Crafting Through the Holidays Advent Calendar: Part 3/5
In part three of my Crafting Through the Holidays Art Skills advent calendar series, I opened and completed five more surprise Christmas craft projects. This episode included a popsicle stick sled, a simple knotted yarn wreath, a layered wooden cardinal ornament, a very cute plaster penguin, and a rhinestone Christmas tree. Some projects were quick and simple, while others took a lot more trial and error, but this set had one of my favorite projects in the entire series so far.
Project 1: Holly Berry Sled Ornament
The first project in this episode was a popsicle stick sled ornament decorated with holly berries and snowflakes. The kit instructions suggested gluing the sled together first and then painting it, but I decided to paint the pieces before assembly because that usually feels easier and cleaner. That choice did make the gluing process a little tricky, especially when the pieces did not line up perfectly at first, but thankfully the tacky glue was still wet enough to fix it. Once the sled was assembled, I added the holly leaves, berries, and extra snowflake details to give it a more festive handmade look. This turned out to be a cute beginner-friendly Christmas ornament craft and a fun little holiday decoration.
Project 2: Knotted Yarn Wreath
The second project was a simple knotted yarn wreath ornament made with yarn, ribbon, and a plastic ring. This was one of the more basic projects in the advent calendar, so I moved through it pretty quickly. Even though the materials were simple, yarn crafts can still be a little tricky if you are not used to tying knots or keeping the yarn even around the ring. I ended up flipping the ornament and adjusting the ribbon placement until I liked the look better. The finished wreath is a sweet and simple handmade Christmas ornament, especially for anyone who enjoys easy yarn crafts, holiday decorations, or kid-friendly DIY projects.
Project 3: Wooden Cardinal Ornament
The third project was a layered wooden cardinal ornament made from three wooden pieces that stack together to create a dimensional Christmas decoration. This project had a lot more potential than some of the simpler crafts, but it also involved a lot of trial and error. I kept changing colors, mixing paint, repainting sections, and moving back and forth between pieces until the design finally started coming together. The night sky background needed extra stars, the yellow needed a white base coat to show up better, and one background had to be completely covered and restarted. Even though this wooden cardinal ornament was a bit of a messy process, the final result turned out cute and festive, making it a fun layered wood craft for the holiday season.
Project 4: Polka Dot Penguin Ornament
The fourth project was a plaster penguin ornament, and this might be one of my favorite projects in the entire advent calendar series so far. I saw so much potential in this little penguin and decided to make him soft, pastel, and very pink. After swatching my new markers, I chose a light color palette, added polka dots, and used puffy paint to smooth out some of the indented details around the cheeks and eyes. I originally tried a black background, but it felt too harsh against the soft pink, so I painted it back and kept the overall look much sweeter. Brown eyes ended up being the perfect choice instead of black, and the finished penguin turned out adorable. He definitely needs a name.
Project 5: Rhinestone Christmas Tree
The fifth and final project of this video was a popsicle stick Christmas tree decorated with rhinestones. Like the sled, this craft was mostly about painting the sticks, gluing them together, and adding simple embellishments. Once the tree was assembled, the rhinestones gave it a little sparkle and helped make the finished ornament feel more festive. This was a quick and easy Christmas craft that would work well for kids, beginners, or anyone looking for a simple handmade ornament idea. It was not the most complex project in the kit, but it made a cute final craft for this episode.
Overall, part three of the Crafting Through the Holidays advent calendar was a fun mix of simple ornaments and more creative holiday projects. The popsicle stick sled and rhinestone tree were cute and classic, the knotted wreath was quick and simple, and the wooden cardinal took some patience to get right. The clear standout for me was the plaster penguin, which became such a sweet little character once the colors, polka dots, and eyes came together. This episode was a great reminder that even simple craft kits can become more personal when you add your own creative choices.
