Eight Easy Holiday Decorations

Easy holiday decorations from FamilyFun

In This Article

Wooden Houses

House Durable and brightly colored, these houses will last for years. Your kids can make a few this Christmas, then add a new cottage to their town every December. The first step must be done by a parent. The rest can be handled by any child who can wield a paintbrush.

MATERIALS

4-by-4-inch board (or 2-by-4-inch board)
Pencil
Table saw (or handsaw)
Sandpaper
Acrylic paints
Paintbrushes

If you (or a friend) own a table saw, it is easy to cut the 4-by-4-inch board into house shapes yourself. Draw the angle of the roof and a line for the house's base on the wood, then saw carefully along the lines. (Some lumberyards will also make these cuts for a fee.) If you only have a handsaw, you can achieve the same look by cutting two 2-by-4-inch sections into identical house shapes, then joining them together with wood glue. Once the houses are ready, turn them over to your kids. After sanding the wood, they should give each house a base coat of paint, then add contrasting details. The very young will probably stick with the basic doors and windows or just bright swatches of color. Older kids may crave more detail, such as wreaths, doorknobs, snow or house numbers. When the paint is dry, set up the houses on a piece of white felt or surround them with greenery on your mantel, sideboard or tabletop.