I love crafting together with my daughter Kiki, especially leading up to Christmas. On a rainy afternoon there is nothing better than sitting together at a kitchen table full of craft supplies, making decorations, presents and cards while listening to Christmas songs and sipping on hot chocolate. In my tutorials, I like using materials you reuse or bits you already have lying around your house so you don’t need to go out and buy craft materials first. For me, Christmases have always been full of handmade items, kid-made decorations in the tree, homemade biscuits and handcrafted cards. And remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s about the fun you have creating it. 

We'd also love to see your Santa Seekers! So, why not share them with us on Instagram, tagging @childrensalon and @hestershandmadehome for a chance to star on the Childrensalon feed this Christmas Eve!

Fold your paper in half and open out, then fold it in half the other way. Cut along the fold lines so you have four rectangles. This will make two pairs of Santa Seekers.

Fold over 1 cm of one of the short sides of your card pieces and cut off the corners. This is the overlap you use to create your tube. Apply glue to the overlap, roll your paper into a tube and press together.

Keep the tube in shape by putting some bulldog clips or paperclips on the glued overlap. Let the glue dry for a few minutes. You need two tubes to make one pair of Santa Seekers.

Cut an extra piece of paper from your cardstock, approximately 11 x 4 cm. This is the middle piece that connects both tubes — you can roll the tubes together for small faces or roll them further apart for bigger kids (and adults!). Apply glue to the outer 2 cm of the piece of paper and glue to the two tubes as shown in the picture.

It's time to decorate! For this part, anything goes. Draw dots all over the Santa Seekers, cover in stickers, add pom-poms and paper bows, or glue tinsel ribbon around the edges. Just have fun with it!

This step is one for the adults and older children: Make a small hole on the outer sides of your seekers (at the top) to attach your ribbon. You can use a little skewer for this, a knitting needle or your scissors.

Cut a piece of ribbon or string around 70 cm long, add a bell if you like, and push the ribbon ends through the holes you made. Make a double knot on the inside to keep the ribbon in place and your Santa Seekers are ready to be used!

Why not make a pair of Santa Seekers for your friends? Get creative by experimenting with different colours, patterns and decorations, and be sure to hang them by your window, ready to keep a lookout for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.

Christmas is a time for putting on your very best outfits, and I just adore the tartan dress Kiki is wearing; it’s a classic with a twist! How beautiful is the big collar? And the finishing touch is this big velvet bow in her hair. Kiki also loves her silky pyjamas, she says they are so soft and comfy, and they’re perfect for setting the scene on Christmas Eve while she’s keeping a watch on the night sky for Father Christmas. She also hasn’t taken the reindeer slippers off yet! A pair of cute, cosy slippers makes for such a nice present.

We hope you love making your Santa Seekers as much as we did, and we hope your little ones receive everything they could wish for and more. Happy crafting and happy Christmas from Kiki and me!