There is no better time of year than now to grab your kids away from the computer, game console, or TV and get their hands and minds working.

With looming thoughts of a stingy Santa, kids can be persuaded to sit down with you at the craft table and will likely even find themselves having fun. You can involve your kids in Christmas crafts that will create both well spent time and a proudly hung ornament or wreath when the decorating begins.

What you need:

• Flat-Slotted Wooden Clothespins (not spring, not doll bodied)
• Non-toxic white craft glue
• Non-toxic craft (tempera) paints
• Brushes
• Scissors
• Various ribbons, pieces of felt, buttons, googley eyes, etc (whatever you have lying around or what makes you smile at the craft store.)

1. Cover your table with newspaper.
2. Place a small amount of glue on the flat, solid top part of two clothespins and glue to a second. The two should be placed so they are matched perfectly (the slots line up, the top round parts line up).
3. Place a small amount of glue on the same part of a third clothespin and press against the two already glued together, but upside-down. The end result should look like a reindeer: four ‘legs’ pointing down and two ‘antlers’ pointing up.
4. Let dry. While you are waiting, make more!
5. When the reindeer seem dry, you can choose to paint them and let dry or leave them wood colored and start adding the details. Glue eyes to the front, put ribbons on the antlers, cut some felt into leaf shapes and glue to the sides of the head for the ears, add buttons as eyes. Add a pig tail instead of a fluffy reindeer tail. Give Rudolf a purple nose instead of a red nose. Be creative and let your kid be creative too!
6. The finished reindeer ornaments can be attached directly to the tree by the clothespin legs, or if you rather, glue a piece of ribbon to the back of the head and attach that way.
7. Admire your reindeer covered Christmas tree!