Crafts for Kids / Homemade Christmas Idea

Some things work so well, you have to smack yourself in the head and think "why didn't I realize this before?"  Today I experienced this in spades.

Last week on yarn run to our local Joann's, I found these little plain bird houses for $1 a piece.  I grabbed three and a few colors to add to our paint collection and brought them home to my littles.  They have been asking DAILY to paint them, and today I finally relented: if and when we finished school and picked up the house properly, yes, we could paint them.

You would have thought I had promised them a million dollars, the way they quickly got their work done!  Now, after lunch cleared away and baby down napping, I've got 3 delighted youngsters sitting around the dining room table, chattering away and using their creativity.  Awesome.

I truly believe there is an innate drive in each of us to create in some way, to innovate, to dig out hands in and make something beautiful/functional/amazing.  You can especially see it in children, their fascination with anything and everything that they can touch and change and craft.  

I have never considered myself especially "crafty" at all - true I love to knit and sew, but I'm not the macaroni gluing mom if you catch my drift.  Now, however, I am looking for things that the kids can work on.  Here is something I came across that I thought was awesome!

I saw this in this season's "Rhythm of the Home" and thought it was an excellent gift idea for any little ones in your life. Who doesn't love "new" crayons? Either make them for your kids or have your kids help make them to give to friends. I'd throw them in a mason jar and tie a bow around it. Quick, easy, fun, recycled, and inexpensive.