Are you still stuffed from turkey on Thursday? Because I am! It's day 2 post-thanksgiving and our fridge is bulging with leftover meat, potatoes, and apple pie. No complaints though haha.

When I was a kid, I remember going to the library each December to do Christmas crafts with my siblings. It was one of my favorite parts of the holiday, and something I looked forward to every year! I still have one of the crafts I made, this mini-Christmas ornament.

Sam the Southern Snowman - today I'm going to show you how to make it! It's super simple, and a great way to get your kids involved in the decorating this year. As we discussed in a past blog post, crafts are a FANTASTIC way to help your special needs kiddos strengthen fine motor skills, express creativity, and increase confidence.

Here is what you will need:

- an empty ornament

- salt

- peppercorns or black beads

- orange construction paper

- ribbon

You can use an any size ornament, when I originally made this, we used the mini ones which turned out super cute! However, smaller hands might have an easier time with a larger bulb.

Fill your ornament halfway with salt. You can use regular table salt, epsom salt, or even white glitter. If your salt container doesn't have a spout, fill the ornament using a funnel or paper cone.

Drop in peppercorns or black beads for the eyes and buttons! I used 2 eyes and 3 buttons.

Cut a small triangle out of construction paper for the 'carrot nose' and drop that inside as well. Then close the ornament and tie a bow with some ribbon.

These are so simple and make a creative, inexpensive gift for family and friends. Spend an afternoon making several with your kiddo, and let them give these gifts to teachers, neighbors, and relatives!

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns and we would love to help with anything you need.

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