Craft challenged

Have I mentioned that I am completely challenged when it comes to arts and crafts?  I'm just not very good at them... they rarely turn out the way I intend, envision, or wish... most of the time they go into the garbage because I'm so disappointed!  I have been a little afraid of the time when my kids get to the age where they enjoy and want crafts... well - that time has arrived!

As "luck" would have it, I was put in charge of the Christmas craft for Karen's preschool party coming up on Friday.  Nothing like trial by fire to help you grow outside of your comfort zone!!  I have been perusing Pinterest all week in the hopes of finding the "perfect" craft to bring to the classroom on Friday. 

My current plan is to bring salt-dough ornaments for the kids to decorate.  I cringe revel at the thought... the mess fun! the imprecision joy of 10 preschoolers applying paint, glitter, decorations... (you can tell I don't have much experience just letting my kids do their own thing, type A control-freak personality here... I'm working on it!) ...  

I followed the recipe from Crystal at Little Bit Funky.

Salt-Dough Ornaments
4 cups Flour
1 cup Salt
1 1/2 cup warm Water

Mixed in my kitchen-aide mixer with my paddle attachment until the water was incorporated into all of the flour/salt mixture.  Changed to the dough hook and mixed for several minutes on medium until the dough was well kneaded and soft.

On a well floured surface, rolled to 1/4in thick (it was a little thicker in some places and thinner is better - the ornaments tended to puff up with the thicker dough).  Cooked at 325 for 1 hour.

It's hard to tell, but I used two different sizes of cookie cutters.  The first cookie sheet has smaller ornaments and the second set are bigger ornaments.

I am please and surprised with how well the cooked ornaments look.  Yay!  Here is my attempt at decorating a couple of them just to show a finished product.  I don't have any fun decorating stuff like glitter or shiny paint (or any paint for that matter)... so I used Sharpie markers... guess I might have to get over my craft-ineptness and get some supplies on hand!

 

 With the left over dough, I made three rounds and tried hand impression ornaments for the girls.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to decorate them more

I'm trying to decide if I'm going to let the girls decorate theirs, or decorate them more myself, or make their hands into snowmen like this craft I found on Pinterest

Besides the ornaments, I have two back-up crafts that I might change my mind and do...

Snowman Pops

Making this wall hanging with more of a Christmas background or changing it slightly to make a Christmas Ornament