Easy Holiday Cards Made by Your Little Elves

The holiday season is a great time of year to have some creative fun and bond with your little ones. Preschool and elementary-aged children love arts and crafts, and the these fun little projects help young ones develop gross motor, fine motor, and creativity skills.

All it takes to have a bunch of holiday fun with your little ones is:

1.       Kid friendly scissors

2.       1 glue stick per child (or glue dots, a new favorite at our house)

3.       Holiday cookie cutters

4.       Red construction paper (or any other color they desire)

5.       A box of washable markers

6.       Glitter (optional)

Kid-made holiday cards are fun to make and to receive. The cutting, drawing, gluing, and decorating is lots of fun and it helps children develop and hone necessary skills. Completing these cards is easy. Start by folding the red construction paper and place the desired cookie cutter up against the folded edge of the paper. Next, help your child trace the cookie cutter, leaving the folded edge in tack. Then cut out the traced shape. Remember; do not cut the folded edge, as you want this to open like a card.

Once it is cut out, help your child decorate the front by using the glue stick and glitter. Open it up and allow them to draw a picture or write a message. If they cannot yet write, let them tell you the message and you can write it for them. Have them “sign” the card and it is set to be delivered for the Holidays! This little project only costs a few dollars, gives you quality time with your child, and is a true blessing to the recipients. 

If you are looking for awesome hand-crafted Christian gifts to go with the fun Christmas cards, take a look at the awesome selection of affordable Christian merchandise at www.zuluf.com.

The Story Behind The Jack-O-Lantern

Have you ever wondered why we carve pumpkins as part of our Halloween traditions every year. This art and craft project is something that almost everybody has done, and children delight in sharing this fun activity with parents. Believe it or not, the infamous Jack-O-Lantern is Irish folklore that dates back centuries.

The story goes like this:

Jack, a farmer in his time, convinced Satan to climb up to the highest branch of a  tree using trickery. When Satan reached the top of the tree, Jack proceeded to carve a big cross in the bottom of the trunk. This Holy symbol in the tree trunk made it impossible for Satan to climb down and get out of the tree.

Jack literally made a deal with the Devil. He agreed to help him get out of the tree if the Devil promised to not tempt Jack again. When Jack finally passed away, he was not allowed into Heaven because of the sins he commited during life. He was also rejected from entering Hell due to tricking the Devil during his lifetime. His spirit was condemned and he was forced to wander Earth aimlessly, without ever being able to rest.

Jack took a turnip and carved a face into it. He then lit the turnip with an ember given to him by the Devil. He used the carved and lit turnip as a lantern that lit his path on his never ending journey on Earth. This is why he gained the name "Jack of the Lantern," which we now know as Jack-O-Lantern.

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www.zuluf.com/blog
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