Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament

Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays

Kid-Made Holiday Decoration

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it. Roald Dahl

I love making holiday decorations with the kids but I was looking for a way to put more meaning into the ornament. So when I was invited to take part in The Kid Made Christmas Ornaments Blog Hop hosted by Crafty Mama in ME I wanted to come up with an activity that would be meaningful both for the child and the family.

First, we made some light-up Christmas ornaments. Then, we made some salt dough transportation ornaments with a four-year-old. It was his first time making gifts for his family and the activity is chockful of fine motor and sensory fun. They were both great craft projects but then another child wanted to make ornaments. I had run out of tea lights for the light up holiday decorations and salt for the salt dough ornaments so I came up with this idea to make a treasure box with the kids and I must say I am very pleased with the results. 

This page contains affiliate links. Please visit our disclosure page for more information.

Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays

Kid-Made Ornaments Represent a Moment in Time

For me, the beauty of homemade decorations is the memory they hold. Every year, as we pull decorations out of storage our heart melts as we are reminded of a time, a person, a feeling. I wanted this ornament to hold one of those moments for years to come. This activity is not just a craft, it’s a time to think about others and to reflect on ourselves.

Materials Needed For a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament:

 Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays

How to Make a Treasure Box:

  • Print out the treasure box template on card stock. Let the kids color the boxes.
  • Cut out the template. Younger children will need help with the cutting.
  • Fold along the lines. Cardstock can be difficult to fold so I put a ruler on the line I want to fold and used it as a straight edge.
Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays
Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays

How to Make Your Treasure Box Ornament

  • Glue the edges and use the paperclips to hold the box while it is drying.
  • Once the box is dry punch holes in the sides of the box and lace a ribbon through.
  • Then let the kids decorate with stickers, gems or whatever you have on hand. Just be aware that too many heavy decorations will make the box collapse.
  • Print out the Treasure Notes Template. and have the children write their secret notes.
Treasuring Memories With a Kid-Made Treasure Box Ornament #mosswoodconnections #kid-madedcorations #ornaments #crafts #holidays

How We Added Social Skills & Exploring Feelings to This Holiday Activity for Kids:

  • I gave the scrolls to the children. First, we did the “You are” scroll. I had the kids write down or draw something for the person on their left. Some of the things they chose to write were “You are friendly”, “You are funny”, “You are tall”. The child who wrote “You are tall” needs to work on giving compliments. They put the “You are” scroll in their friend’s treasure box.
  • Then I gave them the “I am” scrolls and had them write or draw something about themselves.
  • After that, the kids had fun with the blank scrolls making whatever they wanted.
  • Once the treasure box ornaments were filled with their scrolls we looked at the scrolls and talked about the feelings and thoughts that they represented.

Wouldn’t it be fun to bring these out next year and enjoy a snapshot view of who they were this holiday? 

Tags

One comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

top
×

Subscribe for latest updates

Get all the latest exciting news from Mosswood Connections!