While any time of year is a good time to indulge in a relaxing afternoon with arts and crafts activities, during the holiday season you can have fun with a variety of arts and crafts that you can give as gifts. Hand made items are always welcome, because they are a more personal and thoughtful way to spread the cheer than a store bought gift. All of the arts and crafts ideas you'll find here are suited to all age groups.
With young children, it can be a family activity with Mom and Dad supervising the use of some materials, for safety's sake. Once kids learn the techniques, they can do future projects on their own. Introducing new arts and crafts activities gives kids an opportunity to latch on to their favorite styles of creativity.
Too many adults think that arts and crafts activities are strictly for kids. If you are one of these people, try your hand and see how much fun it really is. These projects tend to bring out the artist and child you've perhaps forgotten.
Potpourri is easy to make and especially appropriate for the holiday season. All you need are some inexpensive jars with vented lids in pretty designs, easily available at almost any drug store, along with some dried flowers and a couple of vials of essential oils to spike the scent of your mixture. Rose petals, lavender, clover blossoms, fragrant spices and essential oils can be found at any herb shop that sells in bulk. Experiment with fragrances you find appealing, or look online for potpourri 'recipes'. This arts and crafts activity makes a great gift for anyone and lasts for months.
Use old magazines and garden catalogs to find pictures with which you can make a collage. All you need is a stiff piece of cardboard as backing and school glue!
Small sewing projects, such as woven potholders, a tea cozy, covers for small kitchen appliances, doll clothes and sachets make beautiful arts and crafts projects that are especially economical when you have a stash of fabric scraps. You can also pick up 'fat quarters' and bits of trim from the end of the bolts at the fabric shop.
Another easy, quick and useful arts and craft activity is making decorative herb and spice jars, or jam pots for goodies from your kitchen. Use plain jars made for seasonings from dollar type stores or, for jam pots, a box of preserving jars. All you need to complete your project are some decorative labels from the stationery store.
Pick up a book on origami and try your hand at paper folding. A grouping of birds or other whimsical shapes can be strung together for a lovely mobile, suitable for hanging in a nursery or kid's rooms. You can enhance the appearance with fancy foil papers, glitter or acrylic paints.
Small terracotta flower pots look great when painted with acrylic paints and planted with a variety of herbs. This makes a great gift for Mom, or any cook you know. Before you begin painting, spray the outside of the pot with a clear acrylic sealer. When the pot is painted, follow up with another clear coat of sealer. These look cute and colorful lined up on the kitchen windowsill.
Each one of these arts and crafts activities are well suited to gift giving. You may be tempted to keep some of them for yourself!
