Creative Christmas



Our own invention - anxious looking snowman!

We have been busy creating a homemade Christmas. The boys Grandmother send us a "Red Barnet" (Save the Children) Christmas Advent Calendar from 2011. Each year for Christmas Danish TV shows one episode every day of December, chapter 1 to 24 of the advent calendar of the year. The profit from the sales of the calendar goes to an organisation that helps children in need around the world. Even when I grew up this was the case, so it has been happening every year for quite some time now. The shows have been very varied, lots of puppet shows, historical themes, Christmas pixies in Greenland etc. to more or less experimental TV. Nowadays there are two TV channels that shows advent calendars for kids and there is even an advent calendar for adults too!
This used to be the highlight for us kids all through December, one episode per day... and if you missed it bad luck!! Now we have DVD's, how convenient is that?! This year our kids have been watching two different ones, plus we have been doing the Christmas workshop from 2011 with Shane Bronx. We had the box that comes with this calendar send to us as mentioned above and every day we have been opening a brown envelope with instructions and materials to make a special little Christmas creature or item for the workshop of the story (even the box the calendar was sent in was used for the workshop). We watched the episodes on the internet and away into the garage the kids went.




Our garage is turned into a Christmas workshop. All the envelopes for the advent calendar are hung on the line with old wooden pegs.

 

 They have been following the instructions, cutting, gluing, arguing and been both happy and unhappy with the process. But most of all it has been great fun. In the past we have often made up stuff from recycling, so it is not all new to them. They have needed some assistance, and it has been a bit time-consuming, but in all it has been a great success. They now love playing with these new toys that they made and they have continued to invent some of their own and added them to the story. We are not finished yet, are behind schedule, so tomorrow is going to be a busy day as it is last chance to get all done before Christmas. Not sure if we will have time for Christmas dinner!

 

 

To the left is the beginning of Mixit's workshop and the picture to the right is where we are at today - it is getting crowed!

 

Thank you "mormor" for sending the box and thank you Shane Bronx for giving us great stories! You are a favourite at our house!

xo Sarah

Gift Wrapping

 

 

Only 9 days to go and I am so not ready for Christmas! Today I was finally going to bake those traditional Danish vanilla rings (vaniljekranse). The dough has been waiting in the fridge for days and by now there is a high probability that they will taste more of fridge than vanilla bean! I think I will have to make new dough. My boys were not well today, so all the Christmassy preparations that I imagined we would do this Sunday as a family... in my romantic and perfect imaginary world, did not happen. Both boys are better this evening, so who really cares. We will make some time during the week for Christmas baking.

 

 

Anyway I do have some pictures of gift wrapping that I have done. Maybe this could inspire you when you are to wrap all those lovely Christmas presents? The petals are made from circles punched out of colourful magazines with at punch machine (bought from a scrapbooking shop). Very easy to do, you only require a glue gun and a button for the centre.

Punch out 10 circles, fold 9 into your petal shape and glue them all onto your 10th circle, finish off with a button. I also glue a little loop from paper on the back, so I can put my gift ribbon through.

 

xo Sarah