Author: Robyn

Children travelling alone

Posted on by Robyn

There are many reasons why your child might have to fly unaccompanied by a trusted adult. The most common reason is when they are visiting a parent or other relatives and friends during the school holidays.

Many adults find the prospect of navigating airports and boarding procedures nerve wracking and baulk at the prospect of  a child managing it alone.

Most airlines have procedures in place to ensure unaccompanied minors are able to travel safely, however parents still need to be aware that although they have handed their child over to the airline, plans can still change –  for example if the flight is delayed for an extended period, forced to return or divert. Keeping the adults waiting at the other end updated of any changes can be difficult too.

Air New Zealand can give you peace of mind with their Airband™, an innovative wrist band designed especially for children travelling alone. Every step of the travel process is sent by text to parents. Here’s how it works – when you check your child in as an unaccompanied minor to Air New Zealand, they will be given the Airband™. At each new stage of their journey ie check-in, boarding, landing and pick up, the wristband is scanned by staff and text message updates are automatically sent to up to five nominated people so parents, guardians, drop off and pick up people can all be kept up to date.

During the Christmas period alone around 16,500 children are expected to set off on travel adventures, some even on journeys as long as nearly 22 hours but Airband™ can give those waiting on the ground peace of mind.

Read more about Airband™ here

Christmas chocolate spoons

Posted on by Robyn

These chocolate spoons are lots of fun to make and decorate and they make cute little presents to give at Christmas.

Lay spoons out on a tray covered with baking paper. Prop the end of the spoons up so they are level.

In a glass bowl, heat the white chocolate for 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring constantly until it is melted and smooth. Pour into a  resealable bag. Repeat with the milk chocolate.

Snip a small corner of the bag and fill half of the spoons with white chocolate and half with the milk chocolate. Tap each spoon so the chocolate is a level spoonful.

Pour the remainder of each chocolate into fresh ziploc bags. Snip a very small corner off and pipe your chosen designs on the spoons.

Add the cachous and coated chocolate chips. Tie ribbons around the spoons. Place spoons in the refrigerator to set.

Notes:

  • I piped christmas trees and christmas lights on my spoons but you can pipe your own designs.
  • Cachous are a fancy name for silver edible balls.
  • Use the best chocolate you can afford for these spoons. The taste really matters.
  • You can cover these in clear cellophane and give them as gifts.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot

Chocolate rum balls

Posted on by Robyn
 These rum balls are pre-prepared, easy, and the kids will adore helping you make them. Why not make creating them as much a tradition as eating them each Christmas?

Ingredients:

  • 1 packet Round Wine biscuits
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 200g can condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 120g copha, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 teaspoons rum
  • Extra coconut for coating

Method:

Use a food processor to crumble half the biscuits, pour into a large mixing bowl and repeat with remaining biscuits.

Add coconut, condensed milk, cocoa, copha, vanilla and rum to the biscuits and mix well.

Roll one heaped teaspoonful of mixture into a ball and roll in extra coconut. Store in the fridge.

Notes:

  • If your kids like getting their hands dirty, they will love helping you roll the balls and throwing coconut around the kitchen.
  • If you own a food processor, crush the biscuits by putting them in a freezer bag (two, depending on the quality of said plastic bag) and crushing them with a rolling pin. Also very therapeutic.
  • This recipe was created by Melissa Hughes for Kidspot

Christmas angel ice creams

Posted on by Robyn

Ingredients:

  • 1 tin sweetened condensed milk
  • 600ml cream, thickened
  • pop sticks
  • jelly crystals
  • Christmas-style ribbon

Method:

Line a slice tray with baking paper and set aside.

Using a mixer, whip the condensed milk and cream together until very thick.

Pour into the tray and tap on the bench to even the mixture. Freeze overnight.

Place the cookie cutters in hot water. Tie the ribbons around the bottom of your pop sticks. Lay out a plate with the jelly crystals on it.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer. Cut shapes out. Push pop sticks into the ice cream and dip in jelly crystals.

Lay them on the tray and return them to the freezer until ready to use.

Notes:

  • Make sure that the depth of the ice cream in the tray and the depth of the cookie cutters are the same.
  • It’s important to work quickly so these don’t get too soft.
  • I put my mixture in the deep freezer because it is colder than my fridge freezer.
  • This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot

 

Christmas Burgers With The Lot

Posted on by Robyn

These gourmet Christmas burgers with the lot are perfect if you don’t buy into the full roast lunch or dinner thing on Christmas day. Also perfect for those lazy summer barbecues.

Ingredients:

  • 2 red onions
  • 500g heart smart beef mince
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup cornflake crumbs or breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons basil pesto
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 8 rashers short cut bacon
  • 50g mixed lettuce leaves
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 capsicums, roasted
  • 8 slices bread or 4 hamburger buns, halved
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup basil leaves, torn

Method:

Preheat oven to 120°C. Peel onions, sit base of onion on chopping board and cut vertically into 1cm slices.

Heat a non-stick frypan to medium heat and cook onion slices for about 10 minutes each side or until soft and golden. Place in oven to keep warm.

Cook the bacon rashers in the frypan until crisp and place in oven to keep warm. Combine mince, pesto, tomato paste, crumbs and water.

Form into 4 large burgers or 8 small burgers.

Heat a non-stick frypan to medium heat  or turn the BBQ down low.  Don’t rush or they will burn. Allow 6-7 minutes each side and turn only once.

Toast bread or burger buns.

Top one slice of bread or half bun with capsicum, tomato and roasted onion.

Top the remaining bread or bun with lettuce, bacon, burger and some crumbled feta.

Sprinkle with basil leaves. Serve with tomato sauce or chutney.

Cheerios Christmas trees

Posted on by Robyn

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups marshmallows
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • Green food colouring
  • 3 cups Cheerios
  • Mini M&M’s ( just the red and green ones)
  • Jaffas
  • Canola spray

Method:

In a bowl, place the marshmallows and butter together and melt in the micowave on high for 40 seconds. Mix well with a spoon.

Add green food colouring until you have the colour you like.

Pour Cheerios into the marshmallow mix and stir well to coat. Leave to cool until the mixture becomes tacky. You may need to put it in the fridge if it is a warm day.

Cover a tray with baking paper.  Spray your hands with canola spray and shape the Cheerios mixture into cones and place on the tray.

Place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up.

Remove and decorate with red and green M&M’s and place a Jaffa on top. The trees will still be sticky enough for the decorations to adhere but you may need to use a little icing to stick the Jaffa on. I used a tube of ready-made writing icing.

 

 Notes:

  • Little ones will need help with the microwave step of this recipe.
  • These little trees are pale green in the picture as I used pink and white marshamllows to begin with and then I coloured them with blue food colouring to get the pale green colour.
  • If this mixture seems a little too wet, cooling it in the freezer is a great way to firm it up.
  • A light dusting of icing sugar will make it look like you have snow on your trees.

Christmas paper letter garland

Posted on by Robyn

A nice take on those old-fashioned fringe Merry Christmas banners, this one can be customized to suit your style. Choose Christmas carols, Christmas words or quotes from the bible relating to this special time of year. Use one colour or several, alternating the colour with each word. It looks especially great en masse across the ceiling of a room.

You’ll need:

  • Coloured cardboard: A4 is the best size as it’s ready-made to the perfect size once you fold it over. Paper works as well although is slightly lighter so will wave a little more in the breeze!
  • Scissors
  • A paintbrush if you wish to spread runny glue
  • Glue
  • Fishing wire
1. Fold the paper 2. Cut out letters keeping the top fold uncut
3. Glue the two halves of each letter 4. Thread onto wire

Step one

Fold the paper in half lengthways.

Step two

Using the fold as the top of each letter, cut out individual letters freehand. Make sure you leave the top of the letter connected at the fold so you can open the letter like a card. Keep each word grouped in a pile.

Step three

Open each letter and apply glue to both sides of the fold. With a long length of fishing wire, place one end (leave about a metre to hang) of the wire on the fold.

Step four

Close the letter, pressing the glued area so it sticks.

Step five

Once dry, hang from the ceiling or architraves using white masking tape so it blends with the paint.

Confetti ribbon gift wrap

Posted on by Robyn

Why spend on ribbons when you can make your gift wrap pretty with just paper. Get punching on coloured scrap paper and make ‘ribbons’, Christmas motifs or even the recipient’s initials out of confetti. Here’s how.

You’ll need:

  • Coloured paper scraps
  • A small hole punch (I used one by Martha Stewart, available from Spotlight)
  • A cutting mat or chopping board
  • Double-sided tape or double-sided sticky sheets (available from Spotlight)
  • A little cup or bowl (to place the confetti in)
  • Newspaper

 

 

Step one

Layer the paper scraps on top of each other and punch through numerous times to make confetti. Empty the punch into the bowl as you go.

Step two

Wrap your present in plain or coloured paper (white would look best with multi-coloured confetti). Apply strips of double-sided tape in a cross on the front of the present, the same way you would tie a ribbon around it. Remove the backing so it’s sticky-side up.

Step three

Lay your gift on a piece of newspaper and sprinkle the confetti onto the tape. Gently press on to secure even more.

Step four

Lift the present up and shake it slightly, letting the excess confetti fall onto the newspaper. Put the leftover confetti into your cup to reuse on another present. You could also create simple shapes with the double-sided tape – like a star – or use the sticky-backed paper to cut out the recipient’s initials

Starburst pom pom garland

Posted on by Robyn

These simple pom poms are made from raffia and look cute strung together into a garland or tied onto the Christmas tree as ornaments. With a huge range of raffia colours available, you can have whatever colours fit your decor style to make it a bonne Noel.

You’ll need:

  • Coloured raffia
  • Scissors
  • String

Step one

Wrap the raffia around four fingers several times – the more you wrap, the larger the starburst will be.

Step two

Carefully remove the wrapped raffia and leave it in a doughnut form, squeeze the sides together. Tie a piece of raffia around the middle tightly.

Step three

Slip one side of the scissors into the loops and snip. Repeat on the other side.

Step four

Fluff the ends out by pulling them in all different ways until they ‘puff’ out like a starburst. String the pom poms together with a piece of string to form a garland and hang.

Paddle pop stick wreath

Posted on by Robyn

Graphic and modern, this wreath is simple and inexpensive to make, and looks great hanging on a door or wall. It’s also not too Christmas-y looking so can be left hanging up all year long as a little piece of DIY art.

You’ll need:

  • Paper and a pen
  • An embroidery hoop
  • Paddle pop sticks (from craft and bargain stores)
  • Hot glue gun
  • Paint (optional)
  • Paintbrush (optional)

 

Step one

Trace around the embroidery hoop on a piece of paper. Now draw a straight line from the top of the circle on the piece of paper. This is your guide to ensure the paddle pop sticks are applied straight. Use the hot glue gun to squirt a little bit of glue onto the embroidery hoop and stick a paddle-pop stick in place, ensuring it’s in line with the drawn line on your piece of paper.

Step two

Turn the hoop slightly, making sure it is still on top of the drawn circle and glue on the next stick. Continue until the hoop is covered.

Step three

Flip the hoop over and apply paddle pop sticks in the gaps between the sticks a centimetre or so out from the embroidery hoop.

Step four

Paint if you wish; tie some string around the screw of the embroidery hoop and hang.

Clay and felt acorns

Posted on by Robyn

Cute as Christmas tree ornaments or to fill a glass bowl for a dash of yuletide colour, these clay and felt acorns are fun to make. You could also use gumnuts as an alternative to the clay acorns.

You’ll need:

  • Air-drying clay (available from art and craft supply stores)
  • Felt balls
  • Cardboard
  • Scissors
  • String
  • Wooden skewer
  • Glue

 


Step one

Soften the clay by squishing it a little and roll it between your hands into a ball. Flatten it into a round disc – about half a centimetre thick.

Step two

Mould the clay around half of a felt ball, shape it like the top of an acorn. Once the shape is formed, remove the felt ball and use the skewer to poke a hole through the centre of the clay.

Step three

Cut a thin strip of cardboard and fold lengthways into a ‘V’ shape. Use the end to press into the clay to create a pattern. Repeat steps one to three to make multiple acorn tops.

Step four

Leave the clay acorn tops to dry and harden in the sun for 24 hours. Turn them over so the insides dry as well – you can hurry up the process by using a hairdryer.

Step five

Thread the two ends of a piece of string through the hole in the acorn tops and tie the ends into a knot. Glue the inside of the clay tops and press the felt ball into the acorn top. Once dry, hang on the Christmas tree.

Fabric Christmas tree card

Posted on by Robyn

This is a sweet and simple-to-make card featuring strips of green fabric in the shape of a Christmas tree. The fabric is stuck on with double-sided tape. Too easy!

You’ll need:

  • Plain coloured card
  • Fabric scraps in shades of green
  • Scissors
  • Double-sided tape
  • Black marker

 

Step one

Tear fabric into thin strips so the edges are slightly frayed.

Step two

Cut each fabric strip piece slightly smaller than the one before it and place in a row in the shape of a Christmas tree.

Step three

Stick double-sided tape on the backs of each strip and stick into place in the centre of the card.

Step four

Draw a tree trunk and star decoration on the top of the tree using the black marker.

DIY Christmas foam stamp

Posted on by Robyn

This is a great way to give the gift of some handmade ones cards with your own design this Christmas? Turn your daydream doodles into a stamp and you can create your own stationery, gift wrap, cards…

You’ll need:

  • A thin foam sheet, from craft stores
  • A drawing. Something simple and symmetrical is ideal as you can then line it up and stamp to create a larger repetitive pattern.
  • A cutting mat (or chopping board)
  • A scalpel
  • Spray adhesive
  • An acrylic block, from craft stores

Step one

Cut out your design on paper and use it as a stencil to cut around on the foam piece. Arrange your foam cut-outs in the correct pattern but face down.

Step two

Spray glue the acrylic block and wait until tacky.

Step three

Gently place on top of the foam cut-outs and press over the block evenly to ensure all pieces stick firmly.

Step four

Leave to dry a little while and you’re ready to use!

What we did:

We cut plain blank cards in half with a scalpel and stamped the design on the top centre. We used various inks in a similar colourway, then packaged up six cards into a glassine bag and tied together as a gift. Great for neighbours, teachers or friends in your mother’s group.

Calligraphy Christmas card

Posted on by Robyn

You don’t have to be an expert in calligraphy to use a quill and ink pot – simply by playing with squiggles and swirls you can create simple but effective cards.

You’ll need:

  • Plain coloured card
  • A calligraphy quill
  • A pot of white ink

 

 

Step one

Practice using the calligraphy quill on a scrap piece of card. Find the best, most comfortable way to use the quill and take note of how the ink works and how quickly it runs out. Have a play with patterns.

Step two

Once you’ve practiced, squiggle a Christmas tree with a few swirly baubles, a stump and a star on top on the card. Finish the card off with a message – like ‘Merry Christmas’!

Paper bauble Christmas card

Posted on by Robyn

You don’t need to OD on Christmas patterns and colours for cards – choose a simple colour scheme and use scrapbook paper or gift wraps in Christmas designs for clever and cute handmade cards.

You’ll need:

  • Plain coloured black card
  • Patterned scrapbooking paper, Japanese rice paper or gift wrap
  • Double-sided sticky sheets (from Spotlight)
  • A circle punch or a circle shape and scissors
  • String
  • A white ink pen
  • A single hole punch
  • A cutting mat or chopping board

 


Step one

Cut a square of double-sided sticky sheet and place it on the back of the patterned paper.

Step two

Using the circle punch, punch a circle shape in the patterned paper with the patterned side facing up (this will ensure the paper doesn’t tear as you punch through it). If you don’t have a circle punch, you can trace a circle shape using a bangle, or a glass and then cut it out with scissors.

Step three

Peel off the sticky back and stick onto the front of your card. Repeat with another circle.

Step four

Punch two small holes at the top of both ‘baubles’ using the single hole punch. Thread the string through the small holes and tie these into a bow. Finish by drawing a ‘string’ from the top of the card to the bauble.

Christmas cards your toddler can make

Posted on by Robyn

Let the little ones in on the Christmas crafting with this easy festive card idea from Deborah Alter-Rasche. The seasonal greetings double up as a fantastic sensory play idea with colours and textures to explore.

When my daughter was a toddler, we made these simple homemade Christmas cards for her to give to family members. Now that my son is at the toddler age, I wanted something equally as simple for him to have a go at. He is really into sensory play at the moment so I knew that stamping with his finger was likely to catch his attention.

Materials

  • Blank cards (or thick paper you can fold/cut into cards)
  • Coloured triangles (any colour. Older kids can cut the triangles themselves)
  • Paint or ink for stamping. (I made my own little stamp-pad of paint with a damp sponge on a plastic lid)
  • Paper glue
  • HINT: I always have a damp cloth on hand so I can wipe hands/tables, etc quickly without leaving him alone

Directions

  • Glue the triangles of paper onto the cards
  • Use your finger to stamp little Christmas baubles onto your Christmas tree
  • Allow to dry

As suspected, he was delighted to print and make marks with his finger. We used the time to talk about the colours he was choosing and about stamping ON the green triangle/tree.

Alternative: For a “neater” finish, your child could stamp their finger all over the coloured paper BEFORE cutting out the triangles. When the coloured paper is dry, cut out the already decorated triangles and then stick onto blank cards.

Finish your cards with a personalised message and they are ready to send.

 

This craft was created by Deborah Alter-Rasche for kidspot.com.au and has been altered for kidspot.co.nz

Easy homemade Christmas card ideas

Posted on by Robyn

Every Christmas my kids get a tip-load of generic Christmas cards from their class-mates.  The flimsy white envelopes multiply in the bottom of their school bags, forgotten until I fish them out, open them up and read the perfunctory, “To X from X” message that some 10-year-old has scrawled on the inside. Out of respect for the gesture and also because I like hanging Christmas cards, I hang them on a string over the dining room window.

It’s a nice idea, but something about the generic nature of the card and the minimalist message written on it, makes me go, “Meh.”  Once in a while, however, one of those kids makes their own card and all of a sudden it’s a different story. Instead of imagining some kid sitting at a table routinely filling out cards like an adult doing their tax, I visualise a little kid lovingly crafting a homemade card for his friend. It’s a whole different ball game, don’t you think?

If your kids love craft (my kids do) here are five easy homemade Christmas card ideas you can help them make for their friends this year.

1. Woodland diorama Christmas card

This one is quite fancy. My kids love making these cut out cards. Once you show them the simple trick behind making a pop up card, they won’t want to stop.  Watch the video to find out how to make a diorama Christmas card.

Find more instructions for the Woodland Diorama Christmas card here

2. Paper bauble Christmas card

This one is easy AND you can use up any old Christmas paper you have lying around. Just use a drinking glass to make circles.

 

Find more instructions for the paper bauble Christmas card here

3. Snowflake Christmas card

This one requires a little bit of fine motor skillery but it’s well worth the effort. You can just use a kitchen skewer to pierce the holes.

Find more instructions for the snowflake Christmas card here

4. Cupcake wrapper snowflake Christmas card

While you’re into snowflakes, this one is addictive too. Once your kids realise how easy it is to make intricate snowflake out of a patty cake wrapper, you’ll find yourself drowning in Christmas snowflakes. Just stick ’em to the front of a card. Noice.

 

Find more instructions for how to make a snowflake out of a cupcake wrapper here

5. 3D angel Christmas card

Another crafty way to make use of old Christmas wrapping or even old Christmas cards from last year. Use the patterned bit to make your 3D angel. Don’t forget to bend her wings a bit so that she ‘pops out’ of the card.


Find more instructions for how to make a 3D angel Christmas card here

Continue reading “Easy homemade Christmas card ideas”

Free Printable Christmas Tags

Posted on by Robyn

Why waste money on store-bought Christmas labels or tags when you can make your own?

Print out Christmas labels on the computer using these gorgeous Christmas templates including labels to stick on gifts, colouring-in Christmas tags for kids, and Christmas swing tags that you can attach with a pretty ribbon to presents, or hang as decorations on the Christmas tree.

Christmas tags to print (PDFs):

Make your own Christmas snowglobe

Posted on by Robyn

Every house celebrates Christmas in a different way. Whether you go all out or keep it simple, these decorations are perfect. Personalise each one for teacher gifts, place settings, Kris Kringle or just to add a little flair to your home.

You’ll need:

  • water
  • jar with lid
  • hot glue gun (or plasticine)
  • eggshells or glitter
  • small toy or figurine

Here’s how:

Step 1. If you are using eggshells, remove the membrane from the inside of the shells. This is important so your water doesn’t go cloudy. Once the membrane has been removed, crush your eggshells ready to use.

Step 2. Using your hot glue gun, glue your figurine on to the inside of the jar lid. Make sure it’s right in the middle so the lid will still fit on.

Step 3. Fill your jar with cooled, boiled water and sprinkle in your crushed eggshells or glitter. Glitter will give you a sparkly, shimmery look.

Step 4. Flip the lid and do it up on the jar nice and tight. If you are worried about leakage, run a little superglue around the inside of the lid before you do it up.

Step 5. Turn the whole lot upside down and give it a shake. You have your own Christmas snowglobe!

Crafted by Frog, Goose and Bear.

Snowflake Christmas card

Posted on by Robyn

Just like the Paper cut-out lanterns, a little hole punching can be effective. Especially with a little silver sparkle behind it to show off your hard work.

You’ll need:

  • Plain black card
  • A single hole punch (or nail punch and hammer)
  • Silver foil paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors
  • Cutting mat or chopping board
  • White ink pen

 


Step one

Open the card up and hold it face down (so that you don’t punch through both sides). Starting in the centre, punch a hole right in the middle and punch your snowflake pattern outwards from there.

Step two

Cut a square of silver foil paper and glue it to the inside of the card.

Step three

Write a message in white ink on the inside of the card. Done!

Paper snowflakes

Posted on by Robyn

A little warning: this gets addictive! Paper snowflakes are fun to make, especially as each one is different! They look fabulous stuck on a wall, strung together in front of a window or placed over contrasting coloured gift wrap as present toppers. You could also glue a small one on a dark-coloured card to make handmade Christmas cards or you could laminate a huge A3-sized snowflake as a placemat – the uses are endless.

To make paper snowflakes you’ll need:

  • Paper (plain white A4, coloured or patterned – it’s up to you)
  • Scissors

 


 

Step one

Cut an A4 size sheet into a square by folding a corner into a triangle and cutting off the excess rectangle. You can use the leftover strip to make smaller snowflakes.

Step two

Fold the triangle in half to make a smaller triangle.

Step three

Keep the ‘open’ end of the triangle to the left and the main fold on your right. Then visually divide the triangle into thirds. Fold the right-hand side down so the bottom right corner is poking down below the bottom of the triangle.

Step four

Fold the left hand side over on top of the other side so it resembles an arrow head.

Step five

Turn over to reveal a straight line across the top of the smaller triangles. Cut along this line to even it off.

Step six

Cut shapes into both sides of the triangle and unfold to reveal your shape!

Note: This cut (with the main fold on the right-hand side and the ‘open’ side on the left) makes the large six-pointed star in the centre of the main image.

Paper cut-out lanterns

Posted on by Robyn

Inside or outside, you can’t go past soft, filtered candlelight to create atmosphere – especially at Christmas time! A simple paper bag can be made beautiful with a little creative thinking and a flame-free LED candle.

You’ll need:

  • Paper bags (these were found in the party aisle of a bargain store)
  • LED candles (try a discount variety store)
  • A single holepunch or similar single punch tool (the one I’ve used is by Martha Stewart, available from Spotlight)
  • A cutting mat or chopping board

Step one

Using a flat paper bag, punch holes straight through both sides of the bag – go freehand or trace a printed pattern or picture. Try a Christmas theme such as snowflakes, stars, Christmas trees or random patterns for a graphic look. A mix of different styles looks nice.

Step two

Carefully open the bag, turn the LED candle on and place it inside the bag. LED candles flicker gently and have a golden glow to mimic real candlelight. They’re also safe as there’s no chance of them catching fire – unlike real candles so close to paper!

3D paper ornaments

Posted on by Robyn

When you’ve got young kids, you want safe Christmas tree ornaments – those glass ones are just accidents waiting to happen. In comparison, these ‘onions’ are safe, simple to make and look pretty hanging en masse from a tree or strung together as a garland. Also cute for birthday parties or as a mobile in a baby’s room.

To make 3D paper ornaments, you’ll need:

  • A4 sheets of coloured paper
  • Scissors
  • A hot glue gun
  • String
  • Single hole punch


Step one

Cut the A4 paper into 1.5-2cm wide strips the length of the page. You need three strips per ‘onion’.

Leave one strip as is. Then cut about 1.5 centimetres from the end of another strip. Then cut about 3cm off the end of the third strip so you are left with three strips of different length.

Step two

Starting with the longest piece, place a strip of glue at one end and stick the second longest strip of paper on top.

Repeat with the smallest strip so you have all three strips stuck together with one edge all neatly lined up and the other visibly showing the different lengths.

Step three

Apply more glue to the end of the glued together paper strips. Then bend the bottom of the shortest strip up to meet the glue end and press it into place. Repeat with the other two strips. You should have a kind of three-tired teardrop shape.

Step four

Glue the centre of the bottom of the paper strips together so that they stick together at the base of the ‘onion’. Gently push the ‘onion’ down to flatten it out a little more.

Step five

Punch a hole in the top of the ‘onion’, tie a piece of string through the hole and hang.

Browse Kidspot Christmas crafts

Christmas wrapping on the cheap

Posted on by Robyn

The scariest thing about Christmas is not all the money you spend on presents, food and alcohol but the cost of wrapping paper and cards. I can’t believe it costs $30 for some bits of paper and gift tags that literally end up in the bin.

Here are my tips on how to save myself a bucketload of cash this year and have a bit of fun with the kids.

Make your own wrapping box

Buy or make yourself a box with a lid that you can store all year round and keep all your gift tags, ribbon, scissors, tape (I like regular and double-sided tape) and other little embellishments like stickers or plastic holly. I also stash Christmas stamps in there too.

Buy plain wrapping paper in bulk

You can buy recycled paper on a 10m roll, ask your butcher or delicatessen if you can buy some from them. You can also buy brown paper in commercial quantities from packaging wholesalers . You can jazz them up with my decorating ideas below!

Buy coloured wrapping paper in red or green

If you really can’t resist the gorgeous colours of shiny Christmas wrapping, buy plain wrapping paper in bulk in Christmas colours like red or green which can be used to wrap all kinds of presents year round. Make a ribbon-width band of a more expensive wrapping paper to give the plain parcel a more expensive look, for just a fraction of the price.Odd shaped presents can be neatly stuck in a recycled shoe box and cover in your wrapping paper.

Make your own cards

Make your own christmas cards, gift tags and even stickers on your home computer. For the amount of actual cardboard you get, cards and tags are hideously expensive in the shops!

Kidspot has a range of cute Christmas card ideas which are easy enough to make yourself. More advanced crafters can try making these Christmas cards. The kids will probably enjoy helping out too. Whilst you are at it, make some matching Christmas crackers .

Make your own potato stamp wrapping paper

What you’ll need:

  • Paper – either butchers, recycled or brown paper
  • Paint – acrylic works well, just water it down with a few drops of water until the paint is a thick runny consistency
  • Scissors
  • Large washed potatoes, cookie cutters and a small paring knife to make potato cutter
  • Stamps if you have them

To make potato stamps:

  • Cut your potato in half and press down your cookiecutter until it’s about 2cm into the flesh of the potato.
  • Remove the cookie cutter.
  • With the paring knife, carefully cut away the edges until the just the shape is left
  • Place diluted paint on a paper or plastic plate, and dip and stamp on paper as you like!
  • Allow the paper to dry and wrap gifts for family and loved ones.

Christmas Menu Planning

Posted on by Robyn

Christmas meal planning evokes plenty of stories of stress and chaos! But by staying organised, a Christmas menu can actually be enjoyed by everyone – including the cook. The food will be ready on time and the cook won’t have to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of food or tied to the kitchen missing out on all the festivities.

Here are some tips that I’ve learned over time from the guru of Christmas food, my mum! She delivers a stress-free, precision-timed meal every time.

Start with a menu you can enjoy

If you want a relaxing Christmas, use recipes that you’re confident pulling off without too much stress. Christmas is not the time to decide you are secretly Nigella Lawson or Jamie Oliver and want to embrace your inner MasterChef. Simple, traditional Christmas recipes work for just about everyone.

Base your meal around one or two main dishes, depending on how many you’re feeding:

Or choose some BBQ/picnic favourites:

Add some side dishes:

Finish off the meal with a brilliant dessert:

And don’t forget a few tasty treats for between courses and present opening!

Don’t make Christmas harder than it needs to be

Buy frozen croissants and serve fresh fruit for breakfast, have a cold lunch that can be prepared the day before, and make up your salads in the morning. Make your Christmas cake or Chocolate pavlova or even Christmas pudding icecream in advance. Delegate! Share the load. Sit down, relax, enjoy your Christmas – a bit of forward planning, your lists and printables, and a few Christmas cocktails will see you right!

What to eat?

When doing your menu planning, think about the following:

  • Will you be eating at home or elsewhere?
  • If you’re eating outdoors consider dishes that are easy to package, serve and handle.
  • Will you be travelling with food? How will you contain it and keep it fresh?
  • What’s the weather usually like? Hot or cool? No one wants a full roast in a heatwave!
  • How much oven space will you need for hot menu items?
  • How many will you be catering for? Take into account dishes that others will bring.
  • Remember to include some simple/smaller options for younger kids

How to juggle fridge space at Christmas

The week leading up to Christmas puts your family on a mission: eat everything out of the fridge and freezer that’s not being consumed AT Christmas, thus freeing up fridge space. This saves you both space AND money – you aren’t throwing anything away!

  • If you’re entertaining lots of people, see if any of your friends, family, or neighbours either have a space in their fridge or a spare one you can borrow!
  • Frugal tip: Delegate some dishes to guests to bring that can be served on their arrival!
  • Don’t discount the trusty chilly bin; transfer all drinks to the chilly bin and buy some ice late on Christmas Eve. You can also clean out toy tubs to make for extra drink storage space.

Frugal tips to shop for Christmas food

  • Be absolutely thorough with your shopping list.  I follow my Mum’s rule to write out the menu, and then on another page write down all the ingredients needed, cross out what you have in stock, leaving the rest and eliminating that need to duck down to the supermarket for that essential missing ingredient.
  • On your list, mark down what you can buy ahead, such as dry goods and alcohol to cut down your shopping time during the crazy shopping period a few days prior to Christmas. Shop for the bare minimum on the last few days before Christmas Day – usually the fresh produce like fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy.

Money-saving tip

Buy pantry items like soft drinks, sweets, nibbles when on special in advance, stash away in your laundry or linen cupboard, out of sight and out of mind. It will save money shopping down the track because all those prices tend to hike up just before Christmas.

Written by Melissa Klemke with additional content by Kidspot NZ

Make your own decorations

Posted on by Robyn

Making your own Christmas decorations can be so rewarding and with the huge choice of ideas there will be some that really appeal to you. Take a look at our selection.

Christmas wreaths

The tradition of hanging a wreath on the front door in the run-up to Christmas comes from an old Catholic ritual. The advent – or the season prior to Christmas Day – is a significant time, and a circular wreath is hung on the door. The circle symbolises that there is no beginning or end and that God is eternal. A more traditional advent wreath contains four candles in the circle and one candle in the middle.

Christmas garlands

A garland is a decorative string used during festive times which can be hung around a person, over a mantel or around an inaminate object like a Christmas tree. Originally garlands were made of flowers or leaves and in countries like India, garlands have an important role in spiritual festivals. Garlands can be created from flowers and leaves, fruit, vegetables or even dollar notes but at Christmas time the garland is used to decorate a home. Tinsel and other types of garland or ribbon used as decorations that can easily be strung up for a short period of time.

Christmas lighting

Christmas lights give decorating a fairy-like quality and who doesn’t like driving around and seeing the neighbourhood lit up at Christmas? Every year fire fighters end up rescuing unprepared householders who use lights dangerously for Christmas decorating. Try to follow these safety tips for Christmas lights:

  • Only use transformers and decorative lights that have NewZealand Standards approval. Be extremely cautious of cheap lights bought at markets or on sale.
  • Don’t use damaged or broken switches, power points, plugs or leads.
  • If you are reusing Christmas lights, check their condition and replace any broken bulbs with those specified in the manufacturers instructions.
  • Don’t overload your power points or power boards and avoid piggy-backing double adaptors.
  • Use weather proof, energy efficient transformers that generate low heat.
  • Attach cords and lighting strings to fixtures with tape, cable ties, clips or clamps. Never use nails.
  • Keep all electrical connections away from areas that may become wet.
  • If there is no safety switch fitted to your home, use a portable one at the supply.
  • Put your lights on the tree first followed by other decorations, making sure they aren’t touching each other.
  • Keep tinsel and other decorations away from lights, power boards and sockets.
  • Position your tree away from curtains and other soft furnishings that may be flammable.
  • Turn your Christmas lights off before leaving home or going to bed.
  • Don’t move or adjust lights while they’re switched on.
  • Make sure children are supervised around Christmas lights at all times

Christmas ornaments and tree decorations

Germany is credited with starting the tradition of Christmas trees and decorating back in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles.But 19th century England brought Christmas decorating into the mainstream when Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas ornaments popular by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841.

Christmas table decorations

Turn your table into a hand crafted masterpiece by using Kidspot’s Christmas craft ideas as decorations. Try these:

Christmas wrapping decorations

Nothing makes Christmas presents seem even more thrilling than when they are beautifully wrapped. It can be expensive to wrap all those gifts, but Kidspot has plenty of advice on wrapping gifts on a budget, as well as these projects you can make yourself.

How to buy a real Christmas tree

Posted on by Robyn

Many families are wedded to the tradition of buying and decorating a live Christmas tree in the heat of summer. In some places around New Zealand, you can even go to the plantation and select your own tree and have it cut to your specifications.

But real Christmas trees require more planning and care than an artificial tree – they need to be purchased wisely, transported and cared for before being discarded thoughtfully after December 25.

Before you buy a real Christmas tree

Make sure you follow these tips before splurging on a live Christmas tree this year:

Measure the space

Before you go shopping or hunting for that “perfect tree,” you’ll need to decide where it will fit in your home. Once a spot is chosen be sure to measure the ceiling height and the width of that space. You will also need to measure your front door width and any other narrow spaces the tree needs to get through before you take it to the required space. Write these numbers down on a piece of paper. Take the tape measure with you when you shop. You’ll need it to measure the trees you consider so you don’t take home a 3 metre tall tree if your ceilings are only 2.5 metres.

How will your tree stand up

There are all types of tree stands you can buy, but most people try to cobble together a heavy bucket or pot that will hold up the tree. The taller the tree, the bigger diameter of the trunk and the sturdier the stand needs to be. New Zealand doesn’t have a wide variety of live tree stands on the market, but the best will have some water which the tree can absorb over the Christmas summer to keep it looking fresh. Place a plastic or other waterproof covering on the floor where your tree will stand so you don’t ruin the carpet or get watermarks. If you have a very large tree or are worried about it tipping over, you could attach the tree stand to a large, flat piece of plywood to broaden the base of the tree, give it stability and further protect the floor.

Choosing the right real Christmas tree

You want a tree that offers some space between branches for decorations as well as sturdy branches tohold heavier ornaments. The tree looks better when ornaments hang straight. To test a tree, take an unbreakable ornament with you and hang it on several branches to see if there is room for it to hang straight.

How can you tell if a tree is fresh? The needles should look shiny, green, and fresh — not dry or brown. They should not fall off when you pull on a branch. Once you are home, saw off at least 2cm from the bottom of the trunk so the tree will begin to soak up water immediately. Your tree should stand perfectly vertical. When Christmas is Over, Recycle – Call your local council to find out how to recycle your tree for mulch.

How to care for your real Christmas tree

Live trees need to be replenished with water to keep them fresh and stop the leaves dropping off, in much the same way you need to keep cut flowers in vases of water. The trees tend to absorb more water in the first week or so after being cut. Place the real Christmas tree in a stand that can hold at least 4 litres of water. If the water drops below the trunk, the trunk may seal itself and not be able to absorb water. Place the tree away from sunlit windows, television sets and other heat sources as they will dry out your tree prematurely. If properly cared for your real Christmas tree should last at least 4-6 weeks before drying out and turning brown.

Find the best Christmas tree

Posted on by Robyn

The Christmas tree is the centrepiece of decorating the house at Christmas time. Summertime New Zealand is an odd backdrop for the bushy alpine trees that suddenly appear in living rooms across the country, but tradition is a powerful force and there won’t be many families without some type of Christmas tree this year. So how do you choose the right Christmas tree for your family?

Will you celebrate Christmas with a fake or real tree?

Using a tree to symbolise life is strongly associated with Christmas but has been going on since before Jesus was born. Egyptians brought green palm branches into their homes on the shortest day of the year in December as a symbol of life’s triumph over death. In the Middle Ages, the Paradise tree – an evergreen hung with red apples – was the symbol of the feast of Adam and Eve held on December 24th.

But not all of us have space in our house for a huge Christmas tree. The first thing your family needs to decide is whether you want to go fake or real. Not all of us want a northern hemisphere alpine tree that wilts in the New Zealand summer heat and drops needles all over the floor.

Most of us will choose between a cut pine tree and an artificial tree. It’s hard to decide the better option in terms of decorating, cost and environmental concerns all of us have different tastes, budgets and desires.

Fake or real: the eco Christmas tree option

Most live Christmas trees come either from small plantations dedicated to growing trees just for Christmas or are the rejects from large pine plantations. Using pine plantation “thinnings” (as the rejects are known) for Christmas trees could be considered a form of recycling.

Another option is to buy a live tree that’s used indoors for Christmas decoration and either kept in a pot to be re-used every year or later planted outdoors for landscaping. The trend is driven by people that like to watch their tree grow with their family and see it as a reminder of special Christmas occasions.

Artificial trees are easy to store and use year in year out, but most fake trees are made from PVC. G magazine says one kilo of PVS gobbles over a kilo of fossil fuels plus half a kilo of minerals and 10 L of water. The process also releases about two kilograms of CO2 – which contributes to climate change – and eight grams of hazardous waste. Not ideal if you want to be a good eco citizen.

However, a fake tree can be used year in and year out, making it a one-off cost that services a family over and over again.

G magazine says real trees are the way to go for families who want to make an environmental contribution to Christmas, as real trees use fewer resources, create less pollution and can be recycled.

When buying a real tree, try to make sure it has come from a local farm and hasn’t been transported a long way on the back of a truck. Trees that have come from timber plantations are the best because no extra resources were used to grow them.

Decorating the Christmas table

Posted on by Robyn

The table is the centrepiece of Christmas Day food. It’s the place where you serve everything you have slaved over, and where guests will enjoy the fruits of your labour. Here’s some ideas for making it perfect for the big day.

Make your own decorations for the Christmas table:

Turn your table into a hand crafted masterpiece by using Kidspot’s Christmas craft ideas as decorations. Try these:

How to lay a casual table correctly:

The table needs to look inviting but organised and have enough space for the host to lay out any platters or serving dishes in the centre.

  • The fork is on the left, knife on the right and a napkin or bread and butter plate is to the left of the fork, at around 10 o’clock.
  • Always make sure the wine glass and drinking glass are positioned to the right, at around 2’o clock’ of the dinner plate.
  • The dinner plate is the centre of the setting, but if you are serving an entree or salad, you may wish to add a smaller plate on top of the larger dinner plate and serve all the food communally in the centre of the table for people to help themselves.

How to lay a formal table correctly:

A formal dinner table setting is used when there are multiple courses and you really want to splash out to make Christmas special. You need to have enough matching cutlery and crockery settings for each course

  • To create ultimate elegance at your formal gathering, add matching flowers, a guest note card or keepsake, and a wine charm to each glass. Seats are generally assigned, so a handwritten place card or personalized setting is perfect. Hosts should always sit at the end of each table as a courtesy to the guests and party. Another nice touch is to tie a beautifully wrapped, small Christmas gift to the back of each chair for some added surprise.
  • The glassware. Red wine is served in larger balloon-style glasses to white wine, and it is the wine glass that should sit above and slightly to the right of the knife. A soft drink or water glass will go directly above the knife’s tip. The champagne flute will go behind the wine glass.
  • Cutlery is important and the general idea is that the main course fork and knife will be the largest items in the setting. Then you place the cutlery for the first course on the outer edge and the dessert cutlery inside the main course cutlery. Think from left to right: entree fork, main fork, dessert fork, dinner plate, dessert spoon, main knife, entree knife, to help visualize the setting!

How to create the perfect kids’ table for Christmas:

If there are enough children attending Christmas lunch or dinner – three or more, for example – it might be better to allow the kids their own table where stern relatives can’t frown at the mess they make or the children’s less-than-perfect table manners.

  • The kids table can have all the mismatched cutlery and crockery you want. Hey, if you haven’t got enough chairs and table, it could even be a picnic rug out in the backyard. The object of a children’s table is that kids can enjoy their meal as much as the adults.
  • Ask one of the older children – ideally the eldest or even a teenager – to watch the children at the table. Have a special gift for them as a reward for being the “table babysitter”. Often, grownups get talking and the children need or want something. If nobody is paying attention to the children, there can be a lot of whining involved, which isn’t fun for anyone.
  • Lay butcher paper over the table for the children to colour in on. This gives them something to do while they wait for their meal. Alternatively, you could print out some of Kidspot’s Christmas colouring pages and leave these on the table with some pencils or crayons

Easy Christmas entertaining

Posted on by Robyn

When it comes to entertaining, Christmas is open season. But organizing a party that’s inviting to the whole family presents a unique challenge: how do you allow parents to relax and mingle without risking an outbreak of kid chaos or “When are we leaving?” boredom for the littlies? The Kidspot Christmas Party Plan is the easy way.

Is a Christmas party right for you

Not all of us want to entertain a raft of people, especially at Christmas time. It’s certainly not compulsory, but a Christmas party is a great way to catch up with all the friends you’d like to see in one easy timeslot before the holidays get out of hand. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than simply asking friends over at a designated “open house” time so people can drop in and drop out as their own calendar dictates.

Try different Christmas party ideas

A party can be as elaborate as a catered affair in a hired marquee in a backyard or as simple as a fresh morning tea in the lounge room. How you entertain is entirely up to you. To enhance grown-up merrymaking with children around, it helps to offer a range of party foods and activities that appeal to both kids and adults.

A house-to-house party

This idea only works for neighbours or school families who live close by. Maximize the fun of entertaining and minimize the cleaning up by planning a house-to-house celebration. Each family pitches in, providing food or drinks, and the group travels from one home to the next feasting on treats, admiring decorations, and enjoying one another’s company.

A cocktail party

This one is best for adults only and means any friends with kids will have to organise babysitters (as may you if you think the kids will be rowdy!)

A Christmas picnic

For those who prefer to create more of a family affair, Christmas picnics are great in places where daylight savings offers light, balmy summer’s evenings. A picnic is also a perfect low-cost way for lots of friends to get together on a weekend and bring their own food and drink to share. Throw in a sausage sizzle, a few swing ball, french cricket or touch games for children and get one of the picnic attendees to don a Santa suit and hand out lollies, and it’s one of the easiest Christmas get togethers

Kidspot New Zealand is all about simplifying the search for kid related fun, activities, sports and related trappings. It makes it fast and easy for kids and their parents to identify things and places of interest leaving more time for all to enjoy!

Please contact us with new ideas and suggestions on how to make this a reality for you and your family.

Stay in the loop

Stay in the loop with all things family and fun! Subscribe to the Kidspot Catchup and receive a weekly does of parenting tips, tasty recipes, and exciting activities for the whole family.

About Kidspot

Contact Kidspot

Advertise with Kidspot

Kidspot Terms and Conditions

close

Join the Catch Up

Join our community of parents and let the Kidspot Catchup be your guide to creating unforgetable family moments.