How To Make A Clothespin Christmas Wreath Ornament

Clothes Pin Wreath Ornaments are so much fun to make! Here at my house we are in full Christmas crafting mode. Glue, glitter, scissors and paper are regularly scattered over the table while we craft our little hearts out. 

Holiday themed crafts are some of my favorites and every year I'm always on the hunt for the perfect new craft project to try. The catch is that the craft must be multi-age friendly so that the younger ones in the group can participate and the older kids enjoy it too. We host a big craft party with our friends from Bible study each year with 25+ kids whose ages range from 6 to 18.

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Last year we made 3-D wood (and cardboard) Christmas trees which were so much fun. You can find the full tutorial and pattern for the tree HERE.

This year I found another great multi-age friendly Christmas craft to do with our Bible study friends! We are going to make clothes pin wreath ornaments! I'm so excited for this craft since it is super simple, budget friendly and great for a group to do together. 

Before our big craft day arrived I whipped up a clothespin wreath ornament of my own to show the kids and hopefully inspire their imaginations! Follow along to see how it is done so you can make your own too!

Easy Christmas Clothespin Wreath Ornament Step-By-Step Tutorial

Supplies Needed:

Stiff Cardboard (5"x5")
Scissors
20-25 Wooden Spring Loaded Clothespins
Acrylic Craft Paint
Paint Brushes
Ribbon 8" long
Holiday Flowers or Jingle Bells (optional)
Hot glue gun & glue sticks

Let's get started making our clothes pin wreath ornament, shall we? 

Oh, and don't for get to Pin this project to share with others. I've got tons of great ideas pinned to my Pinterest Crafts-holiday board too so please follow me so you don't miss out on any other great ideas!

1 - To begin we will make the base for the wreath. Cut the cardboard square into a circle measuring 4 inches in diameter. Then cut a 2 inch diameter circle out from the center of the circle. You will be left with a shape like the letter "O". 

Once the cardboard is cut out it is time to paint it. Small parts of the cardboard will show between the clothes pins so you can choose to use a paint color that either "pops" or is neutral and blends in with the colors you will be painting your clothes pins.

Tip - give each crafter a paper plate to do all of their painting on so that your table and other items don't get full of paint. Also, if you are hosting a large group have the children keep their clothespins on their plate so they don't get mixed up or lost! 

2 - While the cardboard base is drying it is time to start painting the clothespins. Let your imagination lead the way here! Paint the flat side of each of the clothespins in whatever pattern or color you want. Since this is for Christmas you might want to do a red/green alternating pattern or even add a few silver or gold clothespins to give it a little sparkle. Other ideas might be to paint holiday characters like an angel, gingerbread, Santa or even a green Grinch on your clothes pins. 

Again, imagination and creativity is encouraged here!

Make sure you let your painted clothespins dry completely before assembling your wreath ornament. After the paint is dry start clipping the clothes pins close together around the cardboard base. Make adjustments as necessary until the entire base is filled.

3 - To finish your ornament twist the ribbon in a loop between two clothespins and add a dab of hot glue to the cardboard base then press the ribbon into the glue until it is dry. Now you're ready to hang it on the tree!

How did your finished clothespin wreath ornaments turn out? What colors did you paint your clothespins? Please share your finished projects with me in the comments. I hope you and your children loved making them as much as we did.

Clothespin Wreath Ornaments Make Great Homemade Gifts!

Wouldn't Grandma and Grandpa love getting a homemade clothes pin wreath ornament from their beloved grandchildren? Make a bunch to give to all of your family members as gifts this Christmas!

This is the fourth year I've hosted the kids from our Bible study over to make Christmas themed crafts. Curious to see what we've crafted over the years? These are all fun projects that won't drain your budget and work great for any size group. 

click HERE to read more

to read more click HERE

The key to hosting a group for a craft party is planning and prepping it all ahead of time. Not only is it less chaotic but you as the host have more time to enjoy your guests and help them with their craft. 

If you loved the clothespin Christmas wreath ornament tutorial please don't forget to follow me HERE so you don't miss out on other great kid friendly craft projects.

Easy DIY Bath Bombs With Custom Flavor Recipes

DIY bath bombs are a ton of fun to make and are a fabulous homemade gift idea! Because they are quite simple to make, are fairly forgiving when it comes to measuring the ingredients and can be shaped into almost any form you have available they are a great project to do with your kids.

Did you know that you can make custom scented bath bombs too? There are endless scent combinations you can use to truly make your bath bombs one of a kind. Customize your bath bomb scents and give them as gifts for celebrations like Christmas, Easter, birthdays, Valentine's Day and many more special occasions. They truly make the perfect gift for those you and your kids care about! Keep the simple ingredients handy so you are ready at a moment's notice to whip up a batch for gifting to a last minute party or just to surprise your child with at bath time!

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my Disclaimer page. Thanks!

I remember the first time my kids got their own bath bomb. A small box from an out of state aunt and uncle arrived a few days post Christmas and they were so excited to open this belated gift. They tore it open and stood looking confused at the big colorful set of 4 bath bombs. At the time they didn't know what they were so I had to explain that they made your bath all fizzy and scented as they dissolved in the water.

Of course the kids insisted that they needed baths at that exact moment so we ran up to the bathroom and filled the tub! They were pretty little at the time and we often called the bath our pool so they all threw on their swim suits and jumped into the tub together. Needless to say the bath bombs were a BIG hit! The kids loved holding the bath bombs just under the water to feel them bubble and dissolve. The bathroom smelled AMAZING too! The biggest surprise for all of us was the little toy hidden inside each bath bomb! Since then my children have all loved bath bombs and love getting and giving them as gifts!

Ready to make your own bath bombs to give as gifts this year? Gather the following ingredients and follow the step by step instructions below!

Easy DIY Bath Bomb Tutorial

Supplies Needed:

• Large or Medium Size Stainless steel bowls or glass bowls
• Gloves
• Stainless steel bath bomb mold - you can also use muffin tins, melon ball scooper, plastic Easter egg, silicon mold or candy molds, ect. (be creative)
• Squirt bottle / spray bottle
• Non-stick spray

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup Baking Soda
• 1/2 cup Citric Acid
• 1/2 cup Epsom Salt
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 3/4 Tbsp Water
• 12-15 drops Essential Oils (follow recipe below)
• 3-4 drops Natural Food Coloring or Cosmetic Grade Colorant (optional)

Mix The Dry Ingredients
In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together. If you are going to make multi colored bath bombs, divide the dry mix into two or three separate bowls and add different color pigment to each bowl (this step is optional).

Mix The Wet Ingredients
Melt the coconut oil in a small microwavable bowl or over a double boiler. In another stainless steel or glass bowl mix the wet ingredients together including the melted coconut oil, water and essential oils. (For custom flavor scents see the recipe options below)

Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients
Start by SLOWLY adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix all the ingredients together until they are the consistency of wet sand and won't crumble. Depending on the climate where you live you may want to use the spray bottle to spray the water over the mixture evenly. The amount of water may vary slightly depending on the humidity of your area.

Shape & Mold The Bath Bombs
Lightly spray the non-stick spray on the inside of whatever molds you are using to ensure the bath bombs don't stick to the mold. Fill each mold completely packing the mixture in until the mold you are using is slightly overflowing. 

If you are making a multi colored bath bomb you will want to fill the mold with the desired colors and continue packing the ingredients into the mold until it is completely full. If using the ball shaped molds fill each half them press the halves together firmly. 

Allow the mold to sit for 2 minutes then gently tap the mold and slowly pull the halves apart to remove the bath bomb. The bombs will be fragile so be careful when separating the halves! 

Set your bath bombs somewhere where they will be left alone to dry for 24-48 hours. 

Packaging Your Bath Bombs
Are you giving your bath bombs as gifts? In this case you will want to wrap them in clear cello sheets and tie them closed with string or ribbon. Don't forget to add these FREE printable Christmas gift tags from Fragrancex.com! All you have to do is print these cute gift tags onto card stock, punch a hole at the top and tie them to your gifts. 

Click HERE to find the free gift tag printable.

click HERE to get free printable Gift Tags

*Fragrancex.com has all sorts of great fragrances for both men and women! Make sure to check out this site when you are looking for perfumes, fragrances and many other great scented products.

8 Holiday Essential Oil Flavor Scent Recipes 

Here are 8 great custom holiday flavor scent recipes you can mix and use in your bath bombs this winter or holiday season.

* remember these are NOT edible! They may smell yummy but they will not be good for your tummy! Please supervise children when using bath bombs to make sure they don't eat them.

Make sure to PIN this post so you can refer back to it when you are ready to make your own bath bombs! Let me know how your bath bombs turned out in the comment section!

The Secret To Reducing Stress During The Busy Christmas Holiday Season

The Christmas holiday is fast approaching! Are you ready or do you feel a bit overwhelmed by the upcoming busy holiday activities such as shopping, baking, holiday parties and decorating that can easily fill up your calendar? An overly stuffed calendar can easily create a stressful holiday season for you and your family. 

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks!

So what can you do about it? Don't worry I have the perfect solution for you so your holiday stress is reduced and your holiday cheer can shine through!

What is my secret to a stress free holiday? 

A Holiday Plan

Having a holiday plan in place before the season starts is key! If you've never had a plan for the holidays it isn't too late to start one now. You are probably wondering where to begin and what a holiday plan looks like. Don't panic the perfect plan is just waiting for you and includes EVERYTHING you need to make this holiday the best for you and your family. 

Sunny Day Family has done all the hard work for you by putting together a Printable Christmas Planner that includes 140 planning pages including:

• Blank Monthly Calendar
• To Do Lists
• Budget
• Activity & Acts of Kindness Planners
• Christmas Card Planner
• Wish List, Gift Giving Planners, Shopping List, & Online Shopping Tracker
• Gift Tags
• Letters to Santa
• Decorating Plan & Project Planner
• Party Planning Sheets
• Menu Planner, Baking Planner, & Grocery List
• Recipe Cards
• Baking Labels for Gift Giving

Seriously, I don't think there is a single thing missing from this planner. All you have to do is print off the pages that apply to your needs, fill them out and begin enjoying the benefits of being organized this holiday season.

I'm always worried I forgot to get someone a gift, or I forgot to write down a Christmas party on my calendar, or heaven forbid, I left someone off my Christmas card list! Not this year, my friend because this year my Christmas planner will be parked on my counter in sight so I can add and check off my to-do's as I complete them. 

What stresses you out most during the holidays? Follow me so you don't miss any more tips and tricks to help you survive the holidays! 

Fun Group Games To Play At Your Next Holiday Party

Quite often during the holiday season I end up hosting a party at our house. I love hosting family or friends for the holidays and I do my best to come up with some fun activities to keep everyone entertained. Since there is usually a big age range to my guests it can be challenging to find games and activities that everyone can participate in and enjoy playing together. Over the years I've found a few fun activities that are super fun that I want to share with you. Here are my top 3 Group Games you can play at your next holiday party:

1 - The Name Game

Difficulty: Easy | # of Players: 6+ | Time to Play: 10-30 minutes per round

This game requires very few supplies and is super simple to play. All that is needed are small slips of paper and a pencil for each person. Select one person from the group to be the "reader". This person selects one of the following categories for the first round of play: person, food or city in North America (as you begin to play this game you can come up with your own categories to add). 

For explanation purposes let's assume the Reader selects the category "Name". 

The rest of the players write down a name on their slip of paper, fold it and give it to the Reader who collects all players papers. Examples for the Name category could include, but not limited to: Dolly Parton, Spiderman, Mom, or even Peppa Pig - the options are endless! The reader unfolds the slips of paper and reads all the names written on them to the rest of the group twice. 

The person to the right of the reader starts the first round by asking one of the other player if they wrote "Spiderman" (select a name from the list read aloud). 

**The reader is not allowed to re-read or remind the rest of the players the names that were written on the slips of paper. 

If the player who was asked if they wrote "Spiderman" on their slip of paper did write it on their paper then that player joins the player that just asked them and they become a team. The player asking continues asking other players until they get a guess wrong. Play then passes to the next person to their right. 

The goal is to get as many players on your team by guessing the correct names each player wrote on their slip of paper. The game ends when one player has successfully guessed all players names correctly and has all players on their team. 

To begin the next round of play, select a new player to be the Reader. 

2 - Christmas Music Bingo

Difficulty: Easy | # of Players: 2-8 | Time to Play: 10-15 minutes per round

via: Sunny Day Family

With 3 fun ways to play this simple game it is sure to be a hit at your next gathering - or even in the car as you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house! To play this game you will need these printable Christmas Bingo Set that includes 8 Bingo cards and 24 clues (on 2 pages). The clue cards are cut out, shuffled and placed in a pile face down. Each player needs their  own Bingo card and something to mark with (Christmas candy, holiday stamps or even stickers would work). 

Select which of the 3 ways you will play first. Here is how each are played:

• Name That Tune - the bingo caller chooses a card and reads only the lyric at the top of the card. The rest of the players need to identify the name of the song and mark their card accordingly. First player with five in a row wins (if they got them right!).

• Match The Title - super easy way to play by reading the song title instead of the lyrics. First player to get 5 in a row wins the BINGO round.

• Listen and Play - perfect version to play at parties or on a road trip! Use your Amazon Music Unlimited to queue up some Christmas tunes and mark each song as you hear it. First player with 5 in a row wins! This is a great way to pass time in the car on a long road trip. 

3 - Name That Shape

Difficulty: Easy | # of Players: 10+ | Time to Play: 10-15 minutes per round

Prior to playing this game the host should prepare by drawing a different shape on 10-15 separate pieces of paper or 3 x 5 cards. The shapes should be somewhat simple like these: heart, flower, sunshine, sailboat, smiley face, house, a hand, a bird, star, football.  Divide your group into teams of 5 players. Each team should line up five people deep all facing forward. Each team should be given a pad of paper and pencil that is placed at the front of the line for each team. 

Play begins when the host selects one of the papers with a shape to show the last person in line of each of the teams. After the last player in each team has seen the shape they try to draw this shape on the back of the teammate in front of them. The person drawing has 2 tries to draw the shape before the person being drawn on must now draw that same shape on the person in front of them. 

The drawing continues until the person at the front of the line has had the shape drawn on their back. The player at the front of the line then has to draw the shape on paper and show their team what they drew. The team with a shape closest to the original drawing wins a point. 

To start the next round the person in the front of the line now shifts to the end of the line and gets to see the next shape card selected by the host. 

Happy Holiday's and Merry Christmas

Now that you are organized and ready to hit the holidays head on you will have plenty of time and energy to play these fun games with your family and friends at your next group party!

For more great games, printables and recipes please remember to follow me so you don't miss any of them!