Scrappy Yarn Sun Catcher (Kid-Made Gifts Series)

It's one of our holiday traditions to make gifts for extended family.  Handmade gifts are a wonderful way to include kids in Christmas giving in a tangible and meaningful way.  Kids beam with pride when they can present a loved one with something they made especially for them  (I know because I've seen it!)  I'm always on the lookout for new ideas and inspirations for crafty projects my kids can dive into.   I'm a big fan of simple.  It doesn't have to be elaborate to be beautiful, useful, or appreciated.  Even moms that want to keep kids craft time simple will be able to find inspiration in this little series!  

During the month of November and the first two weeks of December I'll be featuring crafts made by kids that are appropriate for giving as Christmas gifts.   I'm even fortunate enough to have some other lovely bloggers joining me!   Yay!

It's my hope that the craft projects featured here will help get your creative wheels spinning and you'll jump into Christmas crafting with your kids this year!    And if I'm really lucky, you'll have some new ideas to send my way, too!

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With a little advanced preparation on your part, this is a craft that even toddlers can help with.

What you'll need:

scraps of colorful yarn, cut into 1 inch pieces

bowl - OR - or something else circular to trace

pencil

scissors

black construction paper

a thermal laminator and laminating sheets - OR - clear contact paper

hole puncher
yarn for tying

Ahhh... I just love taking pictures of yarn...

Use the bowl to trace circles on the black construction paper.  

 Cut out the circles, forming a ring with an extra "bump" at the top for hanging.
(there's got to be a better word than "bump"...  but you can see what I mean here:)
(No... my girls are not this advanced.  I cut out the circles :)  )

Place the black "frames" in the laminating sheet or on the sticky side of a piece of clear contact paper.  Let kids start filling the empty spaces with yarn.

Older children may be able to be a little more intentional about colors and patterns, but a two-year-old's jumble of colored yarn is just as pretty!

Run laminating sheets through a pre-heated laminator according to your machine's instructions.  Or if using contact paper, place another sheet - sticky side down - on top of your sun catchers and press to seal.

Cut out the sun catchers, leaving about 1/4 inch of plastic all around the edges.
(Ruth tried to do this on her own but she tired out after one and I finished them up.)

Punch a hole in the top and string with yarn.  And then test them out at a sunny window!

Think of how pretty they'll look in winter with a sparkling snowy white background!

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Tune in next week for another Kid-Made Gift idea!