5 More Tween Christmas Crafts: Crafts as Christmas Presents

Christmas Crafts are a great way to channel the energy of your tween, at the holidays, and even throughout the year.  Using the crafting to produce gifts, even better.  This article will highlight 5 possibilities to explore as means of putting that tween energy to productive use.

Is there such a thing as the "typical tween"...yes, and no, I'd say.  The stage is as unique as the individual, though the energy and attitude combinations, fairly similar.  Having taught at the 7th grade level, I really enjoyed the age group of "just under 13", and was thankful not to deal with the tendency toward apathy soon to follow, as described to me by several 8th grade teachers.  As a Mom, though, there's no escaping that stage.  Nevertheless, life with tweens is fun, and at holidays, a total blast. 

Woodburning can be fun for both tween girls and boys. It can be as simple as using that kit given by Uncle last Christmas, printing a favorite Christmas scene, or character, mounting it on wood, and burning the image through to the wood. A little stain, sprayed or brushed on, a set of mounts on the back, and Uncle gets a fun Christmas gift that shows his previous year's gift was a great idea.

If you want something just a little nicer for your tween to work with, there are sets that range just below the $25 level, which have changeable tips for different effects. There's no end to possible pictures to use. As the interest expands, you might find your young prodigy needs a fancier set, but in the meantime, your tween can do plaques, wooden ornaments, or try their hand at decorating a wood plate. There are a multitude of possibilities, and the process will give your tween something to do with their hands, and a good reason to do it. Come Christmas, my kids are very concerned with what to give Grandma and Grandpa, as well as cousins, Aunts, and Uncles. This has been a great source of enjoyment for my son, and he has had the opportunity to continually improve his work, winning ribbons in our local fair.

Polymer clay is a popular crafting medium, and the tools and techniques have become very interesting for me to learn about over the past couple of years. Just as my youngest children love Playdo, I find that my tweens really enjoy exploring the creative possibilities of polymer clay. Many of the kids enjoy making Sculpey figures and models, to enter in the fall fair, locally. My tween daughter, however, takes it a step further, and for the past couple of years has used her Sculpey creations as Christmas gifts. Her techniques improve by the year, and the Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles really enjoy her creativity. The best piece, a pair of monkeys sitting on a couch, given to Grandma and Grandpa. Sadly, I took no pictures. Still, there will be another project on another day, and I can't wait to see what she thinks up next.

Sculpey Clay is a bit easier to work with for young people, taking less time to condition. It has produced wonderful colors when baked, and is much more user friendly than any other clay we've tried. Sculpey offers multi-packs, containing multiple colors, which is an economical way to get a start. Grandparents have since given this particular tween a subscription to a Polymer Clay magazine, something that she enjoys receiving and studying for new techniques and ideas.

As a 4th grader, I remember doing a decopauge craft at Christmas time in school.  A simple picture, cut from wrapping paper, glued with decopauge medium to a plaster of paris plaque, dried and antiqued, and I had a pretty gift for my parents.  This is fairly simple, and easily done by the tween with minimal parental involvement.  For boys and girls, this is an easy way to find an image that parents or grandparents, even siblings, would like.  For example, my tween son and his oldest sister both enjoy the Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.  This is a perfect, inexpensive project for him to use as a source of Christmas gifts, simply researching online for the perfect image, and getting some assistance in tracking down materials for a plaque.  With his woodburning interests, it's helpful to note that much of the same scrap wood he uses in the wood burning, he could use for decopauge.

Altered art, including altered journals and books, are interestingly popular, and perfect for my tween daughter.  Funky fake gems, beads, sequins, game tiles, and anything else that might strike her fancy, an inexpensive journal or craft box, some wrapping paper, and she's good to go.  Let the creativity take over, parental instruction will be minimal.

Another decopauge project, putting together a puzzle, coating, and framing.  The decopauge medium preserves the puzzle, and the display of the finished product makes it gift worthy.  Oftentimes, there are used puzzles available at rummage and yard sales, thrift stores, libraries.  This is a fairly inexpensive project, easy to be done by a tween.

Beading for the purpose of making jewelry is a great outlet for any tween girl.  However, both boys and girls can make beaded Christmas ornaments.  Products can be as simple as beaded candy canes and wreaths, or more intricate.  A large assortment of Christmas colored beads, a supply of wire and ribbon, and maybe even a pattern or idea book, and your tweens can make some interesting ornaments for your tree, or to give as gifts.

For the artistic tween, putting art work on a nice canvas, or quality paper, and framing it, can provide relatives with a memorable piece to display in their home.  Grandparents, especially, love to receive art work from grandkids.  However, the drawings sent seem to dwindle when the kids get a little older.  This need not be.  My Grandma had an abstract chalk picture I did as a tween on display for years.  Not only is that great for the recipient, but it makes the young artist feel appreciated.

For the tween who is interested, try exploring tole painting techniques, and mediums such as glass paint, fabric paint, and etching creme.  The artistic inclinations, and the abstract, can be portrayed in manners other than framed pictures.  Painting on a glass canning jar or vase, a glass dish, etching a candle cover, painting and framing a mirror tile, using that scrapwood for painting a Christmas scene, painting on a tshirt or sweatshirt, there are plenty of ways to use drawing and painting interests and talents for gift giving.

Many of these craft ideas can be adapted to younger children, with supervision, and are suitable for teens, as well.  However, for the tween, these are great activities because they are more advanced than some of the typical Christmas crafts for kids, because they tap into interests and abilities of the tween, and because the resulting product really is gift worthy in the eyes of the tween.  Let your tween be the guide, and give them the chance to create!