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Decking the halls is hard to do safely with a child in the house. From glass ornaments and blinking lights to tinsel and angel hair holiday homes are filled with dangerous decorations. Breathe a little easier when your Christmas tree is made baby-safe. Use these ideas to get the job done.
Ribbons and Bows
Ribbons that are sold by the spool at your local craft store can be securely tied to the branches of your tree. A variety of colors, patterns and widths are available. So you can choose a plaid or metallic version for the duty or a single color in many widths. Ribbons and bows are practically harmless to baby, but make sure the lengths of ribbon you cut aren’t long enough for her to hurt herself.
Decorative Pine Cones
My family has made a tradition of collecting pinecones wherever we go throughout the year. When the holidays roll around, we drag out our collection and use satin cord to tie them to our tree. The whole process is fun for the whole family and you’ll find that your unique collection will grow quickly as the years pass by.
Gingerbread Men
Yes! I mean it! Decorate your tree with cookies. Baking them is another fun activity for the family, and kids have a great time pointing which men they dressed in icing. All you need is a good recipe and a cookie cutter. Before you bake the cutouts, use a plastic straw to cut a hole into the top of the ornament so you have something to hang it from.
Citrus Crystals
This is such a beautiful ornament even your friends without kids will want some on their trees. You’ll need oranges, lemons and limes. Carefully slice the fruit in ¼” cross-sections. Be sure you’re cutting between the two ends so that the sections of the sliced fruit look like pieces of a pie. Generously coat the slices in granulated sugar and bake on a rack at 150-200 degrees until the fruit is dried. Hang them on the tree with fishing line.
Photo Ornaments
Decorate the tree with all your favorite photos from the year. Round cardstock frames are light enough to display your photos nicely. Use a coffee mug to trace a circle onto the photo and cut the photo out just inside the line so that all the markings have been cut away when you’re finished. With the same mug, trace two circles on the backside of the cardstock. Cut just outside of the line so that your markings are still there when they’re done. On one circle, cut the center out to make a window for the picture. Now stack and glue the pieces together. Start with the full circle with the markings facing up, then the photo and lastly the ‘window’ circle with the marking side down. Use a hole punch so you can thread a ribbon through the top and tie it to your tree.
Breakfast Cereal Garland
I’m sure you remember stringing popcorn and cranberries with grandma. Well, here’s your chance to carry on the tradition without creating a holiday hazard. Use boxed breakfast cereal instead. Corn Pops, Sugar Smacks, Cocoa Puffs and Captain Crunch have never been healthier.
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