I decided to theme my Christmas decorations in my cubicle at work this year and on a whim settled on dinosaurs a that theme. Of course, I have plenty of dinosaurs around but not many that are especially Christmas-y, so it's the perfect opportunity to craft. I painted one dinosaur (I wasn't fond of the bright, toxic colors it came in) and made bonnets and top hats for the group of larger figures.
I have plans for the smaller ones, but more on that later.
I've been trying to stretch myself a little bit with my Christmas themes. So instead of classic American Santa, I decided to make a plaque with more of a Father Christmas look, leaning into the more muted tones and longer facial features. It gives him a sort of man-in-the-moon vibe.
What do you do when you have a little tree to decorate and you don't have enough ornaments the right size? You make some out of cardboard. And since you're working with cardboard anyway, why not make them look like gingerbread cookies?
If there are two things I have in abundance, it's Altoid tins and peg dolls. So it only makes sense to put them together. And the result is this craft: a manger scene in a tin.
Today's craft is a simple kit: adhesive craft foam attached to a canvas panel. I did Marfalfa it up a little bit by drawing dinosaurs as the car's driver and passenger.
It's December and that it means it's that time of year where I torture myself with the "fun" idea of making a Christmas themed craft every day until Christmas. It's a lot but it's also a great creative challenge. This year I decided to add to the challenge by setting strict limits on purchases. I'm trying to use supplies I already have.
To start out the countdown, I made a little cart out of cardboard. It was designed to be "pulled" by some bobblehead goats we got (I believe they were a fastfood promotion tied into the new Thor movie). And for giggles, I have Eevee driving the cart, delivering gifts. There is likely to be a Santa hat in Eevee's future.
If there's one experience that most young readers will find relatable, it's going to school. So if you're looking to educate kids about what life looks like for other people around the world, school is a decent place to start. This is especially true when that experience varies wildly from what we in the west consider "normal". Now, we should note that the schools featured in this book are not standard for the culture but are meeting a rather particular need. Even so, it's compelling reading. The chapters are easily read and use very accessible language.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
