Christmas Spider

Materials:
4 pipe cleaners
Small Christmas ornament
Med Christmas ornament

Instructions:

Take one pipe cleaners and fold it in half. Twist it together forming a circle the size of the med ornament in the center. Repeat with one more pipe cleaners. Place these two, one on top of the other. Wrap the ends around both pipe cleaners in opposite directions, for about ¼ inch. This will hold the circles together and place the legs about ½ inch apart. This forms the two center legs on each side. Now add one more pipe cleaner to each side. Start about ½ inch from center leg leaving enough length to form the top leg. Twist around the circles through the center legs. Stop twisting about ½ inch past the second center leg. End will form the bottom leg. Repeat on the other side. Take the top off of the ornaments. Using hot glue, glue the legs to the med ornament. Place the top of the ornament to form the neck. Glue the small ornament into the med ornament to form the head. Trim the pipe cleaners off so they are the same length. Arrange the pipe cleaners in the shape of spider legs (up around the body like a bowl, then out away from the body, then a bend for the knee, and a bend away from the body for the foot.)

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The 12 Days of Christmas

Amber, One of the mom-stuff team members has posted her version of the 12 Days of Christmas to share with other moms. If you are looking for some cleaver gift ideas you would love this.

Last year I decided I wanted to bring some joy to a family's life that I knew was struggling due to the troubled economy. Everybody needs a little bit of cheer all the time but especially at Christmas. I focused on family time to bring some joy to this family each evening. This is my version of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

My version of the 12 days of Christmas is very different than the original version. I took a variety of poems and printed them out on Christmas stationary.

To use my format buy stationary with printing across the top as in a header. I then bought or made an item that goes along with each poem I have listed. The items I used are listed next to each poem title. I put each item into a Christmas sack with the tag tied with curly ribbon. Each day I would deliver the poem and the item to the family's house. My hope was to create a family bonding time for each of the 12 days before Christmas and add some Christmas JOY. I hope you will enjoy this and have a Merry Christmas.

On the 1st day of Christmas my true friend gave to me. This is what the tag read just change the 1st to 2nd or the pattern can be found by clicking here

The 12 poems are listed below by clicking on each one it will take you to the actual poem

A Parent's Night Before Christmas
With this poem I also included a variety of packages of batteries and I also put $100.00 in with the batteries with a note that said I hope this helps make Christmas a little less stressful.

Legend of Christmas Stockings
On this day I bought Christmas Stockings both kinds the ones that are for Christmas eve and also Christmas socks for each of the family members feet.

Legend of Mistletoe
Of course I gave them fresh mistletoe on this day.

Legend of Poinsettia
I bought a fresh poinsettia to give with this poem.

Legend of the Christmas Rose
Since I wasn't sure if roses would last I decided to buy an oil burner and some rose scents to smell their house of roses. I also bought a glass rose to put in the bag.

The Candy Cane Legend
Included in this bag was a box of red and white candy canes

The Legend of the Christmas Bell
I found a fancy bell that had Christmas decorations around it and put it in a fancy box to give with this poem.

The Legend of the Christmas Balls
I knew the family I was giving to well so I found a box of bulbs in the color of their Christmas tree to give with this poem.

The Legend of the Christmas Spider
This is one of my favorite Christmas stories and has been apart of my life since I was a little girl. We have always had a gold spider sitting in the center of our Christmas tree. For this gift we made a gold spider similar to the one I had growing up to pass on the tradition my family loved so much.

Under Santa's Hat
With this story I bought each of them a Santa hat and also some snack foods cheese and crackers with a summer sausage with Eggnog.


Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
For this story I bought hot chocolate mixes and mugs for each member of the family.

The Night before Christmas for Moms
With this story I gave the mom a few bath items to pamper herself and a Christmas movie for the rest of the family to enjoy.

Friends Giffs

Are you looking for simple and inexpensive gift ideas for friends and neighbors? I have put together a great collection see them at http://www.mom-stuff.com/public/department33.cfm

Santa Cookie Plates

Fun and inexpencive Gifts
This gift is simple for people of all ages. Take an ordinary glass plate (no decorations on the center plate works best so you can read your saying). Find some 3D paint that will stick on glass. Find the saying of your choice here are a couple we have used:
Dear Santa, Here's a cookie for you and some carrots for the reindeer
1 Day of Coal 364 Days of fun,
I'll take my chances Santa, I know I've been bad all year through so here is my bribe for you!
P.S. We've been good! Santa I Can Explain.
All you need to do is take the 3D paint and write the saying on the plate wherever you want it. This gift is so simple that kids really enjoy making these for their teachers and friends.

Santa's Beard Countdown

Materials:
Poster board
Paper plate
Red felt
Black pom-pom
Cotton balls
Goggle eyes
Black felt pen

Christmas Tree Countdown to Christmas

Materials:
Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge
Cardstock paper, Background color
of your choice, Green, and 5 Christmas designs
of your choice (we used red and white)
Brown, White, and Yellow
24 sparkley pom poms
Instructions:
Using the Christmas Cheer Cricut cartridge pick your Christmas tree 1 cut 8 ¾ " on green cardstock. Trace trunk and cut out of brown cardstock. Trace the star and cut out of white and yellow cardstock. Pick 1 Christmas design paper for carpet. Cut 2" strip of paper and place along bottom of your background page. Glue tree onto background paper right in the middle of the page. Glue brown trunk and white star onto green tree. On your Cricut cartridge use circle foundation to cut 24, 1/2" circles. Number the circles 1 thru 24. Your white star will be number 25 on the countdown. Glue white circles starting at the bottom randomly place in numerical order working toward the top of the tree. Take your Christmas design paper and pick 3 colors for presents and one color for bows. Cut 2 ¼" presents from cricut cartridge (We used all 3 presents from cartridge). Glue around trunk of tree. Title of page: was done using Cricut design software and Cursive 101 cartridge. Enter text 2" then weld together and cut on same designed paper as used for presents. Put pom poms and yellow star in a bag and on the first day of December let your child use elmers glue to pick 1 pom pom and glue on the number 1 circle repeat each day until Christmas. Christmas morning the yellow star is glued on the white star labeled 25

Candy Countdown

Materials:
Plastic wrap
Hershey Kisses variety
Ribbon
Instructions:
Spread plastic wrap out. Count out 24 groups (if you have three children you will use a group of three candys) Hershey kisses along plastic wrap. Start at one end by wrapping candy and then tie ribbon in between each group of candy. Continue until your you have tied off all 24 groups of candy. Hang your candy garlands on a wall or from the mantel or from a doorknob. Cut one group of candy off each day starting on December 1st. When the candy is gone Christmas will be here