Christmas Gifts for the Young at Heart

Let It Snow!

Even if it doesn't snow for Christmas, you can make this fun snowman to celebrate the winter season. Anne Schroeder of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, taught me how to make this delightful gift.

Time frame: Four to six hours including drying time

Level: Moderately easy

What you need:

• Three round cardboard boxes with lids (one big, one medium, and one small box)
• White snow paint (You can find a jar of snow paint in craft stores.)
• Paintbrushes
• White glue or glue gun
• One yard of one-inch-wide red satin ribbon
• Black paint
• Small wooden Christmas tree painted orange for nose
• Sprig of holly leaves
• Wrapped Christmas candies

1. Paint the largest box and lid white for the bottom of the snowman and allow them to dry. Don't paint inside the box or lid or you won't be able to get it off later. Glue ribbon around the edge of the lid.
2. Paint the second box white and the lid black and allow them to dry. (The lid is the brim of the hat.)
3. Glue the nose onto the front of the second box and paint black round eyes and a smile on the face.
4. Paint the third box and lid black and allow it to dry. (This box is the hat.) Place a sprig of holly leaves on the front of the box.
5. Stack the boxes on top of each other with the largest box on the bottom and the smallest box on top to form a snowman. The boxes should all open up.
6. Fill the boxes with Christmas candy.

Knocking on Heaven's Door

Surprise your friends and family with this lovely angel to greet their guests at the front door.

Time frame: Three to five hours

Level: Moderately difficult

Steps to making a heavenly angel.

• Foam ball for head
• Beige or light pink paper ribbon
• White glue
• Spanish moss for hair
• Black paint for eyes
• Small paintbrush
• Small cardboard tube
• White paper ribbon
• Glue gun
• Decorative straw broom
• Trim for angel robe
• Bow
• White foam sheets
• Wire
• Tinfoil

1. Cover the foam ball with the beige or pink paper ribbon using white glue to hold it in place. Glue Spanish moss to the top of the ball for hair. Paint eyes, a nose, and a mouth on the angel using black paint and a small paintbrush.
2. Cover the cardboard tube with white paper ribbon. Using a glue gun, glue the head onto the covered cardboard tube. Then glue the head and covered paper tube onto the decorative broom's handle.
3. Cut four strips of white paper ribbon 18 inches long. Glue these strips at the neck to form a gown.
4. Cut a 24-inch-long strip of white paper ribbon for the arms. Glue the strip in the middle to the top of the cardboard tube.
5. Glue lace trim or satin ribbon to the bottom of the angel gown and the ends of the sleeves as shown.
6. Glue a bow on the angel's neck.
7. Make wings for the angel out of large white foam sheets. With a glue gun, glue each arm to the bottom of the wings and fluff out the arms.
8. Make a circle of wire and wrap it in tinfoil to form a halo. Wire the halo to the angel's head.