At this time of year we love filling our house with light. Our Advent candles & lights are filling the house with a welcoming glow & brightening up those dark evenings.
To add a special glow to our house we created a beautiful Nativity Lantern. Made from a recycled jam jar, it's simple to create & offered us a chance to explore again the Christmas Story.
To make these Nativity Lanterns you'll need; a clean jam jar, white baking paper (or tracing paper), 2 strips of thin coloured card, some sticky tape, a glue stick, & felt-tip pens.
Start by wrapping your paper around the jar to measure how much you need, then cut it. Make sure it's slightly taller than the top of the jar.
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Set up an area for kids to get creative with a selection of coloured pens, a few Nativity storybooks to inspire, & maybe play some Christmas carols too.
Encourage the children to draw their favourite part of the Nativity Story, or the part they think is most important. They can then freely create their version of events as they draw on the baking/tracing paper.
My 5yr old drew Mary in a stable with baby Jesus in the manger & an angel hovering above. I love the individuality of children's depictions of the Christmas Story, each unique & personal to them.
To create the top & base of your lantern, attach two strips of card to the top & bottom of the artwork using the glue stick.
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To create your Nativity Lantern, simply roll & wrap the artwork around the jar, securing one edge to the jar with tape, & sticking the other edge to the paper.
To illuminate the Nativity Lantern, add an LED tea light which will light up your design perfectly & give the artwork a wonderful glow.
My kiddo was so pleased with her lantern that it's been around the house lighting up every room.
Such a neat way to explore the Christmas Story, the key characters & events, & a beautiful reminder of the light that comes at Christmas.