Fun Day Sunday!

Today's book is about a quiltmaker, but that's not the best thing about it. The BEST thing about this book is that it illustrates in a beautiful way the joy we derive from giving to others!

First, snuggle up and read the book with your child. This week's comprehension questions might include "Why was the quiltmaker so happy if she didn't have any money?" Your child is sure to have grasped the concept that it gives us great joy to give to others and the joy is doubled if it's something handmade!

And now for the gift-making activity...it's Christmas in July!! Since the recipient's name will not appear on the ornament, your child can make a gift for his/her teacher, bus driver, cafeteria worker (whoever touches his/her life!) and store it for holiday gift giving.

I used a rubber ring from a Target prescription bottle (as I did for Zoey's Family Tree), but if you don't have those, just cut a ring out of tagboard. Your child can choose a color of tissue paper and cut a strip. It won't matter if the strip is wonky-looking or if it's even one continuous strip. Let him/her help you wrap the ring...I spritzed my ring with temporary adhesive spray, but you could just hold the tissue on there to get it started:

Have your child to give it a couple of coats of Mod Podge, allowing the ring to dry between coats. (I hung my wet ring from a piece of wire so that it didn't glue itself to the plate as it dried.)When it's dry, the real fun begins! Have your child choose some clip art the recipient. I made an ornament for a hard-working school bus driver, but the possibilities are limitless. Let your child use a hole punch to make circles for holly berries and cut out some little holly leaves...

Let your child choose some clipart -print it on tagboard or on regular paper and then glue it to tagboard to make it sturdy. Help your child trace around an unwrapped ring to get a cut line. Before you cut it, adhere (using temporary adhesive spray) some cheery fabric to the back of the clip art. Then cut on your traced line and use Elmer's to glue it to the back of the wrapped ring!

That's it! Just don't forget to attach something to hang it with. I ran a piece of embroidery floss through the ring before I attached the back.

I hope your child enjoys the book and the activity and is excited about the joy we feel from giving handmade gifts! Thanks for stopping by!