Christmas Felt Board Gifts

Felt Advent Calendars
This calendar allows young children to still experience the countdown to Christmas without the added sugar and small gifts. The days
are placed on the tree with ornaments. First cut out a large template of a Christmas Tree. After the tree is cut, the ornaments are cut out using a template and a variety of color felt. There are a number of variations to this felt advent calendar. An outline of the ornament with the numbers from 1 to 25 can be drawn onto the Christmas Tree with fabric paint, or color ornaments can be cut out with the numbers on them from 1 to 25. One final idea is that grey ornaments with the numbers on them can be made and they will then be transferred with colorful and glittery ornaments when each December day arrives.

Put Together Santa Claus

Young children enjoy hands on experiences. This gift allows them to put together Santa Claus themselves, not unlike dress up dolls. The song, Must Be Santa works well as a combination to this gift. Find paper to make the templates for all they lyrics, then draw them, cut the fabric out and decorate the felt material. Santa will have the following pieces:

• head/face with rosy cheeks
• white moustache and white beard
• red and white hat
• red and white coat
• red pants
• black buckle
• black boots
• red mittens
• Santa's bag

Decorate Your Own Christmas Tree

Another felt activity that will keep those toddlers and preschool aged children busy, is a gift that allows them to decorate their own Christmas tree safely and easily. Cut out a Christmas tree and then provide a variety of decorations made out of felt material and decorated with fabric paint for the gift receiver to choose from. The children will be entertained decorating their own felt tree, and don't forget the star.

Here is a nice poem to add to the tree gift:

Here are decorations

You can place on the tree

Decide where to place them

For all of us to see

Now the tree is ready

So plug in all the lights

And see all its beauty

Each and every night

Benefits of a Make it Yourself Gift

These make it yourself gifts are fun, personalized and durable. Felt material, unlike many plastic toys we are drawn towards buying at low prices, will last for years. The material is easy to find, and the steps are straight forward making it a reasonable craft project that is also easy on the wallet!

This article, written by Christine Moore, was originally published by suite101.com