CRAFTS

Gingerbread Man - Puffy Paint:

Materials: a copy of my Gingerbread Man Template, white glue, shaving cream, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground ginger, brown paint, paper bowl or plate, coloured paper, child safe scissors, buttons, sequins, ribbons etc..

Step 1: Cut off the top of the template leaving the gingerbread as the only thing on the page.

Step 2: Combine equal parts white glue & shaving cream on a paper plate . Add a squirt of brown acrylic paint and some spices for that gingerbread scent!

Step 3: Give your kids paintbrushes and have them use the shaving cream paint to paint the template brown.
Step 4: Work with your child to cut out accessories, if you are making them, or else just use buttons, sequins etc,
Step 5: Have your child place the pieces on the gingerbread figure.
Step 6: Let it dry and then display!

Cardboard Gingerbread Men:

Materials: brown cardboard or construction paper, child safe scissors, pencil, a copy of my Gingerbread Man Template, white glue, sequins or glitter, ribbon or buttons, markers.

Step 1: Cut out the template of the gingerbread man and then have your child trace the outline onto the brown cardboard or construction paper.

Step 2: Help your child cut the gingerbread figure out of the paper.

Step 3: Let your child's imagination reign. Have him/her decorate the gingerbread with ribbon, stickers, glitter, sequins, buttons or simply markers or paint.

Optional: You can thread some yarn through the top to turn this into a Christmas Tree decoration!

Gingerbread

GINGERBREAD MEN - Paper Accordion Dolls:

Materials: brown craft paper (the longer the better), pencil, child safe scissors, markers .copy of my Gingerbread People Template.

Step 1: Cut your brown paper into a long wide strip.
Step 2: Fold the paper over a number of times to layer the paper (if the paper were to be opened and left bent it would be zig zagged) but leaving a decent amount of space to draw an outline of person on the top layer.
Step 3: Cut out the small gingerbread man or woman from the template sheet and have your child trace the outline on the top layer. Make sure the arm extends to the end and the legs too. A basic “X” form works for the body’s outline.
Step 4: Cut around the outline of the body leaving the arms and toes attached to each other (this might be better suited for parents of younger kids).
Step 5: Have your kids use markers or crayons to decorate the paper gingerbread men/woman.
Step 6: Display or glue in your Family Theme Day scrapbook. Or make a few sets and attach them together to create a holiday banner.

Puffy Stuffed Gingerbread Man:

Materials: two copies of my Gingerbread Man Template, child safe scissors, paper bag, cotton balls, markers, staples...

Step 1: Cut around one Gingerbread Template leaving a wide enough rim to staple together and then cut out the other properly.

Step 2: Have your child trace the widened template onto a paper bag.

Step 3: Help your child cut out the template drawn on the paper bag holding the bag together to ensure that you are cutting two layers.

Step 4: Take the other template and trace it on top of the cut out paper bag.
Step 5: Let your child decorate the gingerbread man using markers.
Step 6: Carefully staple around the wide rim of the head and then stuff with cotton.
Step 7: Keep stapling parts and adding cotton balls as you go along until the whole gingerbread man is stuffed and puffy

Gingerbread People Wreath:

Materials: a copy of my Gingerbread People Template, glue stick, brown paper, child safe scissors, makers, paper plate, sharp scissors (for parental use). yarn (Optional).

Step 1: Cut out the small or medium gingerbread people in the template and then have your child trace around them on the brown paper. .

Step 2: Cut out the gingerbread people .

Step 3: Have your child decorate the gingerbread people with markers.

Step 4: (Parent step) cut out the middle of a paper plate. We used a bright decorative one but if you use a white one your child could paint it or decorate it with markers or stickers. .
Step 5: Apply glue stick to the back of the paper gingerbread people and have your child place them around the paper plate wreath.
Step 6: Now your wreath is ready to hand (using yarn or simply hooking the hole through a doorknob or stocking hook).

What other fun craft ideas can you and your kids make using these templates?

Email us your ideas and photos to info@familythemedays.ca