Christmas crafts with a nearly 4 year old

[HappyAsEyeAm]

I am looking for ideas of things to make or create at home with my nearly 4 yo DS please. We have space, and I'm not afraid of mess! Anything on a big or small scale is fine. He loves getting messy! I'm not too fussed about the end result - its more about us having fun making things. And the less complicated the better, as his attention span isn't that long.

Please be very specific in your instructions on how to do things, as I am not very arty minded! All ideas very welcome.

so far we have made paper chains to decorate using cut up card strips and stapler to link them, we have made stained glass windows, black card, cut out chrisrmas shapes ie snowman shape, chrismas tree, then stick on tissue paper then stick same cut out on other side to cover sticking part and hang in window, we are also doing, stockings stivking using cut up bits of material and cotton wool for the fluffy bit at top of card cut out, we are doing candles using a toilet roll tube with a flame out the top and wrapped in coloured paper, also for toilert roll tubes can make crackers using crepe paper wrapped round sweeties inside and then tied at ends with ribbon/ decorating string. ummmm will keep thinking!!

Thanks sunny - with your candles, what do you use for the flame? and how do you fix it in or on the toilet roll tube?

Kirstie Allsop has been pushing an idea in loads of mags recently to make a snowman pinnata (sp?). Its basically two balloons inflated then covered in papier mache (top layer should be white paper). then the balloons popped and taken out, cut a hole in one balloon and fill with toys, tat, tissue paper, glitter etc. Stick two pieces together, seal the hole, decorate etc etc. I'm sure you'll find the full instructions online somewhere - I've certainly seen it in two mags recently.
Make christmas baubles for the tree from non-edible dough, christmas cooking/sweets for gifts, cotton wool snowmen, etc etc

salt dough things. Did it a couple of years ago with my then 3, 4 and 6 year olds and they completely loved it.

You sound quite chilled out. I, on the other hand, am a managing control freak, but found this was fairly low mess / high satisfaction.

We made 'N O E L' letters and stars and Christmas tree shapes to hang on the tree, all painted and pretty with glitter and sequins stuck on.

Good instructions here (and ours are much nicer than the ones in the picture )

whattodo - I think the snowman pinata is a fantastic idea - not sure if DS has the attention span to actually see it through though!

Expecto - the saltdough decorations idea is a brilliant one - he will love that. As will I! We have a set of Christmas cutters from last year (Lakeland sale) so that will be perfect.

I have learned to become chilled out, I think, as I certainly didn't start off that way! I make sure that we do messy things in the days leading up to our cleaner coming (as I'm pg and not really inclined to get down on my hands and knees to clean the floors afterwards!), and I get all the cleaning up stuff (wipes for DS' hands etc) ready before we start any activity too. I have glitter paints from ELC in silver and gold, so what with the glitter too, we'll have a ball!

Please keep the arts and crafts ideas coming!

Not exactly craft but at Christmas time we make biscuits cut a hole in the middle and put a boiled sweet in the hole before cooking. It melts and looks like a stained glass window.

Cover kitchen roll/toilet roll tubes with cotton wool and make them into snowmen.

Yellowmoon.org have lots of 'pre cut' Christmas crafts to stick together.

activityvillage.co.uk has lots of ideas and is good for colouring sheets too

we are going to make a big christmas tree with hand prints....not very exciting but only needs green paint and a v large sheet of card/paper (black looks good) - then you can do the trunk/bucket with paper/paints and then once dry the kids can glitter it, put on the tree 'decorations' from craft etc.

We made 'snowglobes' at our playgroup the other day. Just need to put Xmas/Wintry type stickers on the outside of a small empty plastic bottle. (we had snowmen stickers), then put glitter, shiny beads etc. inside the bottle and fill up with coloured water. hey presto!

Biscuits/gingerbread with Christmassy cutters that can then be iced.

We have been making cards (4yo and 2yo) - shapes cut out of old wrapping paper (me) and glued on with plenty of glitter.

Also plan to do stained glass after the end of term.