CHILDREN love projects. Give them an old loo roll and they will turn it into something an adult never have dreamed of - an aardvark, bunny ears, a new dress for the ball . . . well, almost.
Give them a few egg cartons, a bag of used wrapping paper, some empty spools, cereal boxes, paper plates and twigs and anything is possible, much to the consternation of parents with limited cupboard and gallery space.
Winter is the ideal time to channel their creative energy. Not just paper chains, please not paper chains (especially ones with substandard soldering using bits of blue tack, electrical tape and fruit stickers). Why not aim higher? With adult guidance, the results can be truly spectacular. For example, if you can yank away the paper before the image turns to mud, toddlers are expert Pollacky painters. And all children, of every age, are accomplished masters of foraging for treasures which they will transform. The key is not to rush. Maria Montessori never rushed. Take a deep breath and consider that the holidays present the single best opportunity to engage in some constructive parenting.
Arm yourself with basic supplies: felt and other textile remnants, cotton wool, old loo rolls, glitter, sticky stars, aluminium foil, leaves, twigs, holly, markers, paints, scraps of paper, old magazines, stickers . . whatever. The more, the merrier.
TWIG TREES
A day spent gathering twigs, holly, pine cones and leaves for decorating pictures, the table, mantlepieces and the table is nearly always fun. Organise the bounty outside to minimise mess then paint de-foliated branches and twigs white, silver and gold. Layer the twigs log-cabin style into a tree shape (you can also use an oasis or twisted clothes hanger to give it shape). Leave the "tree" plain or decorate with fairy lights and ornaments. Believe it or not the end result can he extremely tasteful.
Afternatively, give the child free rein to decorate at will. Having a tree of their own is a diplomatic way to deal with all the ghastly freebies from cereal boxes they won't let you bin.
PAINTED LEAVES
Gather lacy leaves or specimens with interesting shapes and gild them for a DIY version of those being sold in designer emporiums for a pound a pop. All crafts stores carry gold paint, or spray. Other natural finds also look well painted up - shells rocks, you name it.
SUGARED FRUIT
Inedible though they may be, sugared grapes, red apples, persimmons and pears look beautiful - as though lightly frost kissed. Paint the surface of the fruit with egg-white, then dust with caster sugar.
CLOVED CITRUS
The she-gods of home economics, Martha Stewart and Jane Asher, recommend styling oranges and lemons (limes work too) into pyramids then spearing them all over with full cloves. If you link the fruits together with wooden kebab sticks (pushed in until they are invisible) any shape is possible from globes to molecules (mind none of the spears wander off though - they can be quite sharp). A surprisingly pretty and simple centrepiece.
TREE GARLAND
The old American tradition of stringing alternating popcorn and cranberries over the tree is striking and pretty. Simply double thread a needle with regular sewing thread - four or five foot lengths are good and spear berries and popcorn. Link together the pieces and drape over the tree.
BAKED BAUBLES
Heirlooms in the making (each year, as more and more bits break off, they become more revered). No home should be considered complete until it has a few armless Santas and battered Rudolphs knocking around the bottom of the decorations box or the back of the tree. (Recipe: 300g plain flour, 300g salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 200 ml water. Insert an unwound paperclip into the top of each or punch a hole through the dough for threading a string through before baking. Glaze with beaten egg before baking for a golden hue or paint when cool. Bake 10-20 minutes on lightly greased tray at 130 degrees celsius. Dry on cooling rack.)
GIFTS
Potpourri: The perfect gift for granny. Combine cloves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, orange peel or lavender and rosemary and place in little bags (sewn out of scraps for the best effect). She'll keep them for aeons.
Christmas cards: The possibilities are endless from potato prints (slice a big spud in half and carve out designs for stamping) and collage to hand-drawn extravaganzas. For high-design results, limit the materials available (invest in good quality paper, though) and decide on a concept first. One of the nicest last year: a black and white photo of the children dressed as offbeat-angels mounted in brightly coloured sugar paper with overdrawing in gold and silver marker.