My daughter is two this year so I figured she would enjoy the act of counting down the days till Christmas since she's starting to get the concept of it all. But this would be a great craft for any age, kids or no kids. I slid mini candy canes in some of the "logs," stickers in others, and slips of paper that indicate she gets a new book to unwrap in a select few. (And trust me, I plan to switch them up, using sugar energy and book bribes as needed throughout the admittedly-sometimes-stressful season!)
Case in point: I've had this idea pinned since last December, and when I woke up and realized it's Dec. 1 already, I sprang to action and had the house framed up in the time it took my daughter to eat her bowl of yogurt for breakfast. Luckily, I keep a saved stash of toilet paper rolls in my craft room for rainy days and quick projects to entertain kids. But you could also cut down some paper towel rolls or start saving now and you'll have a stash in no time.
I liked the idea of reusing things we already had around the house, and used the numbers as a quick counting lesson in French and Spanish as well!
Here's what you'll need:
- 25 toilet paper rolls (24 to count down & one for the chimney)
- Hot glue gun & about 5 glue sticks (or let the kids use regular glue)
- Cardboard or construction paper for the numbers & roof (I kept it rustic, but you could alternate red & green circles or use other colors)
- 1 tissue for chimney smoke
Here's how to make it:
1. Trace a toilet paper roll on the outer edge and cut 24 circles, numbering them (I used metallic markers)
2. Glue a row of 6 TP rolls together
3. Adhere 4 rows of 6 to construct the cabin
4. Fashion a cardboard or construction paper roof & adhere with glue
5. Cut an angle on the last TP roll; glue to roof & stuff a tissue inside for smoke
Click here to get the how-to for another easy toilet paper roll craft- cute owl ornaments!
Plus get the following recipes: - pumpkin pie martini - quick cranberry pistachio cheese ball perfect for holiday entertaining - Christmas cookie recipes all from my Cookie Swap Craft Party last December!