Come January, it’s common for families to take it easy after all that holiday hubbub. If your kids are on the hunt for something to do, try a cold-day DIY project you can make with on-hand stuff!
Supplies
- Empty cardboard food packages in various sizes (from granola bars, fruit snacks, crackers, etc.)
- Wooden craft plaque
- Construction paper in assorted colors
- Brown kraft wrapping paper
- Cotton balls
- Craft paints (white, gray)
- White craft felt
- Markers
- Scissors
- Paintbrush
- Glue, tape and double-stick tape
- Glue gun and hot-glue sticks
- Assorted paper punches
- White glitter
- Decorating extras: fake trees, toys, etc.
Directions
- Paint the wooden plaque so your child can work on the building(s) as the paint dries. Paint the top to represent snow. Sprinkle glitter all over for a shiny effect. Once the white paint has dried a decent amount, add a skating pond by painting a large oval shape on the plaque’s surface. Set aside to work on the buildings.
- Prep the empty cardboard box by taping down the flaps. Cut a piece of kraft paper big enough to wrap it, like you would when wrapping a present. Wrap the box.
- When it comes to decorating the box, the sky’s the limit! Look at different paper punch shapes to create windows, doors, etc. Adhere to the box front with double-stick tape. To create shingles, cut out or punch out small circles. Cut the circles in half and glue toward the top of the box.
- Back on the plaque, cut out a winding, snowy path from a piece of white craft felt. Stick to the board with craft glue. Add mounds of snow to the path by gently pulling apart cotton balls so they’re no longer a defined round shape. Glue to the board. (They make a great snowman, too!)
- Once the board has been decorated, the finishing touch is adding the building – or buildings, depending on the size of the village. Add to the board with a generous helping of hot glue. Apply pressure to ensure the box makes strong contact between its bottom and the board.
Bonus: Learn how to wrap boxes for winter village play scenes!
