Gingerbread Man Christmas Ornament Kids' Craft

Christmas ornaments that are kid-created are the best! I’ve always found that the ones my son made held the most prominent places on the tree. While the Grinch with broken off legs and random cartoon ornaments that my son is now embarrassed that his friends might see have mysteriously vanished to the back of the tree. We’ve been making paper poinsettias, model magic shapes and all kinds of other ornaments. This one is a photo gingerbread ornament that your child can dress up in her favorite colors.

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Yesterday I bought a bag (yes, bag) of holiday cookie cutters. I have no intentions of baking holiday cookies. I did want to use them for a few crafty creations though. Recently, I unearthed an old tub of air dry clay from my basement art materials archives (it’s really more like a bunch or completely disorganized baskets and bags that house all things crafty). Luckily, I had sealed the lid – so, the clay inside was still soft. I figured that we might as well use it.

This is an easy-to-make art activity that kids of almost any age can enjoy. As a bonus you can personalize it and add a picture of your child.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        Air dry clay – We used Crayola’s Air DryClay

·        Gingerbread man shaped cookie cutter

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        A pipe cleaner

·        Scissors

·        Tempera paint

·        A photo of your child’s face – Choose one that is the size of the gingerbread man’s head (or slightly smaller).

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Roll a chunk of clay into a ball and flatten it like pizza dough.
 

2.     Push the cookie cutter through the flattened clay.
 

3.     Peel off the excess clay. Save it for another project.

4.     Pull the cookie cutter out.
 

5.     Make a hole at the top of the holiday ornament with a pipe cleaner. Your child needs to do this before the clay dries.
 

6.     Let the clay dry. This typically takes between one and two days.

7.     Paint the ornament. Have your child finger paint (or she can use a paintbrush if she wants) the clay.
 

8.     Cut the photo of your child’s face into a head-shaped circle.

9.     Glue the picture onto the gingerbread man’s head.

10.   Lace a pipe cleaner through the hole at the top to make a hanger (your child can do this now or earlier, before she paints). Twist it at the ends to close the pipe cleaner.
 

Are you looking for more winter art activities? Follow my Pinterest board for plenty of holiday ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Winter Activities for Kids on Pinterest.