Oooh, nearly there now!!!! Loads we didn’t do but never mind, we can either finish them over the holiday or do them next Christmas i guess!

#14 was the handy John Lewis Cracker Kit we got cheap while buying presents. A certain amount of frustration initially until they got the hang of minimal glue being better. Then some success and pretty enough results.

#15 was printing our own wrapping paper on to brown parcel paper with poster paints and baker Ross stamps. I toyed with getting them to do geometric patterns and then decided not to bother and left them to it. They had loads of fun and it added lots to the ritual of wrapping each other and daddy a pressie that we do each 23rd now. They do love having something to give each other and i love that they love that.

#16 Last year a friend pointed out that due to dumb-ass folding, we had 8 point, not 6 point snowflakes in the windows. So today we fixed that by making new ones. The laminator died temporarily but recovered and we now have snowflake windows to match our remaining outdoor snow (mostly now a sheet of glass like ice which i managed to lose control of the car on earlier )

#17 While Fran laminated, Maddy and Amelie crushed Extra Strong Mints for home made chocs. Being intelligent, round thinking girls, they put them on a plastic plate before bashing them with a rolling pin. We now have one less plate I’d planned to do Borax Snowflakes today too but decided a potential clash of white powdery substances was too dangerous! Chocs look, and taste, fabulous.

#18 Decorating little gift bags from Baker Ross to put candles and chocolates into. Cute and easy and will try to make them next year.

#19 HUGE amounts of pipecleaner fun in preparation for Borax snowflakes – Maddy made a Nativity Scene!