Holiday traditions bond families together. Whether we realize it or not, our traditions give us a sense of belonging, importance, and security. Regardless of the changes occurring in our lives, we know that these family rituals will stay constant! Halloween will probably have a lot of changes this year. Many of us are missing getting together with family or even trick-or-treating. This is an excellent time to create a new tradition: start creating those bonds and enjoy some quality time with your kiddos!
My favorite family tradition is making luminaries. This was the one craft that even my rambunctious older brothers would sit down for. Many families carve pumpkins, but not my family (I can’t be the only one whose mom didn’t trust them with a sharp tool, Right?). We have been making these luminaries for as long as I can remember, and it continues to be my favorite tradition as an adult! I have always loved a classic orange jack-o-lantern luminary but I couldn’t help making fun monsters with all of the pretty colors!
Here are the steps to making your own with your kids!
Step 1: Gather your supplies. You will need:
tissue paper
White Glue (A classic Elmer’s school glue works well).
Scissors
Paintbrush
A bowl for glue
Tea lights
Jar (the wider the mouth, the better, so that you can place your tea light)
Step 2: It’s time to exercise those fine motor skills and cut the tissue paper into small pieces. They don’t need to be perfect, the more variety the better!
Step 3: Grab your bowl and mix equal parts glue and water, stir well with your paintbrush.
Step 4: Start by painting a small area with the glue, cover with your pieces of tissue paper, then add some more glue on top. Do this until your whole jar is covered.
Step 5: Add any extra details or features. I added an eyeball and mouth to make a cyclops!
Step 6: Drop in your tea light and look at your beautiful luminary glow!
If you try this or other fun holiday crafts, post them on Facebook or Instagram and tag us @HelpMeGrowUtah so we can see!
