Christmas is the time of year when families get together for fun and fellowship. It is during these times that traditions are created that can be passed down to each new generation. What are your family traditions? If you really hadn’t thought about it, use this Christmas season to begin a few special ones.

Depending on your denomination of the Christian faith, some people attend services on Christmas. Programs are held on Christmas Eve night or the Sunday immediately before Christmas Day. Attending a service gives families time to reflect on the spiritual aspect of the season and share the nativity story with their children. In some churches, the children perform Christmas plays for the church congregation.

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If you plan on sending homemade gifts this year, get the kids to make some crafts that you can use for specifically for that purpose. The kids will have a blast, you’ll enjoy the time together and the stress relief of doing it all yourself and the recipient will feel extra special knowing the gifts were made by the little ones. Here are a few ideas to get your kid’s big imaginations started.

When it comes to kitchen items there are tons of crafts that kids can make and you can give as presents. Craft stores sell blank aprons in various colors. Kids can decorate these aprons using craft paints, stencils, and iron-on shapes. For unique shapes, use the cut edge of a white potato dipped in paint. Oven mitts, placemats, dishtowels, and napkin rings are other examples of kitchen crafts kids can turn into gifts with just a few simple decorations.

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Spending time with the kids is an added blessing and helps to make even the most normal holiday activities more interesting and fun.

A wreath is a symbol of goodwill during the holiday season. Seeing one on the door lets guests know that they will feel warm and welcome in the home. There are plenty of wreaths that the kids can help make too. Here are some ideas of homemade wreaths to make with your kids.

An Advent wreath is used to welcome the day that has been set aside as the birth date of Jesus Christ. Each Sunday, a candle in the wreath is lit to symbolize one of four virtues: hope, love, peace, and joy. The wreath symbolizes the spiritual aspect of Christmas.
For the greenery, artificial swags or real pine can be used. Arrange the greenery in a circle. Decorate the wreath with berries or pine cones. Parents need to be on hand to use the hot glue gun to attach the pine cones and other decorations to the wreath. Candles are placed in holders with one in the center of the other four. There are three purple (or blue) candles and one pink one. The center candle is white and is lit on Christmas Day.

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For the average woman, less is not more when it comes to our purses. Although some women take a minimalist approach to purse contents, for most of us, the more room the better. After all, there are just some things that a girl can't do without, the stuff we call purse essentials.

We have learned over the years from watching our moms, sisters and friends that you just never know when you might need "stuff." We've learned, in some cases the hard way, that it's better to have it, than to wish we'd put it in our purse.

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Some crafts made during holiday time are more special than others. These crafts, we will call keepsakes. A keepsake is something that you treasure for years to come and it holds a special memory for the recipient. All kids can create keepsake crafts that will be used each year at Christmas.

I’ve seen ornaments in the store that say “Baby’s First Christmas”. For a more personal touch on the first ever Christmas for your child, create clay handprints. Craft stores may carry baking clay that can be used at home. Be sure to follow the packaged instructions for use.

Place baby’s tiny hands in the clay to make an imprint in the softened surface. Once the clay dries, paint the handprints. Label the keepsake with the child’s name and the year. All of the kids can participate in this craft. This is also a great (and precious) way to see how they grow over the years. When the kids are old enough, let them paint their own keepsake Christmas handprints. The handprints can double as paperweights around the house or in the office or be hung each year for the holidays only.

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