VICTA’s Christmas decoration gallery 2024
Well done to all the children who helped decorate VICTA’s magical Christmas trees at centre:mk with their home-made sensory decorations. Children with a vision impairment and their siblings were invited to enter our Christmas decoration competition and will all be receiving a treat in the post to say thank you! We hope you enjoy all of their beautiful creations as much as us.
Below you will find photos and descriptions of the decorations on display and details of the winners… why not try making some of these yourself at home?
With special thanks to centre:mk for displaying our decorations for everyone to enjoy! You will find VICTA’s trees as part of the Middleton Hall Christmas display, outside John Lewis. Walk through the twinkling golden arch, they are displayed both next to the nativity scene and opposite near the train. Tag us in your photos of your visit @VICTAUK!
Competition winner
Dayzie, age 15
Dayzie has crocheted this beautiful reindeer without following a pattern!
“It is a reindeer that has a long white cane made from a cotton bud, tiny crochet feet or hooves with 2 arms crocheted on each side of his body, one arm is down the other is waving. Its body and head are also crochet and his eyes and mouth have been sewn on with a thicker wool to make the features more raised, and the eyes have had googly eyes hot glued onto the sewn part of the reindeer eyes to give it more of a tactile feel, so the eyes and mouth don’t feel the same. My reindeer also has a sewn in pipe cleaner nose along with 2 pipe cleaner antlers that have been sewn and then hot glued over to support the antlers not falling out or becoming loose. To finish off my reindeer, it has a ribbon loop to hang on the tree. My reindeer is covered in my favourite scent called “grape soda” to give it a magical smell rather than a traditional Christmas scent as I thought magic suited their imaginary personality. The best part of my reindeer is that it has a recycled rattle which I crocheted inside its head. The little rattle has been recycled from a toy which my dog had chewed through, he didn’t quite get his teeth through the shaker rattle, so I added it to my reindeer as it made a sleigh sounding noise so I added it inside to add audio to my reindeer.”
Congratulations to Dayzie who wins first place in our competition. We loved how much thought Dayzie put into her decoration, sewing in all the different sensory elements and her fantastic talent for crochet! Complete with his own white cane, the reindeer is the perfect friend to represent VICTA’s sensory Christmas!
Runners up
Stevie, age 15
For the Christmas tree decoration this year, I decided to make the VICTA Rainbow and Norbert the Green nosed Reindeer. I cut a rainbow shape out of cardboard. I used Wikki Stix to make a tactile rainbow, using the VICTA colours of Red, Orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue and purple. I then used black wikki stix and I shaped them to letters, saying: “Victor 2024” I placed the letters on top of the rainbow.
I then made Norbert the green nosed reindeer. I drew and cut a reindeer shape out of cardboard. I wanted to used lots of different materials to make him tactile. I ripped up small pieces of brown paper and I squashed them into balls. I stuck them on to make his body. I used leaves for the antlers. I used a white cotton wool ball for his tail. I used Googly eyes. For his nose, I wrapped a cotton wool ball in green textured fabric. I added small pieces of light green pipe cleaners to make his nose look runny. I decided to add eucalyptus oil for a sense of smell – after all, he does have a runny nose! I added 3 bells for the added sense of sound, which I attached with wikki sticks to his antlers. I added a hole at the top of the rainbow and I threaded white string, so it can hang from the tree. I used clear string from the rainbow to Norbert, so he was hanging and floating underneath the rainbow. I also used clear string to attach 2 green lollypop stick which hangs underneath Norbert. I added sticky braille to the lollypop sticks. The braille says “Norbert the green nosed reindeer had a very runny nose”.
I made the whole decoration double sided. Even if it twists and moves on the tree, you can see and feel the different materials and textures of my decoration.”
Congratulations to runner-up Stevie, we loved how her decoration contained so many textures and also sound from the bells. It is wonderful to have both raised writing and braille making is enjoyable for everyone. It is truly unique and joyful!
Oscar, age 8
Oscar used beads, tinsel, pipe cleaners, three cut-out triangles for trees and decorated with feathers, tissue paper, paint and glitter to create a sensory feel for all. They have been hung from a green tinsel bar using gold pipe cleaners.
Congratulations to Oscar who is our second runner-up in our competition. We loved how much colour and sparkle he has used to decorate his trees and hanging them from the tinsel really makes the decoration stand out!
Winning Primary School
Priestly Smith Specialist School, Birmingham
Ages 5 to 11 years
Four cheerful reindeer heads. Paper plates have been coloured in brown and decorated with wobbly eyes and pom pom noses. They have jingly bells hanging from them. They have yellow lollipop stick antlers decorated with sparkles.
Three paper plates have had brown wool twisted across them to make a tactile pattern. They have wobbly eyes, red pom pom noses and pipe cleaner antlers. Three more reindeer heads have been created using triangle shapes cat from paper plates. These have been decorated using squares of brown tissue paper, wobbly eyes, red pom pom noses and brown foam antlers.
Seven vibrant reindeer heads. They are decorated with bright brown tissue paper, small red pom poms for noses and wobble eyes. The antlers are made of glittery card.
Four pine cone reindeer and two wooden disc reindeer heads. They are decorated with red pom pom noses, wobbly eyes and sparkly antlers.
Gold baubles have been decorated using pipe cleaners, red pom pom noses and wobbly eyes to look like reindeer.
Three lollipop sticks have been stuck together into a triangular shape to make a reindeer head. He has a wobbly eye and red pom pom nose.
Winning Secondary School
Moorend Academy
Ages 12 to 15
Congratulations to Moorend Academy!
“We have chosen as slice of orange for our reindeer bodies as to us it smells like Christmas. We have used Bells on our decorations as we love to hear them jingle. The students have used a variety of tactile materials to decorate their reindeer.”
Baked orange slices have been used for the bodies and wooden discs for their reindeer heads. There are 17 reindeer all together. They all have pipe cleaner arms and legs with beads at the ends for hands and feet. They have been decorated from a variety of tactile items, from wooden forks, to sparkly paper, feathers, glitter and wobbly eyes. They all have different poses and expressions and are super fun!
The entries
Dexter, age 9
Dexter has painted a wooden bauble shape red and decorated it with large gems. It has a silver string to hand from and at the top of the string is a wooden star painted green and red. Dexter tells us: “I decorated a wooden Christmas bauble with lots of tactile gems. I like the gems as they feel nice and sparkle in the light.”
Ethan, age 4
Ethan has made a paper chain from green shiny paper and decorated it, he tells us: “I cut sparkly paper into pieces. My mummy then helped me staple them into a long chain. I then stuck smiley stickers on. I also used some gems as they are my brother’s favourite.”
Brodie, age 11
Brodie has decorated a wooden disc to look like the face of a reindeer. It has a pink pom pom nose, wobbly eyes and antlers made from gold and silver pipe cleaners. He has been decorated using three white snowflake raised stickers.
Flo, age 6
Glittery green teddy, baked with cinnamon dough with a rough texture and jingly bells.
Eitan, age 8
“Jingle bells tactile Christmas tree.” Eitan has used black paper and laced white ribbon through the centre of his tree shape to make a lovely tactile pattern. Around the edge he has decorated it with Christmas sequins and glitter.
Felicity, age 13
“Felicity’s decoration is a super shiny, sparkly, tactile, rainbow Christmas star. Felicity has decorated a wooden star by cutting out shiny, smooth, silver card and sticking it on to the wooden star to fully cover it. Then she lined the outline of the star with small, clear, circle gems. After that she stuck small, sparkly rainbows on each point (the rainbows are made of tiny coloured gems that are laid in a rainbow shape – red, orange, yellow, green and blue with clear gems at the bottom of each side of the rainbow to look like two clouds). Surrounding each rainbow are small five-pointed gem stars which are clear with jaggy points. In the middle of the star decoration, between each of the rainbows is a big glittery foam silver star with the small, jaggy stars surrounding it. In the middle of the big glittery star is another gem rainbow.”
Belmont Academy Primary School
Bruce, age 9
“The star says ‘Happy Christmas’ in braille in the centre. It has beads to make it more tactile and bells so you can hear it twinkling.”
Gabriella
Gabriella made a cone shape from a piece of card, then she folded and stuck on alternating layers of green and red pipe cleaners to make a tactile Christmas tree. She then put a star on the top to finish off her tactile tree!
Finley, age 5
Finley has made four pinecone decorations. He has painted a pinecone with glitter and stuck red, green, white, and purple plastic beads on. He has stuck pom poms onto another pinecone and painted another one with coloured paint and glitter. He has stuck googly eyes, a red pom pom nose, and ears cut from brown paper onto a pinecone to look like a reindeer. He has tied red and white ribbons in bows at the bottom.
Archie, age 7 and Frankie, age 4
Archie has filled a clear plastic bauble with clear beads to look like snow. He has put in a mini-Christmas tree, wooden Santa, candy cane, wreath, and Rudolf charms, a gold ball, and bells. He has written ‘Ho Ho Ho’ on the outside in braille and attached bells to the string so he could hear it.
Frankie has filled a clear plastic bauble with clear beads, bells, and wooden Christmas charms. He has written ‘Rudolf’ on the outside in braille and attached a mini-Christmas tree on the string.
Archie and Frankie have filled a clear plastic bauble with clear beads to look like snow and wooden Christmas charms. They have written ‘reindeer’ on the outside in braille and attached bells to the string.
Dotty, age 9
Dotty has made her decoration out of a circle of wood. She has finger painted a reindeer with googly eyes and added a border of red finger painting. On the back she has finger painted 7 reindeer with white spots in the background. To hang it up she has put a white and silver star bead on a red pipe cleaner along with beads saying ‘VICTA’.
Albie
Albie has drawn a picture of buddy the elf and a Christmas tree. He is wearing a red hat. There is a VICTA rainbow and #victa in the top right corner. He has added a braille pattern over the drawing.
Ruby, age 16
Ruby has painted four toilet rolls with white paint and glitter to look like snowmen. She has drawn eyes, a mouth and buttons on with black pen. She has stuck a triangle of orange paper on to look like a nose. She has given each one a different coloured paper scarf covered in foil sweet wrappers matching the colour. She has made the hangers out of glittery silver plastic.
Thomas, age 10
Thomas has used a brailler to create a textured pattern. He has then cut it out into the shape of a leaping reindeer. He has decorated the antlers with gold glitter. He has made a second decoration of a reindeer’s head. It has been decorated with sparkly, brown felt. On top he has drawn a large smile and added a large red pom pom nose and wobbly eyes. His antlers are decorated with silver and gold glitter.
Emmie, age 10
Emmie has used air drying clay to make a green Christmas tree decoration with multicoloured baubles.
Eli, age 6
Eli has made a cookie with chocolate chips using air drying clay.
Willow, age 18 months
A print of Willow’s foot has been decorated to create a reindeer with fluffy ears and nose.
Elena, age 10
Elena has drawn a Santa hat and cut it out, She has coloured it in using red crayon. The bobble is made from scrunched kitchen roll. On the band of the hat she has written Merry Christmas and has drawn a heart and another Santa hat.
Freddie, age 9
An angel made from cream paper with large gold dots. It is a cylinder with wings attached and gold ribbon wrapped around.
Verity, age 9
Verity has drawn an ornate star on paper and cut it out. She has used pen to draw the details.
Nadeen
Nadeen has cut a Christmas tree shape from shiny, red paper. She has decorated it with a coloured in picture of a cute dog in a stocking.
Inch View Primary School
The elves are busy working on this image description, check back soon!
Great Binfields Primary School
An upside-down paper cup has been coloured in brown and a face of a reindeer with a red nose drawn on it. Silver and white pipe cleaners have been attached to the top to look like antlers.
Great Binfields Primary School
The student has cut out brown paper in the shape of a reindeer’s face. She has drawn eyes and a mouth on it with black pen and stuck on a red sparkly star for a nose. She has attached two pieces of white foam for the ears. There are two orange plastic straws with red, gold, silver, and green wrapped around them to look like antlers.
Dalton School, Oak Provision
The 11 pupils used pine cones that have a wonderful smell that reminded them of Christmas, they have stuck on googly eyes, a red pom pom nose, and some glittery antlers to make the pine comes come alive into happy little reindeers to hang on the VICTA tree.
Watermore Primary School
“Happy Christmas. My name is Bella and I am 7 Years old. I made this shaky reindeer for your Christmas tree. I used a plastic coke bottle and filled it with buttons and beads. I used sparkly pipe cleaners for antlers. I hope you like it. Love from Bella.”
Priestly Smith Secondary Provision
12 colourful reindeer heads! The children have used all sorts of different materials to make tactile reindeer full of personality. The have used collage, colouring pens, paper shavings, glitter and corrugated card to create lots of textures and colours.
Westbrook Primary School
Large rainbow head shapes have been printed using swell paper – a technique that creates tactile, raised lines. The children have then decorate them using feathers, rice, glitter, gems, textured papers and sequins. They are wonderful, colourful decorations full of character and happiness.
