Preschool Project: Christmas Wreath

Preschool Project of the Week – Christmas Wreath
Preschool Skills: varies based on skill level, fine motor

This week’s project is more of a keepsake and the younger your preschooler is, the more of the steps you will have to do for them.   But I love making these because I love crafts that use handprints!  You can watch your sweet little child’s hand get bigger and bigger while preserving the memory of how little it used to be.

You will need:

Two sheets of green construction paper

One paper plate (when it comes to kid crafts – the cheaper the paper plates the better!) with the center cut out

Red bow

Red beads (optional – something similar to these – the ones I used were actually a translucent red) or small red construction paper circles (about the size a hole punch would make)

Glue (you will need good ol’ liquid Elmer’s if you’re using beads.  You’ll also need a glue stick if you want your little one to do the hands all by themselves)

 Instructions:

Put the two green pieces together and fold over.  Trace each hand on the stack of green paper and cut out (you will have four cut outs of each hand).  Because this is as much a keepsake as a craft for the kids, I prefer to do the tracing and cutting so that the handprints are accurate.  :]

You can let your child glue them to the plate but it’s important to show them to put glue only on the palm of each handprint and stick it to the plate.  Then the palm of the next handprint goes under the fingers of the one already on the plate.  (It’s kinda like making the loops in the paper chain – their natural instinct is not typically going to be the right way)  None of the fingers will be glued down.

If you’re using beads, this next part is fun.  I put 3 big globs of liquid Elmer’s in 3 spots around the wreath (around 3, 9 and 12 if it were a clock) and (since I don’t like getting our hands messy if we absolutely don’t have too…) tell them that they have to drop three beads into each glob of glue without touching it.  Because again their natural instinct is going to be to take that bed and squish it into the glob of glue.  But if they hold it above and drop it into the glue it will stick (no touching required!) and they have practiced a find motor skill and not gotten their hands messy!

Using the ties that come on the bow, attach to the bottom.  Done!

This blog is very kid friendly! See more things for kids:
Activities . Crafts . Frugal Fun . Homeschooling . Preschool . Recipes

Print Friendly, PDF & Email