Cork Prints
We are super excited about Christmas but even I can get overloaded with Christmas crafts sometimes. This snowflake is a nice easy winter craft that appeals equally to toddlers as it does to older kids and even adults. I love using corks as painting tools because they are easy for all ages to grab and even though most of us would stamp them using the end they can be rolled in paint too! My daughter liked this but got a wee bit frustrated with the sticky glitter glue. I will tape the snowflake down on the table with painter’s tape next time to help alleviate that.
- Gather your materials. You will need some blue construction paper, scissor, white paint, silver glitter paint or glitter glue and a paper plate.

- Start by folding your paper in 4.
Then cut into a snowflake.
Open.
- Put paint and glitter into the plate and add corks ( real corks work better for a circle print) .

- Invite your artist and create.
Most kids will stamp the corks down but do not correct them if they roll the cork, there is no wrong way to do this. 
- Let dry and add to your kid art museum ( aka your fridge) , wall or window!

I love it when I can do one craft with both my kids. With a 5 year old son and a 18 month old daughter it’s not as often as I wish. This super easy but completely festive Christmas craft fit the bill, they both happily painted and now my kitchen is merry and bright with one on the pantry and the other on the closet door. Holiday crafts are my kids’ favorite and unlike many of our other creations these are kept, stored and brought out year after year.
- Gather your materials. You will need a paper plate per child, corks ( do you know how long it took us to save up these corks? Since 2006 I have been almost always pregnant or nursing. It took a long time… ), paint, a plate or two for the paint, some ribbon , scissors and hot glue.

- Start by cutting the middle out of the plate. If we were painting with brushes or something that offered more coverage I’d do the cutting after the paint dried but with corks you want to make sure they hit the wreath and not all in the middle of the plate.

- Add paint to a plate.
I put a different cork in each color to encourage my kids to try each color. Also the corks I used for my daughter who is presently trying to put all things not bolted down into her mouth , are the solid plastic? ones. I did a bite test and they were solid. Still PLEASE watch vigilantly and make sure your children are ready and able to do the craft safely, you can always opt for finger painting . - Paint!

- She was more interested in the feeling of the paint than banging the corks on her wreath. This is normal for toddlers, they are exploring and it doesn’t mean the craft failed.

- My son quite liked the marks the corks left and had a ball.

- After they were dried I made bows and hot glued them on, then put them on my doors with painter’s tape.

Easy Peasy Wreath Cookies
Check out these cheater cookies we made when we needed something fast for a holiday pot luck, they were tasty and super easy for my son to help me make.
















