Catholic Christmas Gift Ideas

Are you working on your Christmas shopping? Yes, yes you are. (Unless if you are really on top of things and finished shopping before Advent began.) So, I've put together the links to various Catholic Christmas gift ideas that I've posted over the years to give you something to help in the creative process. P.S. There are no paid endorsements here.

Creative Catholic Christmas Gifts 2012
Here you'll find a post from the FOCUS blog with gift ideas for anyone on your list. Favorites include Mystic Monk coffee with a Happy Saints mug, or a Catholic Movie with Prayerfully Popped Popcorn.

Creative Catholic Christmas Gifts 2013
This year's FOCUS blog list includes saint packs for the kiddos, a host of Catholic subscriptions so you can give a gift that keeps on giving, and a few FOCUS missionary Etsy shops!

Homemade Catholic Christmas Gifts
This list is from my achieves and has several DIY gift ideas. You'll find tutorials for holy medal wine charmers, a saints matching game, Christmas coasters, family board game pieces, felt bags and flower headbands at the link.

Not on the link above are tutorials for wooden saint dolls and a saint doll cathedral, which make excellent Christmas gifts!

And for a fun and easy teachers' gift check out my hot chocolate cones tutorial. We've been making these as presents for several years now!

Blessings on your shopping adventures!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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A Thankful Pumpkin Craft for Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving crafts continue in our home this week with thankful pumpkins!

The kids really enjoyed making these. Well, they didn't really enjoy the part where they had to come up with 10 whole things that they are thankful for, which only magnified the need for this little exercise of gratitude.

This simple craft can be made with only a few items that you probably have in your home, they are...

• Green Paper
• Orange Paper
• Two Brads
• Green Pipe Cleaner
• Hole Puncher
• Scissors
• Brown Marker

Step 1: Cut out five 8 1/2 x 3/4 inch strips of orange paper. Punch holes at the ends and in the middle of each strip.

Step 2: Place a brad through the center of your strips and have your children write 10 things they are thankful for, writing them from the edge of the strips into the center of them on both sides.

Pal's list, I wrote them for him... I know it's hard to tell, handwriting has never been my strength.

Step 3: Make a leaf, write "I'm thankful for" on it, and punch a hole in it.

Step 4: Layer your pumpkin onto the second brad. Start with the leaf (word side down), then loop the center of the pipe cleaner onto it, followed by one side of your strips (stacked together, word side down), then loop the other side of your strips onto the brad and fasten down the tabs of your brad. Finally, curl your pipe cleaners around your marker to make tendrils.

Step 5: Fan out your strips to form a round pumpkin and you are done!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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The Legend of Indian Corn Craft

Decorating for Thanksgiving is in full swing at the Cotter home. Last week's project was an Indian corn craft with a Christian twist.

I recently found the above poem that gives Christian meaning to the colors of Indian corn kernels. I'm not really sure where it came from, and I doubt it's an authentic legend, but it made for a fun craft project that included copy work, which is always a bonus in this homeschooling house.

Here is how we made them, beginning with our supplies:

• Paints
• Yellow construction paper
• Q-tips
• Raffia
• Hole punch
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Pencil (We used a black erasable colored pencil.)

Step 1: Cut out two corn shapes per child from yellow construction paper.

Step 2: Have your child copy the poem onto one of the ears of corn. We laid out the poem so it would fit on 15 lines.

God put colors for

you and me on all

of the Indian corn

we see! Brown is

for the beauty of

fall, Red is God's

love for us all,

Yellow is for the

golden sun, White

tells us to love

everyone, Orange

tells us to give 

God praise and

keep Him with us

everyday!

Step 3: Make a pallet of orange, brown, white, yellow, and red paints. These are the colors mentioned in the poem.

Step 4: Have your child use a q-tip to dot the kernels onto the other ear of corn and around the words of the poem.

Step 5: Glue the corn ears together, punch a hole at the top of them, and tie on some raffia.

I think they turned out just lovely!

P. S. I wrote the poem for my preschooler, it would have been too much for him!

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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Thanksgiving Booklist

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I've been compiling a booklist of some of our favorite Thanksgiving books for future years. I have a few more books on hold that I might be adding, but here is what we have so far!

An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa My Alcott*
Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration by Julie Stiegemeyer*
Thank You for Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall*
Over the River and Through the Wood by L. Maria Child
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh*
This is the Turkey by Abby Levine
Thanksgiving Graces by Mark Kimball Moulton*
Thanksgiving is... by Gail Gibbons
Thanksgiving at Our House by Wendy Watson
Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas*
T is for Turkey by Tanya Lee Stone
Thanksgiving Mice! by Bethany Roberts
Thanksgiving: What Makes it Special? by Harold Myra* (This book has a part stating that calling Thanksgiving "Turkey Day" is bad because it takes away from the thankful part. I don't know if I'd call it bad. Just a heads up if your thinking about this book! The rest of the book is great!)
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende Devlin
P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet by Carol Crane
Pilgrim Cat by Carol Antoinette Peacock*
N.C.Wyeth's Pilgrims by Robert San Souci
The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George
The Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall

What are your favorite Thanksgiving books?

*Books with an asterisk have a Christian theme.

Be saints, it's worth it!
Lisa

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On the 12th Day of Christmas

Um, Merry Christmas!

I'm squeezing in the Christmas post at the last minute. Technically it is still Christmas season for a few more days, so I'm good.

This year we headed to KC for a very Cotter Christmas, followed by the flu and then a very Augustyn Christmas in Denver.

Kansas City brought train rides...

A visit with Nana...

Look at that joy on her face, I just love it.

Bean's 1st piano debute... 

She played We Three Kings; it was a proud mom moment.

Lots of cousin time...

These are their "Leave us alone, we are eating" faces.

Stockings...

and lost teeth! Here's the connection. She lost her first tooth while going through her stocking. Then we found it...in her stocking. It was fun.

Then there was Denver, with presents...

Of course we had gifts in KC too.

A birthday cake for Jesus...

Girls only High Tea...

I've always wanted to wear a hat with a birdcage veil (I looked that one up). 

The girls tried on about 8 combinations of hats and boas. Surprisingly I only got pictures of us dressing up. There was tea and finger foods and they were very good.

The girls also got matching pajamas...

Finally, we hit Red Rocks...

My buddy was so proud that he could fit in this little hole.

We are looking forward to our Epiphany party tomorrow and wrapping up the Christmas Season!

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Hot Chocolate Cones

Last week I was in charge of the craft for our Little Flowers Girls' Club meeting (think Catholic Girl Scouts). In the club the girls learn about a virtue and a saint at each meeting. This month was orderliness and St. Zita, who was a servant.

With Christmas around the corner I wanted to do something that could be a gift, and since St. Zita often worked in the kitchen, we made an edible one! The girls were given the instructions which they needed to follow in order (orderliness, check) for the craft to turn out right.

Introducing...

Hot Chocolate Cones.

We made a bunch of these and are giving them out this week to Bean's various extra-curricular teachers. They are simple enough that she was almost able to make them entirely on her own, which made her very proud. BTW, I didn't invent them, familyfun.go.com did, maybe. But, they don't have pictures and I like pictures when doing a project, so I took some for you.

Here is what you will need:

• Hot Chocolate mix (I bought the individual packets because they were on sale)
• Marshmallows
• Chocolate chips
• Cone bags (Hobby Lobby has them)
• Clear rubberbands (we used the little clear hairbands)
• Scissors
• Items for tags (ribbon, glue, hole punch, card stock, directions)

Step 1: Empty 4 packets of cocoa mix into a cone bag

Step 2: Trim the bag down, rubberband it shut and put it into another cone bag.

Step 3: Layer in 1/4 c. chocolate chips and 3/4 c. marshmallows.

Step 4: Rubberband and trim again.

Looking good!

Step 5: Add a tag!

Here are the directions off the tag so you can copy and paste:

Heat 5 cups of milk and chocolate chips over medium heat until the chocolate chips have melted. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cocoa mix until the drink is smooth. Serve with marshmallows. Makes 4-6 servings.

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Jesse Tree Ornaments

Does your family do a Jesse Tree? I love the tradition so much that when Bean was 16 months old I handmade a set of ornaments for our family. Apparently I thought she was old enough to start comprehending the Bible. The next year some of my friends did a swap, but I'm still glad I have my own special set that is wholly unique.

I pulled out the ornaments today and did some replacing and repairs, as they tend to get beaten up each season. Our ornaments have evolved over the years and they don't follow the strict tradition. For us, it's turned into a time to walk through Salvation History in a chronological order, so our kids can understand the story of our family. 

When I was making mine it was helpful to have some examples to get ideas flowing, so I'm posting what we do, in hopes that it can helps those who are taking on the adventure... which I highly recommend you do! For the order we pulled out some main events from the Bible Timeline. The scripture verses for where you will find each section is listed, but please don't think we read all of what is included!

Creation - World (Genesis 1-2:3)

The Fall - Apple (Genesis 3)

Noah’s Ark - Rainbow (Genesis 6:9-9:17)

Tower of Babel - Tower (Genesis 11:1-9)

Blessing to Abraham - Stars and Sand (Genesis 12:1-3 and 15:4-5)

Sacrifice of Issac - Wood Bundle (Genesis 22:1-18)

Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing - Lamb (Genesis 27:1-29)

Joseph and his Brothers - Coat of Many Colors (Genesis 37-45)

The Plagues and 1st Passover - Door with Blood (Exodus 6-13)

God Provides Manna - Bread (Exodus 16)

Ten Commandments - Tablet (Exodus 20)

The Promise Land - Grapes (Numbers 13)

Aaron becomes High Priest - Stick with Flower (Numbers 17)

Bronze Serpent Heals the Israelites - Serpent on Stick (Numbers 21:4-8)

Fall of Jericho - Crumbled Wall (Joshua 6)

Samson’s Strength - Pillar (Judges 14-16)

Samuel and Saul - Crown (1 Samuel 15)
David and Goliath - Sling Shot (1 Samuel 17 and 2 Samuel 7)

Solomon and the Division - Torn Kingdom (1 Kings 12)

Elijah and Elisha - Mantel (1 Kings 18-19 and 2 Kings 1-2)

Jonah - Whale (Jonah)

Exile and Persecution - Furnace (2 Kings 17)

Zerubbable is allowed to Lead the Jews - Scroll (Ezra 3)

Nehemiah Rebuilds Jerusalem - Wall (Nehemiah 2: 11-20)

Ezra Reads the Law to the Jews - Heart (Nehemiah 8)

Esther - Crown (Esther)

Maccabees Revolt - Shield (1 Maccabees 1-3)

Purification of the Temple - Candle (1 Maccabees 4)

The Annunciation - Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

Birth of Christ - Star (Matthew 2)

Let me know if you have any specific questions about materials or how I made a particular ornament! Happy Advent!

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All Saints Day/Halloween Saints Costumes

Last week I received an Oriental Trading Company catalogue and flipped through it expecting to see the same crafts and cheap toys that I steal ideas from and re-create myself, but then something caught my eye.

$6.00 robes and $3.00 veils in any color in the Christmas pageant section.

You're shocked too right? I about called my husband I was so excited.

Let me explain. For the past several years I've been making my kids saints costumes. While I have (mostly) enjoyed doing that, this year, it's just not happening and I don't want a repeat of last year when I scrambled to make a costume for my 2 year old. My original plan was to not dress him up, then guilt set in.

Look at my adorable St. Anne. She's wearing a black robe and red veil. Humm, I could buy that costume for my 5 year old for $9.00.

Mixing and matching robe and veil colors lead to endless saint possibilities. If you order all black your child can be Benedictines like Sts. Benedict and Scholastica. Brown for Carmelites like Sts. Francis of Assisi and Therese of Lisieux. White for your son to be a Dominican like Sts. Dominic and Thomas Aquinas and the next year you can add some wings and a halo so your daughter can be an angel. OR you can add an over the arm sash to a brown robe and become almost any biblical character.

Unfortunately, they don't have toddler sizes, and you'll need to attach the veils on as hoods for some of these, but I don't think that would be too difficult... think tucking it in behind the kids neck and using safety pins. Still if you think outside the box, you could come up will all kinds of cheap ideas!

They also had some other options.

For $10.50 my now 3 year old will be St. George the dragon slayer. And for $6.00 my 5 year old daughter will be Queen Esther in a purple robe. I'll need to make her a gold sash and crown, but that will be nothing compared to years past.

They have plenty of beautiful Mary costumes for as little as $13.00 and of course St. Joseph! The robe is so colorful I think you could be either biblical Joseph.

And thanks to the Easter pageant, your child can even be Jesus for $10.00. I love the beard, but it's $6.50 more.

They actually sell monk costumes so you can have a Franciscan for as little as $7.99!

I'll be sure to post some pics of the kids when we put these cheap and easy costumes on for our up-coming All Saints events!

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