12 easy Christmas craft ideas for kids

Children love to make their own Christmas decorations and craft. And they love to see their handiwork on display.

These activities are not only fun, they’re easy, they can help develop fine motor co-ordination, and they leave you with cool decorations that can adorn the Christmas tree as well as around the rest of the house.

Give these Christmas craft ideas a try, and see which ones become yearly traditions.

Paper Christmas wreath with candle

You’ll need:

• paper plate
• paper (dark green, light green, red, white, yellow)
• ribbon
• scissors
• glue

Directions:

1. Cut the middle out of the paper plate
2. Cut the green paper into strips, fold in half and cut a triangle out of the bottom

 

3. Glue the green strips around the paper plate (use dark green, then light green) until it is covered

 

 

4. To make the candle take two strips of white paper and fold over each other like an accordion. Cut out a flame using the red and yellow paper and glue into the middle of the wreath.

 

 

5. Decorate the wreath with a ribbon and red and white dots.

 

Photo Baubles for the Christmas Tree

You’ll need:

• old cardboard boxes (cereal boxes are ideal) or paper plates
• thread
• photos
• scissors
• glue
• pom poms, glitter, feathers, and decorating items

Directions:

1. Cut 2 circles out of the cereal boxes, each approximately 12 cm in diameter (or you can choose any size).
2. Cut out of the centre of one circle to make a ring large enough for your chosen photo to be displayed in the middle.
3. Sandwich your photo between the ring and use the full circle as backing.
4. Glue it all together, including putting a loop of thread between the two circles so you can hang the finished creation on the Christmas Tree.
5. Now decorate the outside of the ring with feathers, pom poms, glitter, and glue.
6. Once dry, you’ve got a beautiful photo bauble for your tree.

If you’re making lots of baubles, why not try cutting different shapes of the cardboard to start.

Pop-up Santa

You need:

• small cardboard box – you can recycle a small box like a small tea box or similar
• craft sticks / paddlepop sticks
• card
• paint
• pens

Directions:

1. Turn the box on its side so that it’s tall and narrow – like a chimney.
2. Paint the box brown and draw black lines across it like bricks.
3. Cut the lid off the box and make a small slit in the bottom to fit a paddlepop stick through.
4. Cut out a Santa shape from some card – Santa needs to small enough to fit into the box – little kids might need some help with this cutting.
5. Colour him in and glue him onto the end of the paddlepop stick.
6. You will then be able to pop your Santa down and up the chimney by moving the paddlepop stick through the hole in the box.

Christmas Tree and Santa Hat Decorations

You need:

• red card
• felt – green and red
• pieces of ribbon
• yellow card
• cotton wool balls
• glue
• craft sticks (paddle pop sticks)
• craft eyes
• craft pompoms (or cotton wool)

Santa Hats:

1. Cut a triangle out of red card.
2. Glue one cotton ball at the top of the triangle and 2-3 rows of cotton balls along the bottom to make Santa Hat decorations!

Felt Presents:

1. Cut a rectangle or square out of felt – any colour is fine, but red and green keep with the Christmas theme.
2. Glue two pieces of contrasting ribbon in a cross shape on the felt square to make a great present decoration.

Paddlepop Christmas Trees:

1. Paint some craft sticks tree green colour using either paint or food colouring.
2. Leave to dry.
3. Break some craft sticks into different lengths – you’ll need short pieces and longer pieces, gradually getting longer each time.
4. Place one whole craft stick vertically.
5. Glue smaller pieces of craft sticks onto the stick horizontally, with the smaller pieces at the top and the longest pieces at the bottom to make a Christmas tree shape.
6. Put a glittery pom-pom at the top of the tree!

Glitter Stars:

1. Cut a star shape out of yellow card.
2. Glue coloured pompoms or sequins on to the star for pretty decorations.

Paddlepop Reindeer

1. Make a triangle shape with 3 craft sticks.
2. Glue the sticks together.
3. Glue two craft eyes on.
4. Glue a pom-pom on one corner for a nose.

With all these decorations, you can glue a loop of string or ribbon on the back so you can hang them from the tree.

Pine Cone Christmas Tree Ornaments

This activity has a exercise component and a craft component so you can burn off a little energy before getting the kids to settle down! First you need to go for bush walk and collect some pine cones (or any large tree seeds would do too).

When you get home follow the following steps to get your decorations on the go.

You need:

• Dry Pine Cones (or substitute)
• Glitter
• Glue
• Paint brushes
• Ribbon
• Card stock

Directions:

1. Paint the pine cone with glue. Immediately sprinkle with your choice of colour glitter.
2. Let it all dry.
3. Cut out a yellow star (or whatever colour your card stock is).
4. Glue the star to the top of pine cone.
5. Once dry, tie a ribbon and hang it from the tree!

Homemade Wrapping Paper

Making your own wrapping paper is great fun and adds a personal touch to any gift.  As a bonus, it’s much cheaper than buying paper too!

Buy some suitable plain paper from a local supplier. Usually known a ‘Butcher’s Paper’, it’s the thick white paper (or brown paper) that you can get in large rolls or large sheets. You can buy it from office suppliers, packaging suppliers, or some toy shops.

Get some colourful paints – if it’s for Christmas paper, use Christmas-themed colours like red, green, gold, and silver. Then you’re ready to paint!

For littlies, finger paint and hand prints work best. Put the paint into a flat tray so they can get a good even coverage on their hands. Make sure you’ve got an old cloth handy so you can wipe their hands quickly before they set-off handprinting everything in site! Perhaps a good activity for outside!

You can also cut out ‘stamps’ from potatoes or buy stamps from a craft shop.

Cereal Christmas Garlands

Popcorn and cranberries are too difficult for little ones to string, plus they require a needle…ouch! But that doesn’t mean that toddlers have to be left out on the fun when it comes to make Christmas garlands.

They can string a round cereal like on yarn or a stiff string and make a beautiful Christmas garland to hang in the house!

You could also try tube pasta – like macaroni or penne. You could even paint the pasta in different colours and designs first and then thread onto yarn when dry.

Christmas Crackers

You need:

• cardboard cylinder (empty paper towel roll, cut in two)
• crepe paper
• scissors
• thin curling ribbon.
• fun trinkets and a little joke for inside
• stickers, optional

Directions:

1. Put the fun trinkets and a joke inside each roll
2. Cut the desired length of crepe paper and roll the cardboard cylinder in it
3. Twist the ends and tie off with the curling ribbon
4. Draw the scissors along the curling ribbon to make it curl up (adults might need to do this)
5. Decorate the cracker with star stickers or some kind of Christmas stickers if you wish. Enjoy!

Certainly much cheaper than buying crackers and they come from the heart.

Find even more great craft ideas and activities in our Things to Do Hub.