Recycled Lid Christmas Ornament Craft

I sorta promised my husband I wouldn’t spend much on craft supplies this holiday, so I have been keeping my word and finding great ways to recycle instead. These ornaments are fun, fast, and cheap. Also as I sit writing this, I am looking at how awesome these ornaments are on a lit Christmas tree. This is such an easy Christmas ornament craft that make great kid made gifts as well.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some cleaned lids ( yogurt, icing, even jar lids will work), old Christmas cards or photos, scissors, glue, permanent double stick tape, a pipe cleaner per ornament and glitter.
2. Start by choosing your photos or cards and tracing the lid on the back of it.
3. Cut out.
4. Using the double stick tape attach the picture to the lid. Press and hold for a bit.
5. Grab the glue and add to edge on the front.
6. Add glitter.
7. Let dry.
8. Punch a hole and thread the pipe cleaner through.  If you are using a metal jar, you can use hot glue to attach a pipe cleaner to the back. Adults only, though!

Christmas Books

The Little Drummer Mouse by Mercer Mayer is a beautiful book. The dedication to his grandchild is perhaps my favorite part even though the book itself is wonderful too! Read it, and you’ll see!  The story is a retelling of the little drummer boy, but in this book he’s a tiny little insignificant mouse. At least he thinks he’s insignificant until he follows the bright star to the manger on the very first Christmas night! The little acorn drum that this little mouse beat is anything but insignificant and he is thrust into the spotlight as Baby Jesus likes his music best of all! The illustrations are amazing; they have so much detail I find myself opening this book over and over just to look. Great book, the test is lengthy for toddlers, but preschoolers and older will love it.

Merry Un-Christmas by Mike Reiss is a fun twist on  Christmas Book. In it, Noelle is tired of Christmas, because in her town it’s Christmas every day except one. She can’t fake the enthusiasm for another pony or bike but when she figures out that Un-Christmas is coming she is elated. It’s the only day she goes to school; it’s the only day the mail comes, and it’s filled with tradition and special meaning. I love how this book turns everything topsy-turvy and makes kids think what really makes Christmas special.

Mini Merry Book: Gingerbread Joy by Julia Woolf is a tiny little book that my 6-month-old is nuts about. A good friend and I decided to do only books as gifts to each other’s kids this year, and this was one of the board books my daughter received.  As expected it’s  a super simple book about baking gingerbread houses and people as a treat at Christmas time. What my daughter loves are the shiny foil inserts in the already fun illustrations. She smacks them over and over with her chubby baby hands, and the text is simple enough my son can help read it to her. All in all a perfect little stocking stuffer!