The Missing Piece : Recycled Puzzle Ornaments

One of my favorite things to do with the kids during the holidays is make homemade things. From salt dough ornaments to homemade wrapping paper, we get our craft on, as a way to keep our creative juices flowing during our homeschool day. Since we collect all of our used and old small parts in our art center, we love to use them for random craft projects. So it was no wonder after we read one our favorite books, The Missing Piece, that the boys wanted to use puzzle pieces to make some Christmas Puzzle Ornaments.

Puzzle Ornaments

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If you are a regular here, you know I’m not a huge crafter but we love to create. I think that’s why I love the way these turned out so much. After we read The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein, we got out our jar of loose puzzle pieces that we have been collecting and got to sorting. We didn’t have an idea in mind when we started, but we knew we wanted to make some fun ornaments.

Sorting puzzle pieces

We played with the pieces for quite some time before we ever began. We tried a few different ways to build shapes with the puzzle pieces but we still weren’t loving anything. Nothing seemed to work just right. Then Legoman (age 9) had the idea to sort all the pieces out that were the same shapes. This proved to be really helpful in getting the pieces to lay down just right to build ornament shapes.

Creating Puzzle Ornaments

Next, Legoman started to build with the pieces and create. He decided he wanted to make a tree, but I wasn’t sure it was going to be possible. He kept at it until he got everything just the way he wanted it. Once he loved the shape he had created, we glued the pieces together. He needed some help with this because the pieces didn’t want to sit where he had placed them. If we were to do this again, we might even use a low heat glue gun so the drying process would have been shortened.

The boys both made very different things. Legoman made a tree and a wreath while Bones (age 7) made a snowflake. The snowflake was a tad tricky to figure out at first, but we settled on a pattern of 3 pieces layered with 3 more pieces on top. Next up was painting.

Painting Puzzle Ornaments

We used simple washable tempera paint and painted the backs of the pieces. They started to really take shape now. But they needed something else. We knew just the thing!

Recycled Christmas Ornaments

GLITTER!!!! Who doesn’t love glitter?

Recycled Snowflake Ornament from Missing Puzzle Pieces

Here is our Missing Piece Snowflake.

Recycled Ornament from Recycled puzzle pieces

Legoman’s Missing Piece Christmas Tree

Puzzle Piece Ornament for Christmas

Now, every time we see the tree, we think of that how the circle rolled and rolled until it found its missing piece.

The mIssing Piece by Shel Silverstein Activity The mIssing Piece Meets Big O Activity

More Christmas Ornaments Inspired By Children’s Books

10-Days-of-a-Kid-Made-Christmas-2014

I am honored to be part of this amazing series of Christmas ornaments, all inspired by children’s books. With over 70 ornaments and 70 books you are sure to find something fun and exciting to try with your children or students if you are in the mood.

Be sure to hop over and check out all the other blogs sharing some incredible book inspired ornaments today!

Kitchen Counter Chronicles | Living Montessori Now | Mama.Papa.Bubba.Heart of Deborah Crystal’s Tiny Treasures | Kid World Citizen | The Fairy and The Frog | The Educators’ Spin On It | Willow Day

Do you have a favorite book? If you read that book to children and let them create, what would they come up with? I would love to see a picture! You can share on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag ‪#‎KidMadeOrnaments‬ ! Connect with me on FacebookTwitterGoogle+PinterestInstagram or subscribe by email. I can’t wait to hear about what you and your kids create!

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13 thoughts on “The Missing Piece : Recycled Puzzle Ornaments”

  1. So I think I’ve told you a million times today how much a love this, well, maybe not a million, more like three lol – but the same thing really! Shouting from the rooftops – Brilliant 🙂 xx

    1. Lemon Lime Adventures

      You are so sweet! I love how much you love them!

  2. I’ve loved making these with my kindergarten class! They are such a simple, but fun ornament!

    1. Lemon Lime Adventures

      So cool! Thank you so much! Glad they loved it!

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