Seasonal Crafting: Sinterklaas Window Hanging

Once November comes along, all small children in the Netherlands are suddenly extremely nice and obedient. Well, most of them.

Mid-November is the time that our country is visited by a white-haired longbearded man with red priest clothing on a white horse and a blackfaced helper who gives children candy and toys.

Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet.

Sinterklaas (or St Nicholas) was a saint who secretly gave gifts and especially gave gifts in shoes of other people. Right now, he is the man whose name is on the lips of every small child right now. Little Man cannot stop talking about him.

This year he really really believes in Sinterklaas. He believes that he came from Spain with the steam boat, that he is walking on the roofs during the night, that he gets candy and toys from him in his shoe (he and Little Lady were allowed to put their shoe in front of the door twice in the past few days) and well, he thinks Sinterklaas is "lief" (very kind).

As parents, we really enjoy our second time of Sinterklaas festivities. The secrecy, the storytelling. It is amazing how a little kid can believe.

For a while I am pondering the whole seasonal changing things and how to incorporate them into our household. Mostly I am pondering where to put something seasonal, and what to make.

This week, something clicked, and here I am presenting you:  The Sinterklaas Window Hanging!
For this hanging I recycled things I had laying around. The whole making cost me about an hour. Great kid's craft object!

You will need:
Boxes/gift bags
Scissors
Scotch tape
Sharp long needle
Yarn/Ribbon
Sinterklaas wrapping paper
Fiberfill

1. Cut your boxes if they are too big. You want them to be about 4 cm or 2 inch wide max.

2. Wrap them up nicely into Sinterklaas wrapping paper. Tell your kid this is a "leftover from the presents Sinterklaas gave us last year. I saved this piece of paper" if they ask questions.

3. Take a piece of yarn (I used goldcoloured yarn) or ribbon and wrap it around the boxes and tie a bow.

4. Fill the gift bags (mine were unbleached cotton, but you can easily make your own little bags) with fiberfill and close them up with yarn or a ribbon and make a bow.

5. Take a length of yarn and thread it onto the long sharp needle.

6. Pierce it through one side of a box and push it through the other side. You may want to use a thimble for this and maybe a tong to pull the needle out from the other side (it was a cheap needle).

7. Alternate the gift bags and the boxes until you are satisfied.

 

8. Hang your hanging before the window you want it and adjust the distances between the boxes and bags.

9. Make a tassle at the end of the hanging (optional).

Admire your hanging!

Ofcourse you can use this tutorial for a Christmax boxes hanging, or one with birthday presents.
Have fun!