is a single mama in the city, super-savvy editor, writer, video host and shameless shoe whore.
Christmas crafty, foamies frenzy
Thursday, December 14, 2006 
If I've written once, I've said it a bezillion times: I love me some Daily Candy.
Even when I choose not to partake in their "Deals of the Week" (usually $200 earrings which are so cool and so not a good idea when diapers/whole milk/small, noisy trucks that kill when you accidentally step on them are the priority), I can find some kind of inspiration in nearly every email.
Today, I got an email with a little plug for Oriental Trading Company as a place to buy cheapy artsy stuff for the kiddos to get creative (emphasis on cheapy). Just like the $200 earrings, I will opt out of making an online purchase here. I did, however, get all amped up about photo posted in the blurb, which inspired me to get all Christmas crafty with Lil E.
Check out the photo above. Isn't that a cute and ooky-gooey-free way to make a gingerbread house with the wee ones?
We just happen to have a bucket of holiday foamies that we've already used to make gift cards (thus, already gearing up the excitement over crafting with said foamies). There is no need to spend your hard-earned $1.95 at Oriental Trading Company! I imagine you have all the ingredients and good stuff somewhere in your house, in a pile on your desk or shoved inside the Elmo coloring book.
Here's how this mama would do it:
* Flatten out a lunch sak or plain gift bag and decorate with holiday foamies. If you don't have the holiday foamies, why not just cut out shapes from construction paper or wrapping paper scraps?
* Fill the bag with crumpled paper or napkins or other recycled stuff and staple the top of the bag closed.
* For the roof, fold a piece of paper in half and cut to the length of the top of the bag. Decorate and glue or staple on the top of the bag.
* Get fancy with older kids and add glitter glue or bits and pieces from your craft or sewing box. This is a great way to get rid of old buttons or single earrings. Make a village for your child's dresser top.
* We used this paper bag method with paints to make pumpkins and you can easily make a Santa and Mrs. Claus the same way.
* Most importantly, in my humble and trying desperately to de-clutter opinion, throw these badboys away after the holidays. I personally think these kinds of crafts should be fun, easy, quick, disposable and certainly not meant to last.
If this is way too cutey or crafty for you, just buy some of those foamies (can you tell that I love these things?) and put them out with a piece of paper or wrapped present and let your kid go crazy. They will have fun and you will have a few moments to frantically fill out your holiday cards, hide your husband's gifts or zone out to Super Nanny.
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