Jingle Bell Bracelets and Rudolph Noses

We had our preschool Christmas program today. It was super fun and the little kids were ADORABLE! We made a couple of quick crafts last week to help with our presentation and they were very excited about them. I thought I'd share

Jingle Bell Bracelets

Supplies:
-yarn or string
-tape
-jingle bells (I bought silver and gold ones from Wal-Mart and they were less than a dollar a bag)

1. Wrap a small piece of tape around the end of the yarn or string (tightly) to make feeding it through the hole in the bell easier. This can be a bit of a pain, but it makes the second step MUCH easier.

2. Feed the end of the yarn through the hole in the bell. I went back and forth between silver and gold on ours.  Also, check the bell holes first.  Some of them are very small and yarn won't fit.  Some of them are big enough for yarn, so I just went through and picked out the bells that I knew would work.

3. Once you have a bell on, give yourself plenty of extra yarn, and then tie a knot around the bell.

4. String on another bell and tie another knot. You can make them as close together or as far apart as you want.

5. Once you are done, cut the tape off of the end of your yarn and tie it around your child's wrist. Make sure you use a bow, so it can come back off without being cut.

You could also use fishing line or elastic string and tie them super close together for a fun bracelet for a grown-up, or you could use some festive ribbon and a bigger bell and make a necklace. For as inexpensive and easy as this is, you can have fun trying lots of different alternatives. If you come up with something cute, send me a picture and I will post it. pumpkinpatchdesigns@hotmail.com

Rudolph Noses

Supplies:

-red yarn

-scissors

-something to wrap yarn around (I used a credit card...perfect size)

1. Begin wrapping the yarn around the card. Start by holding the yarn in place with your finger. Then start wrapping.

2. Wrap the yarn around the card 50 times. To do this, count every time you cross over the top of the card.

3. Once you are done wrapping, cut the yarn at the bottom of the card. Then grab the yarn ball in your hand and slowly slip it off the card while holding it securely in your hand.

4. While holding the yarn ball in your hand, lay out a piece of yarn several inches long. Lay the yarn ball on top of it so that the piece of yarn lies under the middle of the yarn ball.

5. Take up both sides of the piece of yarn around the yarn ball and tie them tightly around the ball of yarn. Tie it a couple of times to make sure it is secure.

6. Once it is secure, cut the loops of yarn.

7. After all of the loops are cut, you have a misshapen puff ball. While holding it with one hand, carefully trim the pieces of yarn so that they are all pretty even with each other. Now you have a little round puff ball.

8. Take a piece of yarn about 2 feet long and lay it down. Put your fluff ball on top of it so that it is centered. Tie the yarn around it securely. Fluff the ball with your fingers, and you are done.

We used these for Rudolph noses, but you can use them for clown noses, or to add a pompom to your child's snow hat. You can add wiggly eyes and some feet and turn them into warm fuzzies. Later in the year, we are going to make lots of different colors and put them into a "guess how many" jar. If you come up with something cute or creative, send me a picture and I will post it. pumpkinpatchdesigns@hotmail.com

Thanks everyone! Have a happy day.