This Month, Kōkua Hawaiʻi Foundation is once again partnering with Terri Langley of Bliss Healthy Foods to “Simplify the Holidays” at Oʻahu schools. Whether you wish to reduce your holiday packaging, create a personalized gift, or explore a fun craft for keiki and ʻohana, these short, fun, and upcycled activities will help you too to “Simplify the Holidays”!
Create your own gift-wrapping paper and gift tags using household items like construction paper, old holiday cards, and stamps. Using edger scissors and a hole-puncher, reuse old holiday cards to create vibrant gift tags for all your holiday gifting. Using large sheets of construction paper, keiki can stamp prints and patterns onto the paper, or draw and decorate one-of-a-kind wrapping paper.
Personalize your gifts with a homemade bow! Simply cut 4-6, 8 inch x 1/2 inch strips of magazine or other colorful paper. Using one, 8 inch strip, loop both ends of the paper to the middle and secure with tape or glue. Repeat this step with the other paper strips. Begin to lay each “bow” at a 90 degree angle over the previous one, securing with tape or glue each time. For a fluffier bow, use a stiff ribbon or cut more strips and layer on more bows.
Build a “Bottle Cap Snowperson” ornament and share the gift of upcycling with keiki and friends. Secure three white bottle caps with hot glue. You can reinforce the “snowperson” with a piece of stiff cardboard attached to the back of the three connected bottle caps. Decorate with buttons, a paper nose, a fabric scrap scarf, and permanent markers. Make it a hang-able ornament by securing a loop of old fabric, ribbon, or rafia to the head of the snowperson.
For other ideas on how you can “Simplify the Holidays” check out our ʻTis the Season-ings” post.