Disney Inspired Felt Christmas Tree

I saw some adorable kid-sized felt Christmas trees, like this one from Johnny in a Dress, and knew that we needed one for our house. What kid wouldn't want their own tree to decorate, un-decorate and decorate again? And felt tree ornaments mean no broken glass that could hurt little feet. It is a well-known fact that we are huge Disney fans in our house, so it was only fitting that our felt tree had some obvious Disney influences!

The project turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I was expecting! Luckily, my husband is much better at drawing and dimensions than I am, so the ideas I had in my head were able to slowly come to life in felt. The ornaments were inspired by tree ornaments and antenna balls made by Disney, and the presents we just tried to make to fit the personality of the characters that inspired them.

We bought about a yard of green felt, though I think we could have gotten away with less. We spent a little more to get the glittery felt rather than the standard dark green. I just thought the glitter helped the tree look like it already had Christmas lights on it or something...

My husband helped me get everything figured out on paper before we started cutting anything for the ornaments...

We made templates...

And cut out lots of felt pieces:

Felt sticks to felt, so we don't have to glue the ornaments to the tree or add anything to the back of the ornaments to stick to the tree, but we did use hot glue to keep the pieces of the ornaments together. It was so fun to see the ornaments come together! And no Christmas tree feels quite complete without a few presents sitting underneath!

Twenty character ornaments, a star, and four presents later, we have our adorable Disney inspired felt Christmas tree! Our kids absolutely love it and it definitely makes the big project seem worth it now that it has already provided hours of enjoyment for our kids!

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Our Christmas Activity Advent Ideas

Last year, when I was trying to put together a Christmas activity advent for my family, I searched all over the internet for activity ideas to add to the traditions our family already does every year. I ended up with 46 different activities for us to choose from. Now I know that there are not 46 days in December, but I figured the more activity options the better! Every year is different, and some days or weeks have more time available than others, so I wanted the activities to be simple enough that they would be pretty easy to fit into even the busiest schedule.

Maybe you already have all of your Christmas activities figured out, but I thought I would share a printable of our activity advent slips, with a few empty slips for adding any traditions that are unique to your family, just in case!

You can download your activity advent slips here.

*Our printables are for personal use only. Resale or redistribution of our printables is not permitted. Do not claim them as your own. If you post them elsewhere on the internet, link back to our blog and credit Rosewood Corner. Please do not remove any Rosewood Corner watermarks.

Counting Down to Christmas

We get really excited about counting down the days until Christmas in our houses, and the number of advents we use are proof of just that.

We each made a set of these adorable countdown blocks a few years ago and our kids still love them! Who are we kidding, so do we!

We both have boys that are completely addicted to legos, so we just couldn't resist getting one of their fun little Christmas advent calendars. My favorite part of the set is the little Santa lego man!

A couple of years ago they had these adorable Santa belt countdown pillows at Kohl's. I think I walked away with three or four! They were too cute not to give as gifts, but of course I had to have one for me too!

Last year we started doing a Christmas activity advent with our kids. With all of the other advents we have, we didn't really want something that was going to take up a lot of space, so when we saw the idea of a mailbox activity advent on pinterest, we knew it was perfect for us! I had already painted a red mailbox for my son who really getting "mail" at the time, so all I had to do was come up with some fun advent activities. We had so much fun with it last year that this year my son asked when we were going to start our "Christmas activities" as soon as Thanksgiving was over! I think the blog or article where the original idea was located is no longer up and running, but here is the picture that sold us on the idea:

We can't even resist getting other people involved in our countdown obsession! This year in preschool Kim is handing out an adorable Santa beard advent to her students. She got the idea from Oopsey Daisy (you can find it here), and I know those kiddos are going to love it!

We think it's important to have a lot of fun with Christmas, and really want our kids to think of it as a magical time of year, but we also think it's really important that we remind them often of the real reason that we celebrate Christmas. For that reason, this year we are starting a new tradition of doing a scripture advent with our kids. Chocolate On My Cranium has an awesome one put together (you can find it here) that even has links to beautiful videos that bring the scriptures to life. We started it on December 1st, and the kids have really seemed to enjoy it so far. I know I really do!

Crazy amount of counting down going on? Maybe, but we sure have a lot of fun with it! How do you count down to Christmas?

{Books We Love} 26 of the BEST Christmas Picture Books

So I know a lot of people like to do a Christmas book advent over the holidays. We don't personally do an book advent, my kids like to read several books a night, and a few favorites are requested night after night after night, so we get our Christmas books out the day after Thanksgiving and enjoy them throughout the rest of November and December. I do however, like to buy at least one or two new Christmas books every year to add to our growing collection. I don't like to buy any old Christmas book though, I really like to search out the best! So I thought I would share some of our absolute favorites with you, whether you use them for a Christmas book advent or just enjoy them throughout the Christmas season is entirely up to you! Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Twelve Days of Christmas by Laurel Long

This book has been my son's favorite for the past couple of years and probably will be for a few years to come. It has beautiful illustrations of the twelve days of Christmas that we all remember from the holiday song, and hidden inside each illustration is that day's gift (such as five golden rings), as well as the gifts of any days that have come before. It's such a fun and beautiful book.

2. Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

We love all the Bear books in our house, and this Christmas edition is no exception. The rhymes and illustrations are adorable!

3. Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson

This is another great one by Karma Wilson. It's about a little mouse who learns the importance of having room for Christ in our homes and in our lives. 

4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

Such a classic. Do I really need to say anything more?

5. Kissing Kringle by Sam Beeson

Sorry for the tiny picture, but this one can be a little hard to find. It's a sweet story about how all Santa needs to be motivated and get his work done is a sweet little peck on the cheek. Explains away the "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" song quite nicely!

6. The Christmas Train by Thomas S. Monson

Thomas S. Monson is such a great storyteller! Pretty much goes without saying that whenever one of his stories comes out we are going to get it! This is a sweet story from his childhood and how he first felt the spirit of Christmas in his own life.

7. A Christmas Dress for Ellen retold by Thomas S. Monson

This one is a retelling of a story that was shared with Thomas S. Monson by family members of the struggling family in the story. It is a book about Christmas miracles and how service to others can bring about such miracles.

8. Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck

I love this story of the simple gift that a boy gave his father one Christmas morning. It's another classic!

9. Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo

This is such a cute book! It tells the story of sweet little Tante, and how a gift she was given one Christmas inspired the tradition of draping tinsel on Christmas trees. 

10. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor

Fancy Nancy, need I say more? I love that girl.

11. Little Critter's Christmas Book by Mercer Mayer

I don't think you can go wrong with any of the Little Critter Christmas books. This one has a whole bunch of mini-stories. That little critter cracks me up.

12. Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear! by Don and Audrey Wood

I love The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear by the same couple, and this book is just as cute! The Mouse is afraid that the Big Hungry Bear is going to steal all of his presents, but by the end of the story the mouse is more concerned about the Bear's Christmas than his own. So cute. I also have this in board book version because I just couldn't help myself!

13. Merry Christmas, Splat by Rob Scotton

I love Rob Scotton. He is not only the author but is also the illustrator of the Splat the Cat and Russell the Sheep books. The stories are always so cute and the illustrations adorable! Splat the Cat is as loveable as always in this Christmas version.

14. Russell's Christmas Magic by Rob Scotton

Russell helps Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and gets to experience a little Christmas magic. So cute!

15. Merry Christmas, Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey

Who doesn't love Curious George? George gets into his usual hijinks but as always, is a crowd pleaser in the end!

16. Santa Claustrophobia by Mike Reiss

This is a funny little book about Santa becoming claustrophobic after one too many trips down the chimney. He takes a much needed vacation and the holiday stars from the rest of the year (such as the Easter Bunny) try their hardest to get Christmas delivered on time. 

17. Santa's Stowaway by Brandon Dorman

This beautifully illustrated book is about one of Santa's elves who decides to stowaway in Santa's sack on Christmas Eve.

18. The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

This is a great story about a boy who learns that a lot of the magic of Christmas is found in the memories that you make with loved ones. 

19. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

This classic poem can be found in a lot of cute book versions, this just happens to be the one we have, and we really like it. The Santa in it is really cute!

20. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

I don't know if this one needs an explanation either! If you haven't already read it a hundred times, it's about a child's magical Christmas Eve, climbing aboard a train that magically carries him off to the North Pole. Can't make it through the Christmas season without this one!

21. The Sweet Smell of Christmas by Patricia M. Scarry

 We had this one when I was a kid, so I was so excited when Kim found it one year and gave a copy to each of our siblings. It's such a cute little book and kids love to scratch and sniff all the yummy treats Little Bear gets to enjoy as Christmas draws near. 

22. Christmas City by Michael Garland

This is another favorite of my son's. It's about an adventure a little boy takes as he follows clues left him by his aunt. The aunt is hidden in every picture, as well some other fun hidden pictures and clues. Definitely a fun read.

23. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry

Mr. Willowby's tree is way too tall so he has his butler chop off the top. What happens to the top? Soon,  nearby people and furry creatures alike are able to enjoy a small part of Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree. Such a fun book, my kids really get a kick out of it!

Board Books

I can't complete my list without at least a few board books. My kids love to hold and read through books on their own, but until they are a little older I really prefer to have them stick with board books. Much more forgiving! So here are a few favorite Christmas board books:

24. Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell

This is a sweet little book about the animals who were inside the stable the night Christ was born, and how they always had room for a little one.

25. Frosty the Snowman by Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson

This is a cute illustrated version of the memorable little Christmas song we all know and love.

26. Merry Christmas, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff

We love all the "If You Give" books by Laura Numeroff and her holiday versions are always cute. This one is short and sweet. It counts from 1 to 10 as Mouse decorates his Christmas tree. 

So there you have it! More than enough to get you through a Christmas book advent, or you can maybe choose one or two to add to your Christmas collection. What are some of your favorite Christmas picture books?

{Thanksgiving Fun} More Thanksgiving Games

We think the more fun games you have prepared for days like Thanksgiving, the better! Today we wanted to share some of the fun games we found around the internet last year that have passed the Thanksgiving day test with our own families!

We love this Turkey Hunt game from Prepared NOT Scared. The turkeys are so adorable, which makes the game even better!

This Turkey Feathers game from the idea room was a hit with our family!

And who wouldn't love this Autumn Tic Tac Toe Table from It's Overflowing? I love that the game pieces are mini pumpkins! So perfect for Thanksgiving!

Guess Who is such a fun game. And this Thanksgiving version from Mrs. Home Ec is such a fun twist on the original! 

There are a lot of great Thanksgiving games out there, but these definitely have been some of the favorites over at our houses. We hope you guys enjoy them as well!

{Thanksgiving Fun} Thankful Activities

We think it's important to remind our kids that Thanksgiving is more than turkey and mashed potatoes. We have started some traditions with our kids that they really seem to enjoy, and that really get everyone in the spirit of Thanksgiving.

We've been using these Thanks and Giving Trees from Chocolate on my Cranium for a couple of years now and absolutely love them. It's a great reminder that one of the ways we can express our gratitude for the blessings in our lives is to serve other people. The service can be simple, but it is amazing how much easier it is to count our blessings when we are looking for ways to serve. In our family, we add more leaves on each tree once a week and it is amazing how full our trees can get by Thanksgiving. These trees could be used as a Thanksgiving day or Thanksgiving week activity, or an activity for the entire month of November!

This was the first year we started using the Thanksgiving Countdown from Somewhat Simple and it has been so great! The countdown includes activities that you can do with your family every day to get them into a thankful frame of mind. Our kids have been so excited to see what our thankful activity is every day! The activities are simple enough that they are easy to fit into your day without a lot of advance planning, but they are really great about reminding us just how many blessings we have that we probably often take for granted!

This will be our first year using these Count Your Blessings printables from the Crafting Chicks and we're really excited about it. We are looking forward to having the kids fill them out every year and then seeing just how much their answers change as they get older!

Maybe the idea of using all of these activities is way too overwhelming for you, but it's amazing how much doing even one of these activities can turn your home into a more happy and grateful place! We think the more we can get our family into a thankful frame of mind, the better! These activities have really been a great addition to our family traditions and we hope you guys enjoy them too!