With the new year underway, many of us across the US have seen snow and freezing temperatures over the last couple of weeks. At Pinwheel Crafts, we’re happy to say that winter is finally in full swing. No matter how you feel about the dropping temperatures outside, there is a bit of magic when it comes to the sight of snow gently falling from the sky. As such, we’ve gathered a variety of arts and craft ideas for the kids (and anyone in the family, really) to celebrate the season while staying warm indoors.

Winter Sports 

In less than a month, all eyes will be on the Beijing 2022 winter games. The Olympics are a wonderful time of national pride where people unite in the spirit of competition and human excellence. The feats we witness athletes accomplish every 4 years are nothing short of awe inspiring. 

Whether you enjoy team sports like hockey, are an avid adrenaline junkie that lives to see the luge, or you admire the grace and precision of figure skating, there is an event for all sports lovers and fans. In celebration of this momentous event, we have created a variety of FREE winter-themed templates available for use in your craft projects. 

Ice Skating Fairy Lantern

Many girls dream of growing up to become figure skaters. Help make their dreams a little sweeter with this elegant ice skater fairy lantern. It’s a fun project for any little girl and doubles as an awesome night light.

You will need:

• Mason jar and lid
• Mini fairy lights
• PVA glue and a paintbrush
• White craft tissue paper
• Glitter
• Decorative supplies for lid including ribbon, twine, fabric flowers, and more
• All the previously mentioned supplies are included in the Pinwheel Crafts Fairy Jar Kit
• Figure skater cutouts (like those included in our FREE winter templates)
• Black paper, card stock, or vinyl sheets
• Any additional decorative paper and craft supplies you want to include in and on your lantern

Directions:

1. Print out the Pinwheel Crafts FREE winter templates and cut out your favorite images. You can use the print outs directly, or as a template to cut out the shape from different material like card stock or vinyl.
2. Glue your favorite cut out images to the inside of the fairy jar and allow the glue to dry for 10-20 minutes.
3. Apply a thin layer of glue over the entire outer surface of the jar.
4. Wrap your white tissue paper around the jar and press it on firmly to remove bubbles and wrinkles. Make sure to let the glue dry for 20-30 minutes before continuing.
5. Once the glued tissue paper is completely dry, add an additional thin layer of glue to the outside of the jar with a paintbrush, then lightly sprinkle glitter over the entire surface.
6. Decorate the lid and handle on your jar by glueing whatever your favorite fairy or winter themed supplies are.
7. Enjoy!

Snow Sport Magnets

For the more sporty members of your family that enjoy the excitement and adrenaline of downhill sports, this project is for them. It’s super simple to create these Olympics-themed magnets with a little help from Pinwheel Crafts.

You will need:

• 2 inch ceramic tiles in different shapes
• Adhesive backed magnet strips
• Paints and paint brushes
• All the previously mentioned supplies are included in the Pinwheel Crafts Fun Fridge Magnet Kit
• Winter Olympics themed stencils or cutouts (like those included in our FREE winter templates)
• Any additional decorative paper and craft supplies you want to include on your magnets.

Directions:

1. Print out the Pinwheel Crafts FREE winter templates and cut out your favorite images. 
2. You can use the cutouts directly on your magnets, as stencils for paint, or you can print them on the back of special craft paper or vinyl to use as a cutting guide.
3. Using paint, feathers, glitter, and any other supplies you like, decorate your magnet tile as you see fit. 
4. Once you are finished decorating, peel the adhesive backing off of the magnet strip and stick it to the back of your tile.
5. Display your beautiful creations on the fridge.

Penguin Pendants

Of course, no family would be complete without that one person with no interest in winter sports. For them, we recommend imagery like snowflakes and arctic animals. Of course, Polar Bears can be a bit menacing, so we like to use images of penguins! Follow our guide below to help your children create some adorable penguin pendant necklaces.

You will need:

• Metal pendant bases with matching glass cabochons
• Leather or chain necklace strands
• Clear Glue
• All the previously mentioned supplies are included in the Pinwheel Crafts Pendant Jewelry Kit
• Penguin-themed images and cutouts (like those included in our FREE winter templates)
• Any additional decorative paper and craft supplies you want to include in your pendants.

Directions:

1. Print out the Pinwheel Crafts FREE winter templates and cut out your favorite penguin images.
2. You can use the cutouts directly in your pendants, or as stencils for paint, special craft paper, or any other flat material.
3. Once you have the final image you want to use, place it flat on the table and lay a glass cabochon on top. Position the cabochon so it frames the image in a way you like.
4. Trace the cabochon shape onto the image, then use that traced line as a cutting guide.
5. Once your image is cut out, check to see that the shape fits into the matching base. If it does not, continue to trim tiny bits around the edges of your image until it fits neatly into the pendant base.
6. Using a thin layer of glue, attach your penguin image to the inside of the pendant base and allow it to dry for 20-30 minutes, or until the glue has completely set.
7. Using another thin layer of glue, cover the top of the image inside the pendant base and press the cabochon in the base and onto the image. If you encounter air bubbles, wiggle the cabochon to work them out to the sides. If this does not work, you may need to remove the cabochon and add a little more glue, or spread your glue around more evenly with a small paint brush.
8. Place the pendant onto a flat surface and hold the cabochon tightly in place (you can also set something heavy on top of it) for about 5-10 minutes.
9. Allow at least 1-2 hours for all glue to set, and 12 full hours for glue to cure completely before wearing your new pendant necklace out. 
10. You’re now ready to put your pendant on a chain or leather strand and display it proudly at your next winter gathering!

Conclusion

We know that sometimes the cold weather can be difficult to get through, but with a little creativity and some craft supplies, you and your family can have loads of fun indoors this season. Leave a comment and let us know which project you liked best, or if there are any awesome winter-themed ideas we should include in our next post.

Until next time, happy crafting!