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You are here: Home / Art / Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

May 9, 2018 by Sheryl Cooper

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Inside: This colorful “stained glass” candle holder is so easy for toddlers and young preschoolers to make as a gift for mom. They even made the gift bag and tag! A sweet treasure for Mother’s Day.

If you are looking for a super easy and sweet gift for Mom, this is it!

The idea started brewing in my head when we purchased some yogurt that came in small glass jars. I instantly could visualize these jars being turned into colorful candle holders.

Now, this “stained glass” technique is not my idea. It’s been around for a really long time. Perhaps you made these as a child, too!

But I love classic activities such as this. I’m quite certain my children made some for me when they were little, too.

After we made these sweet candle holders, we also made the gift bags and tags. I love that everything about this activity was homemade!

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

What we used for this gift for Mom:

  • Small glass jars
  • White glue
  • Tissue paper squares
  • Modge Podge (gloss)
  • Votive candles
  • White paper lunch sacks (I got mine at Walmart)
  • Purple and yellow tempera paint
  • Watercolors
  • Tissue wrapping paper

Watch the video:

 

Glue the Squares:

I wrote each child’s name on the bottom of the jars and had the white glue poured into individual containers with a paint brush.

I showed the children how to put glue all around the outside of the jar. But, being 2 and young 3 year olds, that was a bit tricky, and some of them kept wanting to brush the glue on the inside of the jar. After showing them a few times, they got it.

Then, they stuck the tissue paper squares to the glue (on the outside of the jar).

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

Some of the children really covered their jars, and others not so much. That’s what I love. Each one was a bit different, as they should be!

We let them dry overnight before adding the Modge Podge.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

On our next school day, I invited some of the children to brush the Modge Podge on top of the tissue paper and jars. I suspected this might not happen quite the way I first planned, and I was correct. They partially brushed the Modge Podge here and there, and then they let me know they were done.

So, I ended up going over each candle holder with some extra Modge Podge just to make sure everything was covered.

The reason I added the Modge Podge is that it gives a nice sheen and protects the tissue paper squares.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

This is how they looked when completely dry:

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

Make the wrapping paper:

I had some of these textured hearts leftover from a Valentine activity, so I thought it would be fun to decorate our gift wrap bags.

I invited them to brush paint on the heart, and then press the white lunch sack on top of it, making a heart print.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

And, well, it didn’t really turn out as I had planned. With the one exception shown above, they didn’t look like hearts at all.

But, they loved the process, so that’s a plus!

Add the tags:

I found some card stock colored paper in our stash and cut it into the shape of hearts.

No stencil. Free hand. And nope, they were not perfect.

I had the children add their touch with some watercolors.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

I then punched a hole in the heart tag, and also the gift bag. I had some twine ready, too.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

Time to wrap the candle holders:

I invited the children to add a votive candle to their candle holder.

They were so excited about this!

 

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

I then placed our variety of tissue paper on a table and asked them to choose which color they wanted to wrap their candle in.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

They then placed everything into their bags and carried them carefully to the top of a nearby shelf.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

I then attached the tags to the bags.

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

They are now ready for our Muffins with Mommy event!

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

I loved how the children were engaged through every step of this activity. That is what makes gifts like these so special!

Easy Toddler and Preschool Gift for Mom: Colorful Candle Holders

 

 

More Mother’s Day ideas:

25+ of the Best Mother's Day Ideas for Kids

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Filed Under: Art, preschool, Toddlers Tagged With: art, Mother's Day, preschool, toddlers

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

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Comments

  1. Rashmi Sharma

    May 18, 2018 at 5:06 am

    Wow! this is looking so beautiful. I am very impressed from this. I’ll give such like gift to my mom. Thanks for sharing.

    • Sheryl Cooper

      May 20, 2018 at 11:27 am

      Thank you!

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