This week our family started our Simple Christmas Countdown. It is full of fun activities with friends, holiday musts, and time with family.

Here is the fun we have had this week:

Have a Snowflake Party!

One thing my husband remembers about Christmas is having a tree overflowing with sparkling, white snow. Well, the only way to get that in South Carolina is to buy it at the store!

It took two bags of fake snowflakes to give our tree a fresh snow look. The following two pictures are perfect examples of our boys’ personalities.

Big Boy is hurling fistfuls of snow at the tree. There was much more on the floor than ever made it to the tree.

Little Boy is carefully spreading his snow on each branch.

 Honey gave Tootsie a lift so she could throw her handfuls on the tree.

Now this stuff is messy. Every time you go near the tree some snow falls off. (My mother would have a stroke if this stuff was in her house.) But we all love the way the tree looks dusted in snow.

Frosty Night!

Watching the classic Frosty the Snowman is a must at Christmas! So why not turn it into an all day event by having Homemade Frosties for an after school snack and eating Frosty pancakes for dinner?

 We first tried this recipe for Homemade Frosties during our Summer of Fun. Three ingredients and it is so good!

Build a Felt Christmas Tree

Projects like this Simple Felt Christmas Tree are all over Pinterest. To make the tree you will need a yard of green felt. I cut two tree shapes then hot glued them together to make it sturdier. Easy.

Then I took a deep breath and let the children decorate the pre-cut felt ornaments. All. By. Themselves.

They had a blast! Even though the ornaments aren’t the fanciest and the puffy fabric paint took two days to dry (they each used about a bottle), it is the cutest tree we’ve got.

Surprise Snowballs (Great Gifts for Friends)

To make these for friends, simply begin wrapping a small toy into a snowball shape. Add stickers, small pieces of candy, and plastic bracelets as you go. Pull the streamers to snuggly secure the surprises.  Wrap, wrap, add a surprise. Wrap, wrap, add a surprise. Keep going until you have 4-5 surprises wrapped into a snowball.

The Dollar Store had 2 rolls of streamers in one package and all the other items.

This idea is not original to me but I can’t find the “pin” were it came from. If you come across the original post or if you are the original, please let me know. I’d love to give you credit for a great idea.

Both of the boys have already made Surprise Snowballs for their cousins and best buddies. I may suggests this activities to Big Boy’s fourth grade teacher as a Holiday party craft. After the students made the snowballs they could trade with their classmates for a fun and easy gift!

Holiday decorating on a budget is one of my favorite things!

Love money saving holiday decor? Check out these DIY projects!

Holiday Decorating on a Budget

• Snowflake Plate Charger ~ It’s a Dollar Store Project!
• How to make a Holiday Bow {easiest bow tutorial ever!}
• Barnwood Christmas Tree Box ~ perfect farmhouse style!
• No-sew Pet Stockings – awesome gift for Pet Lovers!
• Semi-homemade Christmas Tree Skirt

DIY Christmas Ornaments

• Inexpensive Snowflake Ornaments from Coffee Filters
• Do-It-Yourself Pet Silhouettes ~ awesome gift for Pet Lovers!
• Paint Brush Santas ~ Homemade Christmas Ornaments

DIY Christmas Gifts to Make

• Disney Inspired Ribbon Tassel Keychain ~ personalize it!
• Simple Deer Silhouette String Art
• Horse String Art Project
• Upcycled Painted Clutch with Fabric Flower ~ fancy enough for a night out on the town!

More Christmas Decorating Ideas to Enjoy!