Your guide to winter crafts

Embrace your creative side this winter

Looking for indoor crafts to bring the holiday spirit into your home? Deck your halls for the holidays with easy do-it-yourself projects made from common household objects you might have on hand. Here are some creative crafts that will leave you with unique decorations everyone will be jealous of!

Paper snowflakes

Creative a festive flurry in minutes with just paper, string and scissors.

Supplies:

One piece of any sized paper for every snowflake you want to make

Scissors

String, enough to hang your snowflake

Directions:

1. Fold a piece of paper in half.

2. Fold the paper in half again.

3. Fold the paper diagonally.

4. Trim the uneven edges of the paper into whatever pattern you’d like.

5. Cut the folded paper using different shapes to make your own unique patterns.

6. Unfold your one-of-a-kind snowflake and hang it from the ceiling using string to bring a festive snow flurry into your home!

Healthy smile tip:

Crafting has been shown to reduce stress and improve your mood. Stress can lead to oral health issues such as mouth sores and teeth grinding.

Popcorn and cranberry garland

This colorful creation will really pop when you add it to your tree, mantel or door.

Supplies:

Fresh cranberries

Plain popped popcorn

Six feet of thread

Needle

Scissors

Directions:

1. Select the crispest cranberries from your batch and wash them. Enjoy the others as a yummy snack while you work.

2. Make popcorn.

3. Thread the needle and tie a knot at one end of the thread. (Don't hold the needle with your teeth!)

4. Push a cranberry to the end of the thread.

5. Add a kernel of the popped popcorn and push it down to the cranberry.

6. Keep alternating cranberries and popcorn.

7. Tie a knot at the end when you’ve reached the length you need.

Healthy smile tip:

It’s OK to sneak some pieces of popcorn. Just avoid unpopped kernels, which can damage your teeth. Brush and floss to get rid of any popcorn stuck in your mouth.

Stovetop potpourri

Enjoy the scents of the season with this easy-to-make and attractive potpourri.

Supplies:

1 cup fresh cranberries

2 sliced oranges

1 tablespoon whole cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

3 to 4 small chips of fresh pine

3 cups of water

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with ingredients and top with water until ingredients are covered.

2. Bring to a simmer and continue adding water as it evaporates. When you’re done, drain the water and toss the remaining bits in the trash.

Healthy smile tip:

Did you know fresh cranberries help prevent cavity-causing bacteria from sticking to your teeth? Consider adding some of these tart berries to salads when fresh or trail mix when dried

Pinecone animals

Have fun by yourself or with your family and create a herd of adorable animal friends!

Supplies:

One pinecone for every animal you want to make

Fabric or felt for ears, about 1 inch for each ear

2 sheets of brown paper

Scissors

White paint

Black permanent marker

Pipe cleaners

Googly eyes

Pompoms

Buttons

Liquid glue

Optional for ornaments: 6-inches of string for each animal you’d like to make into an ornament

Directions for a pinecone mouse:

1. Cut two pieces of felt into ovals for ears and paint the inner ears white. Let them dry.

2. Cut a 2-inch circle of brown paper and make a 1-inch cut from the outside of the circle to the center. Tuck one side of the cut under the other to create a cone.

3. Using the black permanent marker mark two eyes and a nose on the cone. You can also use googly eyes for a fun addition!

4. Glue the ears to the wide end of the cone and then glue the cone to the pointy end of the pinecone.

5. Cut the pipe cleaner to about 4 inches. Curl the pipe cleaner once and glue it to the opposite end of the pinecone. Enjoy your new woodland friend!

Directions for a pinecone reindeer:

1. Start by cutting the pipe cleaner in half and then cutting one of those pieces in half again. Shape the large piece into a “V” and wrap the smaller pieces around to make the antlers.

2. Cut 1-inch triangles out of the fabric or felt of your choice. Place glue along one of the edges and pinch the corners together to give it a cupped shape.

3. Glue the antlers on one side of the pinecone and glue the ears on either side of the antlers.

4. Pick out the size of googly eyes you’d like to use, and glue two in front of the antlers.

5. Glue a pompom or button on the short end of smaller end of the pinecone.

6. If you’d like to hang your reindeer as an ornament, glue two ends of the 6-inch string together and let dry. Once dry, glue the string to the back of the pinecone and let dry before hanging on your tree.

Healthy smile tip:

Decorations like gumdrops and candy canes make your gingerbread house look great. But they’re not so great for your smile! Resist the urge to munch on these sugary cavity-causers.