On rainy days, there is nothing better than craft-time. Crafts are productive projects that allow children to pass the time creatively while creating something that can be given as a gift. And often times, the parents can join right in on the fun. Even many recreational programs and summer camps include craft time to help boys and girls exercise the artistic side of their brains-sadly, in the age of television, not a lot of time is dedicated to artistic endeavors.



But craft time is important, and some of the best crafts are Christmas ornaments. Ornaments provide endless options in both design and materials, and children will always be able to think of Christmas ornaments to make, for friends, family and even themselves. And choosing the right Christmas ornaments to make is a decision that lives on forever-year after year, during tree decoration time, that child will always remember the homemade Christmas ornaments he or she made.

The great thing about Christmas gift baskets is that you can personalize it to fit with the person you're making it for. If you're making it for your mailman, for example, you can decorate it with mail related items. You can fill the Christmas gift baskets with whatever you'd like and you don't have to spend a lot of money on it. However, it does make a very nice gesture and it's got that personal touch that everyone would appreciate.

These are usually sold pre-cut, and children can paint them with acrylic paint and even write their names and the date they painted them. Still others are balls that can be designed with glitter and other pieces of material and string that can easily be glued on, although adults will want to help if a heated glue gun is used.

If you don't know anything about the person, put something in there that they may be able to use. Maybe a bottle of wine and a bottle opener or something like that. Anything you put in the Christmas gift basket will make a great gesture and the person will likely love it.

These ornaments are some of the most challenging, but some of the most rewarding Christmas ornaments to make because nothing is pre-designed. Instead, the entire creative process is orchestrated by the children, and they create from a few raw materials something magical and something real that can be remembered every year at Christmas time.