Christmas presents: Inexpensive, personalized holiday gift baskets under $15

Holiday gift baskets make idea Christmas presents for everyone on your holiday shopping list. Gift baskets can be personalized and made inexpensively. Giving gift baskets cuts costs but also subtracts from your workload. Here's how: list every person who will get gift baskets and decide upon a theme for each, based upon favorite hobbies or interests. Streamline personalized Christmas gift baskets by including like items in each recipient's gift basket. Here are six items to include in everyone's gift basket, with variations personalized for each.  Christmas presents: Inexpensive, personalized holiday gift baskets under $15

Free printable Advent wreath crafts for children to make

Advent is the four-week season before Christmas, celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox and some protestant Christian denominations. Most people think of Advent calendars with candies and treats. But that, like a commercial Christmas, is miles from the real purpose.. Advent is a lesser penitential season, a minor Lent. Christians observe spiritual acts of prayer, fasting and charity. They follow Bible-based Advent calendars and count down to Christmas reflecting on Jesus. One evangelical pastor is pushing protestant churches to celebrate Advent and put Christ back in Christmas, said Time magazine, Dec. 1.   Free printable Advent wreath crafts for children to make | Examiner.com

Free printable children's Advent calendars and Christmas countdown crafts | Examiner.com

 Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. During Advent we focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for the Feast of Christmas. Many people use an Advent calendar to countdown to Christmas. Here are free printable advent calendars for children. Advent calendars feature little windows that are numbered. Children open one window each day before Christmas. Some advent calendars have a Bible verse that follows the Christmas story of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem.Free printable children's Advent calendars and Christmas countdown crafts

Free printable gingerbread house patterns and recipes, Christmas craft stencils | Examiner.com

 Making holiday gingerbread houses is a favorite family traditions. Not being very artistic, I'd cheat and get the gingerbread house kit. But I've found a better way: free printable gingerbread house patterns, recipes and templates. People approach gingerbread house making in two ways. The first is to painstakingly design a work of art--not to be eaten, let alone touched. Then there's our youngest son's method: slap together a ramshackle gingerbread shed, lather in two inches of frosting, cover every inch in candy and devour immediately. Whichever school you subscribe to, you'll want these free printable gingerbread recipes, templates and patterns.Free printable gingerbread house patterns and recipes, Christmas craft stencils | Examiner.com

Thanksgiving decorations, homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids

 Parents does the Thanksgiving holiday find you up to your eyebrows in kids and work? Why not put those youngsters to work making Thanksgiving decoration? Keep busy little ones productively occupied with homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids. Get your work done and keep children out from under foot and happily making holiday crafts for your celebration.Thanksgiving decorations, homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids | Examiner.com

Celebrate a haunt-less Halloween with non-scary trick-or-treat activities

Halloween is a top-grossing holiday and consumer spending will hit record highs in 2014 predicts U.S News and World Report. Young and old alike eagerly anticipate trick-or-treat, spending an average of $80 per person on costumes, spook house venues, decorations and candy. Not everyone looks forward to Halloween, however. Some children are terrified by scary costumes. Parents don't want them to miss out on the fun, just avoid the creepier aspects. Is it possible to celebrate a haunt-less Halloween? Absolutely! Here are alternative trick-or-treat activities.  Celebrate a haunt-less Halloween with non-scary trick-or-treat activities | Examiner.com

Free printable spooky Halloween crafts, paper toys and creepy decorations | Examiner.com

Do you love yourself a deliciously spooky Halloween? Do you anticipate a terrifically terrifying trick-or-treat? Maybe you go all out on a ghostly decorations Hallow-palooza? If so, don't miss this website.



Ravens Blight (how's that for dark, and foreboding) redefines Halloween fun with a gigantic collection of vintage Gothic paper toys you can print free. There are free printable Halloween decorations featuring any kind of creepy thing you could want.

Free printable spooky Halloween crafts, paper toys and creepy decorations | Examiner.com

Free printable Harry Potter coloring pages: National Literacy Month book crafts - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 September is National Literacy Month. The Harry Potter books are the most popular series in children's literature. The novels make good reader's workshop selections and read-alouds for younger or reluctant readers. The books expose kids to many genres and literary elements: medieval folk lore, mythology, German fairy tales, Greek oral tradition, epic poetry, Norse legends, African fables and more. You'll find Harry Potter connections to Virgil, Homer, Parzifal, Siegfried, Shakespeare, King Arthur, Macbeth, Beowulf, Song of Roland and even the Bible. J.K. Rowling has blended these literary traditions together and added some secret fairy dust of her own to create the wonder of Harry Potter.Free printable Harry Potter coloring pages: National Literacy Month book crafts - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free printable elephant crafts, Babar coloring pages, elephant-themed activities - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Happy World Elephant Day on August 12! It's tusks up and trunks waving for elephants, or, as Winnie-the-Pooh would say, heffalumps! Children, do you want free printable elephant crafts and activities? Would you like to print coloring pages of elephants (of course you would!) Well, ask mom and dad to print these so you can celebrate Happy Heffalump Day!    Free printable elephant crafts, Babar coloring pages, elephant-themed activities - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free printable military soldiers cutouts, weapons, vehicles coloring pages

 August 14, 2015 represents the 70th anniversary of V-J Day, that ended WWII. Teachers and homeschool parents, educate students on war history using realistic military coloring pages and cutout paper soldiers. Here are free printable military soldiers, weapons, vehicles to color and cut out. Coloring pages are historically accurate, detailed, challenging and educational. Most are labeled with details on war, country of origin and time period the soldier represents.   Free printable military soldiers cutouts, weapons, vehicles coloring pages - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

10 reuses for Christmas lights in home decor: Decorate with repurposed holiday lighting - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Holiday lights are a favorite Christmas decoration. I grieve every season when taking the Christmas lights down. Then I decided to keep the Christmas lights in home decor year-round. Holiday lighting is wonderfully versatile! Here's how to decorate with repurposed holiday lighting.   Christmas lights in home decor: Decorate with repurposed holiday lighting - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

4th of July planter, Memorial Day flowers: Plant a red white and blue patriotic floral flag garden - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

My mother-in-law lives in a retirement community. She's an avid gardener with an unusually green thumb. For Memorial Day she volunteered to plant a patriotic floral flag garden. She shared how to make a floral flag garden.  Memorial Day flowers: Plant a red white and blue patriotic floral flag garden 

Free printable magic tricks for Fathers Day, boy birthday parties - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Looking for cool Father's Day activities? Or perhaps you need boy birthday party ideas? If you have an aspiring magician in the home, throw a magic themed party. Here are free printable magic tricks and sleight- of-hand how-to demonstrations for boys and girls!



Start your quest at Kidzone (from DL-TK). You'll find many free printable magic tricks. There are printable card tricks, coin tricks and rope tricks, plus miscellaneous optical illusions.   Free printable magic tricks for Fathers Day, boy birthday parties

Free printable photo frames, picture frame crafts for kids

Parent-themed holidays like Mother's Day (second Sunday in May), Father's Day (second Sunday in June) and Grandparents Day (third Sunday in September) are perfect times for homemade gift-giving. Here are photo frames crafts for kids to make as presents for mommy and daddy for their special days. Use these free printable picture frames for children to print, color, cut and assemble. They they can frame photos of themselves with mom or dad. Use free printable photo frames to make greeting cards, too.Free printable photo frames, picture frame crafts for kids - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com



 

Free printable Earth Day craft activities, free earth science, astronomy, solar system printables - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. In fact, the entire month of April is devoted to Earth Month. Here are hands-on, interactive, student-directed earth science activities to make lessons come alive. Use free printable earth science booklets, games, word searches, crossword puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, coloring pages, science crafts and printable dioramas and 3D models. Topics includes astronomy, solar system, earth's poles, sun, moon and magnetism.Earth Day activities, free earth science, astronomy, solar system printables - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 

Saint Patrick printables, free printable Catholic St. Patrick's Day crafts

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. Many people think the holiday is about green beer, shamrocks and leprechauns. But that 's just commercial hype. The real Saint Patrick was a Catholic Roman Britain taken as a slave by Irish raiders. Patrick later returned as a missionary to convert Druidic Ireland. Here are secular St. Patrick's Day crafts plus activities to explore the saint behind the legend and the religious beyond the secular.  Saint Patrick printables, free printable Catholic St. Patrick's Day crafts

Bible character costumes for Easter Passion plays

Halloween is celebrated different ways. Some get into the ghoulish. Others trick-or-treat but avoid the spookier aspects. Some celebrate church harvest festivals. Catholics observe All Saint's Day (Halloween means All Hallows Eve, a pre-holy day pagan bacchanalia). Here are Bible, Torah and saints Halloween costume ideas for Jewish, Christian or Catholic All Saints' Day parties. Or use for Easter Passion plays.Bible character Halloween costumes for All Saints Day - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

Free printable Valentine's Day coloring pages, crafts, worksheets, activities

Valentine's Day, celebrated Feb. 14, usually represents a party, candy and cards for children, So how about some free printable Valentine's Day coloring pages, cut and paste, games, lessons, puzzles and activities? Here are some websites to check out for free Valentine's Day printables. Use in school or homeschool. Tie in with your regular curriculum. Free printable Valentine's Day coloring pages, crafts, worksheets, activities

Squirrel Appreciation Day, free printable squirrel coloring pages, crafts, recipes, printables

Why do we call them bird feeders when it's the squirrels who eat the lion's share of seed? These acrobats will go to any length and shape to get at bird seed. They hang by tippy-toenails and chow seed cake like a sandwich, no matter squirrel-proof the cage proclaims to be. So why fight it? Celebrate on Squirrel Appreciation Day, Jan. 21, reports Time magazine. Throw a squirrel party! Here are nutty games, crafts, recipes and printables to enjoy our backyard buddies.   Squirrel Appreciation Day, squirrel coloring pages, crafts, recipes, printables