This recycled project is possibly the easiest custom ornament I’ve ever made. These easy letter ornaments are kid friendly Christmas decor ( or even gift tags) with a dash of learning in the mix as well . These big foam letters are part of a floor puzzle that we’d grown out of , but there are similar bath ones for much less available online , thrift stores or you can use small ones that you can find in the dollar section of Target and Walmart.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some foam letters, newspaper , markers, glue, glitter and ribbon.  You will also need something to poke the ribbon hole in your foam, we used a paintbrush.
2. Start by covering your table with plenty of newspaper or something you can simply fold up and throw away. Glitter is awesome, I love it but it’s a drag to clean up , when you can simply fold and throw it’s much easier.
3. Lay out your letters and color with markers. Be prepared for your kid’s hands to get covered in marker, the foam doesn’t absorb it easily and it will smudge. If this will frustrate your child, skip it and move onto the glitter. I am trying to do everything I can to get my son writing ,he has little interest in it, so I sneak it in everywhere.
4. Add glue!
5. Add glitter. Don’t be shy dump it on.
6. Let dry. I let them dry for 2 days , then shook the extra glitter off . If your marker was still wet when you added the glitter , the glitter will have initially stuck to the wet marker but will now fall off. A few taps will take care of it.
7. Poke a hole in the letter.
8. Thread the ribbon through.
9. Hang up!

Christmas Books

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett is a great book to read whether your children are familiar with the song or not. I love that even though I think of it being a song, my son thinks of it as a math book, counting up the gifts on every page. In classic Jan Brett fashion the illustrations are incredibly detailed , in the side pictures you can follow a family trimming their tree and I particularly liked the holiday salutations on every page in different languages. Really my only complaint is the copy we got from the library was sticky.

It’s Christmas by Tina Burke is simple and brief but it’s not too simple to share with a wide range of ages. The story reads like a photo album with short descriptions of holiday preparations, traditions and celebrations. My favorite is the picture with Santa with a screaming baby. The heart of this book though is how it captures the feeling of having to wait forever for Santa to come.

Ho, Ho, Ho, Tucker! by Leslie McGuirk is a cute story about an adorable little dog Tucker who is crazy about Christmas. While getting into the holiday spirit he burns his nose on a cookie pan . When Santa sees his bright red nose he asks him to come a long for the fun on Christmas Eve. There is a lot of good natured humor that any young child will giggle at , Tucker peeing on a Christmas tree got some good giggles at our house.  I doubt this will be a Christmas classic to read on Christmas Eve but it a cute book your kids will enjoy.