DIY Gingerbread Man Preschool Ornament

Decorate your Christmas tree with these DIY gingerbread man ornaments!  This diy gingerbread man is a great ornament for the preschool crowd to make as not only does he turn out adorable, but it's a great way to sneak in fine motor skills!

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Gingerbread men aren't just for eating!  Make an adorable non-edible gingerbread ornament for the Christmas tree.... although, this craft may make you hungry some cinnamon, brown sugar, and molasses goodness!

Oh, if only I could snap my fingers and a magical Christmas fairy would leave a plate of gingerbread cookies as I write this!!  

...One can wish!

The next best thing besides eating gingerbread is a sweet diy gingerbread man ornament made by your little one(s).

Grab the materials and your kiddos, it's time to make some gingerbread men!  This gingerbread man ornament is especially beneficial for preschoolers to help make as lacing the "icing" around the gingerbread is a great way to strengthen fine motor skills.  My tagline isn't learn and play today for nothing!

DIY Gingerbread Man Preschool Ornament

Ready to get crafting?  Play some christmas music and let's get started.

Supplies:

• empty cereal or cracker box

• hole punch

• white yarn

• glitter glue

• scissors

• black sharpie marker

• brown paint

• paintbrush

DIY Gingerbread Man Preschoolers Can Make

From a cereal box (or similar), trace and cut out a gingerbread man outline.

Have your child paint the gingerbread outline with brown paint.  Allow to dry.

**Alternatively, you could use a brown cardboard box to eliminate the painting.  However, it may be a bit tougher to make the holes that are needed in the next few steps. 

Once dried, add glitter glue decorations like a bow-tie, rosy red cheeks, and wavy lines.

Add eyes and a mouth with a sharpie marker or regular ball point pen.

Next, with a hole punch, work around the gingerbread man outline creating holes about 1/2-1 inch apart.  

More holes = more lacing, which may mean hands tire quicker.

Less holes = less lacing.

Knowing your child's abilities and limits, space the hole punches accordingly.

Tie an end of the white yarn through one of the holes.

Have your child begin lacing the thread in and out around the gingerbread man's body.  This white yarn gives the gingerbread man ornament some "icing!"

Toddlers may not understand lacing around the gingerbread man body and may just lace the yarn in whichever hole they want-- no worries!  It will be a treasured ornament no less and is completely developmentally appropriate.  

Continue lacing the white yarn around the gingerbread man's body til you reach the hole where you started.  

Tie the ends together, and then create a loop and tie again so that you can hang your gingerbread ornament on the tree!  If you would rather not use this gingerbread man as an ornament, you could turn it into a placecard, a gift tag, or glue it on a card to mail a loved one.

Isn't this preschool ornament so adorable?!  I could just eat it up!!  

Enjoy these gingerbread man theme preschool activities:

• Gingerbread Man Home Preschool Week in Reivew

• Gingerbread Baby Scissor Skills Activity

• Puffy Paint Gingerbread Cowboy Craft

• DIY Jumbo Stuffed Gingerbread Man Craft

Find more Kid-Made Christmas Gifts, Ornaments, & Cards at Teach Me Mommy! 

This Snowman Money Holderfrom Kimspired DIY is a fun way to gift gift cards! 

These Cocoa Christmas Tubes from KidsMinds would be a fun gift to give neighbors, friends, and/or would make great stocking suffers! 

Have a golfer in the family?  Why not gift them with a colorful set of Golf Balls from your little artist(s)?

Make up some simple kid-made Christmas cards using recycled wrapping paper!