Easy Christmas Crafts – Gift Box Ornament

Season’s Greetings to all our artistic and crafty friends! Sonoma Christian Home is excited to share with you Susan’s latest creation – the Gift Box Ornament project! This is an easy Christmas craft you can do at home with materials you most likely have on hand. This ornament is made from a cereal box (yay re-using!), and provides a great opportunity for your kids to practice measuring, folding, taping, and to go a little nuts with glitter (if you dare).

I hope you enjoy this project and have a most excellent Christmas! Check back in come January for some great new projects to kick off the New Year!
Materials:

-Cereal box, cut into a flat pallet

-Black Marker

-Scissors

-Scotch Tape

-Glue mixed with water (details given below)

-Paintbrush

-Glitter

-Plate for excess glitter

-Ribbon
Instructions:

1. Draw two parellel 6” lines on either side of (or near to) the spine of the cereal box. Divide this box into 3 squares 2” by 2”.
2. From the center box, draw two more 2” by 2” squares to the right of the center square, creating 3 squares in a horizontal line and a T-shape to all the squares.
3. Now draw one 2” by 2” square to the left of the center box, creating 4 squares in a horizontal line. You should have six squares in the shape of a cross.
4. Draw ¼’ tabs on boxes 4, 5, and 6.
5. Or, skip all of the above and download, print, and trace this template:  http://bit.ly/v5l0W8
6. Once your box outline matches the one in my example photo, cut along the perimeter of the boxes.
7. Fold the box together, along every solid line, taping each side as you go.
8. Once the box is complete, mix together ¼ cup of white glue with 1/2 tbls. of water, giving it a paint-like consistency.
9. Using the paintbrush, cover 5 of the six sides of the box with the watered down glue, leaving the bottom side of the box dry and resting on the table.
10. Place the box onto a plate, and cover liberally with glitter, rotating the box as you go, picking up the excess glitter from the plate.
11. Once the sides are reasonably dry, glue and glitter the sixth side of the box.
12. Once all sides are completely dry, you can spray the box with fixative or hairspray, to prevent glitter from getting all over little hands and faces. Be sure to spray the box OUTDOORS and away from small children. Let the box sit for 15 minutes before handling.
13. Finally, tie the box up with some festive ribbon, attach to an ornament hook and hang it on the tree!

Note: If you are not a fan of glitter, or want to create a variety of gift box ornaments, some other options are to “wrap” the box in wrapping paper or construction paper, cover it in tempura paint, or glue bits and pieces or ripped tissue paper to the box.

Merry Christmas!