Weave a Christmas Card!

What You Do:

1. Gather up some old Christmas cards for your child, and ask your child to pick her favorite ones. Encourage her to pick out cards that have large pictures or lots of color. Ask her to tear her chosen cards down the seam.
2. Ask your child to turn two of the cards over so the side without the Christmas image is facing up.
3. Have your child lay a ruler horizontally across the back of the card, and make a small pencil mark every half-inch.
4. Instruct your child to cut the card at each pencil mark, stopping a half-inch from the top. When your child is done, the picture should still be intact, but have strips cut through it.
5. Ask your child lay the ruler vertically across the back of the second card. In the same manner as the first card, she should make a light pencil mark every half-inch.
6. Have your child to make a cut at each of the pencil marks. This time have your child cut completely across the card so he is left with just strips of paper.
7. Take one strip of the second card, and show your child how to weave that piece in and out of the strips on the first card.
8. Encourage your child to weave the second piece while you watch.
9. Instruct your child to continue weaving the strips from the second card in and out of the strips on the first card until the entire card is woven. After weaving in each individual strip, advise your child to push all the strips down because they will move while your child is working.
10. The last strip will be the hardest part! When your child is done, put a couple pieces of clear tape across the ends to hold the woven strips in place.
11. Glue the woven front of the card down on the front of a blank card, or a piece of card stock that is folded into a card shape.

Since weaving is very methodical, this is an activity your child can do while listening to music or a story. She will be engaging her hand-eye coordination and creativity as she makes this original greeting card!