kids for more creative projects to do with the little ones.

27. Gold leaf placemats

Hello Honey shows you how to turn autumn leaves into personalised gold place cards in her tutorial. Eco-friendly Christmas crafts have never been so decadent.

28. Cardboard gingerbread banner

Transform cardboard boxes into a gingerbread garland with Pillar Box Blue's free tutorial.

29. Dried fruit garlands

Master the art of drying fruit with Evermine's tutorial. Oranges, grapefruits, limes and lemons all make for gorgeous, traditional and most importantly, eco-friendly Christmas decorations.

30. DIY Christmas crackers

Many high street Christmas crackers use lots of unrecyclable materials and are filled with plastic toys. Instead, make eco-friendly Christmas decorations by learning how to make Christmas crackers. We've also rounded up 11 of the best Christmas cracker kits which include several eco-friendly versions.

31. Sew your own gift tags

Stitch up your own gift tags with A Wonderful Thought's tutorial. She provides you with a printable template but for a more eco-friendly version why not just copy hers using your own hand?

32. DIY snow cones

These DIY snowy pinecones by Sew Historically use completely natural ingredients making them a fab eco-friendly Christmas craft.

33. Popcorn garlands

Pebble magazine is a great green mag that shares lots of sustainable products and eco-friendly Christmas decorations. Make your own popcorn and cranberry garlands using their tutorial.

34. Salt dough ornaments

Go old school with Planted in the Woods salt dough recipe. It's an affordable eco-friendly Christmas craft that the whole family can make.

35. Star anise wreath

Who knew star anise could make pretty, eco-friendly Christmas decorations? This super simple wreath tutorial by Thistle + Fig will look and smell lovely hanging in your home.

36. Floating candles

Every eco-friendly Christmas home needs candles. Today's Creative Life features this floating candle tutorial which uses easy to find and natural materials including ferns, berries and water!

37. Pomegranate table runner

Fruit and veg make great eco-friendly Christmas decorations. Spruce up your table with Julie Blanner's natural pomegranate table runner.

38. Minimalist Triangle Tree

Make My Green Closet's minimalist/Scandinavian style Christmas tree for your mantelpiece.

39. Paper stars

Turn old newspapers and books into traditional paper stars with Homemade Gifts Made Easy's tutorial. We also have some super cute and traditional paper Christmas decorations that will make these stars perfectly.

40. Herb garland

This herb banner will smell as good as it looks in your home. Follow A Fabulous Fete's tutorial and make your own eco-friendly banner.

41. Glass Christmas frames

Finally, make those unused frames (or go and raid the charity shops) into Christmassy signs with Northern Feelings tutorial.

42. Christmas table runner pattern

Use all your scrap festive fabrics to make Jessica Entwistle's festive Christmas table runner pattern. Once you've sewn yours you can bring it out year after year for all the family to enjoy.

43. Christmas patchwork coasters

Learn how to make Christmas patchwork coasters using Jess Entwistle charming pattern. These are great beginner-friendly eco-friendly Christmas decorations that are suitable for newbie sewers. Head over to our sewing for beginners guide for tips and tricks that will help you sew these coasters.

44. DIY Christmas baubles

Transform plain baubles into beautiful gold-dipped ones using nail varnish! Follow Lana Red's DIY Christmas baubles tutorial to upcycle your old Christmas decorations.

45. Christmas calligraphy upcycled crate

Need some Christmas storage? Upcycle an old crate into a festive box with just a calligraphy pen and some red card! Use Kirsten Burke's Christmas calligraphy upcycled crate tutorial to make your own.

46. Clay Christmas star bunting

Clay is a great material for making eco-friendly Christmas decorations. Creature Comforts shows you how to make this Scandinavian Christmas star garland here on Gathered. If you fall in love with clay making (we bet you will) then head over to our air dry clay Christmas decorations tutorial after making your star garland.

47. DIY felt Christmas decorations

Everyone has spare felt in their craft stash! Use that felt to make Sabina Gibson's DIY felt Christmas decorations. They're the cutest eco-friendly Christmas decorations and they'd make lovely gifts.

48. Button Christmas tree

Collect all your spare buttons and transform them into a tiny tree with our easy tutorial. Learn how to make Christmas tree decorations from buttons right here on Gathered.

49. Sustainable Christmas garland

Eco-friendly Christmas decorations don't come more sustainable than Miesje Chafer's recycled Christmas card garland. Dig out all those old cards (or hit the charity shops) and turn them into this colourful sustainable Christmas garland.

50. Easy-sew DIY Christmas decorations

We've got another tutorial for those of you with loads of festive fat quarters left over. Follow Rebecca Ried's easy-sew DIY Christmas decorations and whip up your own eco-friendly Christmas decorations.

51. Origami Christmas tree

Gather up your leftover Christmas papers and turn them into a cute origami Christmas tree. If you don't have any spare papers then we have lots of colourful Christmas patterned papers that are perfect for paper crafting.

We hope you've enjoyed our eco-friendly Christmas decorations round-up. For more creative projects head to our five minutes crafts round-up.

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Eco-friendly Christmas crafts are becoming more and more popular every year and we're fully behind them! Handmade Christmas gifts, eco-friendly wrapping, and sustainable decorations are great ways to start on your eco-journey. It's about using what you've got, raiding that stash, and using nature's foliage to create beautiful ornaments and home decor.

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Learn how to make modern paper ornaments for your Christmas tree this year. This tutorial will show you how to create lovely decorations quickly and affordably.

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What could be better than Christmas? An eco-friendly Christmas! Trust me it will also be a cheaper Christmas and will suit everyone's budget. So do not make your Christmas tradition getting into debt. Start making memories using these eco-friendly Christmas hacks.

In basic terms 'not harmful to the environment'. I doubt anyone enjoying Christmas would intentionally go for a yuletide which was deliberately harmful to the environment. From my own research I have found that it is not just single-use plastic, or throwaway gifts, or over spending. I believe in Fairtrade products and the impact on the people making our disposable decorations can be massive.

You just have to look at articles like this from the Guardian Newspaper to see the true cost. If we want we can all debate these type of articles, but instead let's look at the positives of homemade Christmas crafts!

Let's admit we can't go completely zero waste, but let's aim for 'green'

Green Christmas decorations are ideal as we can't always avoid using glue or buying smaller items to add to our upcycled masterpieces. The first one I am going to show you is so simple that you can set this up on the kitchen table and allow the kids to get stuck in.

Using a paper chain for a country wedding or for your minimal waste Christmas.
Paper chains are child's play!

You will need a pair of Safety Scissors a Glue Stick and a few scraps of paper from old books, atlases, road maps or music sheets. The video below shows the how to guide for those who enjoy reading I have included the step by step below.

First use up the strips you have left from the star decoration you will all have tried!!

Then pop the strip through the last loop

Simply blob a bit of glue to one end and then hold between your thumb and finger for a few seconds to dry.

Then it may look a bit like this...

Paper is a reusable resource and for this easy DIY project I have chosen an old book, but why not look at road maps or sheet music instead?

As it is so easy you will need just a pair of Safety Scissors , a Glue Stick and 6 pages from an old book, atlas or sheet music.

I have included the 'how to' video below, for those of you who like to watch and pause it may be a helpful resource.

A step by step guide

Firstly fold the page to make a square, keep teh bottom section as we have another project we can use that in.

Then turn it around as if it was a triangle and cut from the folded edge towards the centre, but not as far as the centre.

Repeat this at regular intervals, you decide how chunky you want each section to be and this will vary with different paper you use.

Now you are going to open it back out to a square. Then use the glue stick and a little bit of careful folding and holding with the centre double triangle. You are looking to form the perfect cylinder shape. Hold it for a few seconds for the glue to dry.

Next turn the paper over and fold the next two sections back. Use a little bit of glue and again hold them until they dry.

You will repeat this until you have all of the 'tabs' folded and stuck together.

Once you have ma de 6 of these you can attach them to one another with the biggest side of one to the smallest side of the other.

Now I think these rock as either a wall hanging or tree decoration. They are rustic but classy so would work well at Christmas or a country wedding.

However good you are at zero waste inside your home, wrapping paper seems to be a renewable resource. Whether it is wrapped around a gift from a co-worker or distant family member, you can never seem to avoid it entering your world. So why not reuse it and help stop landfill? The glitter and foil make it nearly impossible to recycle and it would just add a bit of bling to your rustic Christmas. You can use wrapping paper for this or old books, music sheets or road maps. It all depends how rustic you want to go with it and we have lots of other ideas to inspire you for decorations!
You will need:
old cardboard cut to 6cm diameter circles, cereal boxes are ideal.
7-8 strips of old wrapping paper cut to 2.5cm in width.
Safety Scissors
Glue Stick
old wrapping paper, old book pages, old maps or music sheets.
pencil
twine or yarn

I know that some of us like to watch a how to video tutorial, so have a look at our YouTube channel beow, or follow the instructions.

STEP ONE;

Use the pencil to make a hole in the centre of the cardboard circle, then take the twine and push it through the hole. Making a knot to form the centre of the star or flower.
STEP TWO
Line the twine up on the back and secure in place with a bit of spare wrapping paper and glue.
STEP THREE
You take the strips and then fold them back on themselves to form a loop, apply the glue to the overlap and hold in place for a few seconds.
STEP FOUR
Cut the cones to a sharp tip and then arrange on the circle and glue into place.

These are really easy and can be made with children of all ages. They also store well so they could become part of your families boxing day tradition.
Now let's get a bit more of a classic rustic look for our Eco-Friendly Christmas..
Rustic Pom poms are a lot easier than you might think to make and a nice way of getting the kids involved with homemade decorations. This DIY project needs no real skill and is quick and easy!

You Will Need;
Cardboard, cut into rings
one pillowcase cut into strips
some twine for holding it all together
Dressmaking Scissors

Take two rings and set them together, then wrap the strips of material around the rings as per the video below.

This will create something looking like this...

Then very carefully you can slide your material scissors into the top and find a way to start cutting the top of teh donut, whilst holding the centre firm to ensure no material is lost. This is a good bit for adult intervention and let the kids be distracted by something less dangerous.

You will then produce this
Now Let's try a little something to fill your house with the smell of Christmas!
Having an eco-friendly mentality does not mean you cannot have luxury in your home. I hope you will see this as cost effective but also very green as they are compostable as well.

When you dry citrus fruit in the oven at home you go low and slow to fill the house with a gorgeous festive smell. Because this time of year is all about creating memories. This falls into the category of things your kids will love about Christmas. It is more sustainable than plastic decorations which are designed to be used this year and thrown away. You can add these to your compost bin once you have finished with them. That way your garden will benefit as well as your family!

You will Need;
Oranges, Lemons and Limes
Oven set to the lowest temperature it will go 70 degrees or gas mark 1
Childrens Safety Kitchen Knife
Large Non-Stick Baking Tray
Bamboo Wood Chopping Board

The key here is to slice the fruit as thinly and evenly as possible.

Lay the slices out on the baking tray and then pop in the oven for two hours, turn them over and then for a further two hours. This should be sufficient time to allow them to dry out fully.

You can be as creative as possible. Try Grapefruit slices, lime slices and lemon slices to really make your home smell festive. Why not try to combine this rustic look with other crafts? There will be lots you can do with dehydrated lemons, limes and oranges. So there is nothing to stop you from having fun experimenting.

How can you make this more eco-friendly?

In the not too distant future we will be moving to our forever home. I will then show you how to grow your own, limes and lemons. This way we will reduce the air miles!

You can then make Eco-Friendly Christmas Garlands or you could make Tree Decorations. Both of which will last the season and make your home smell like a festive haven. Once you have decided to take the decorations down, simply pop these in your compost bins.

What could be more eco-friendly? If you use the child-safe knives this will become a fast family favourite!

Is this the ultimate Eco-Friendly decoration?

I like to decorate my garden as well as indoors and Winter is a good time to feed the wildlife. It is just a little thank you to them for all of their lovely birdsong all summer.

This easy festive birdfeeder is a great idea for kids to make. A simple DIY craft and an idea for rainy weekend projects.
you will need;
MONKEY NUTS - NUTS IN SHELLS
wire
Pliers

You can make this as easy as possible for family members, by using a sharp pencil and gently pushing a hole in the middle of the monkey nut. Then you thread the wire through the nut. Using the pliers you can shape this to a nice circle.

I hope you agree that this will also make a lovely gift for the wildlife lovers in your life. It will add much needed food for the birds in your garden!

If you need any more inspiration for how to love wildlife this year have a look at this teapot birdhouse

It is tempting when we walk down the high streets and see those 'cheap' options. Tinsel and glitter covered plastic sparkle at us all. When we normally think of Eco-Friendly, we think of costly. I hope that you now have a starting point for some affordable, stress free and fun eco-friendly decorations. I will add more as I make them and I want you all to share your own versions. The important thing here is you can't get much more unique than homemade. So if you make perfect or slightly squiffy decorations they are yours and your families.

Get stuck in this year and start making memories and not debt!

Also please share your successes with us all in this eco-friendly community.

Merry Christmas.

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DIY Eco-Friendly Christmas Decorations - The Mini Smallholder

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What could be better than Christmas? An eco-friendly Christmas! Trust me it will also be a cheaper Christmas and will suit everyone's budget. So do not make your Christmas tradition getting into debt. Start making memories using these eco-friendly Christmas hacks. In basic terms 'not harmful to the environment'.

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Mostly suitable for an adult or intergenerational congregation

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For Christians, the season of Advent serves as a reminder both of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of their Messiah as well as the waiting of Christians for Christ’s return from Heaven