Christmas... In May

This is my first make-up post. :) I love Christmas artwork! As a grade level, we try to do the same "parent gift" for each class. We usually do something different every year, but I really hope we repeat this one next year. We ordered small (4 x 6) flat canvas from here They were only $0.46 since we ordered more than 36! The kids just stamped their hands on them with regular acrylic and then I turned them into reindeer and hot glued ribbon on the back.

Aren't they adorable??? We wrapped them in little bags.

I cut cardstock and let the kids do this thumbprint design on the front of the card.

Two things I am obsessed with: Pinterest and hand/thumbprint art. :) The kids did this cute thumbprint Christmas tree design on mini paper plates....

I tied a ribbon so they could hang them. A few weeks later, I found ceramic ornaments at Michael's for about $0.25 each. I let my daughter do the tree on the ornaments for her grandparents. They were soooo cute! Next year I am going to try to find the ceramic ones before the holidays so I can let my class make them also. This next one was probably my FAVORITE! I saw this on Pinterest and the Christmas lights turned out soooo cute!!!!

Here's another handprint idea. (I told you I was obsessed!!!) I did this larger canvas with my daughter- she was 2 at Christmas. I let her do some type of artwork for her grandparents and great grandparents and then I always make one to keep. Last year we did reindeer heads (with her hands as the antlers) on plates. This past Christmas we did small canvas and ornaments. This one was mine to keep:

Something I struggle with every year is a gift for my students. With all the other holiday expenses and the endless amount of money I pile into my classroom already, I don't want to spend a fortune. In the past, I have gone to the Dollar Tree for a puzzle or colorbook or something. I like to give them something that they can use though. This year, I found these water bottles (at Dollar Tree). I used my Cricut to cut out their names in vinyl. I added pawprints for boys- our mascot is a bulldog- and I did polka dots for the girls.

I did this all in about 2 hours or less and they were sooo cute! A lot of the students used them the rest of the year for their lunch boxes or snack drinks. I think I will repeat that idea as well!!!! :) The next two projects were actually for winter, not Christmas, but I am going to add them here. They both came from Pinterest. This one was a fun art project. I love penguins and it makes a great mini-unit.

We did these fun snowman and hung them in a row, so it actually looked like a long graph in the hallway.

Well- that was just a few bits and pieces of our Christmas/winter activities. I'm sorry that I am posting them in May! Ha!