19 Christmas Crafts Ideas for Kids

Christmas is one of those times of year that makes your home cozier, brighter, and just a little more magical. But if you have kids at home during the holidays, the season comes to life in a whole new way, with glitter and pipe cleaners and glue and giggles.

If you’re looking for fun activities to keep little hands busy and occupied, we’ve got just the list for you: 19 Christmas craft ideas for kids that are easy to make and fun for every age.

Perfect for homeschooling parents, classroom teachers, or just for your family on a weekend afternoon, these crafts will add extra sparkle to your holiday season.

Christmas Crafts for Kids

1. Paper Plate Santa Claus

Paper plates are the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to crafts. Get your kids one each, then have them turn a plain white plate into Santa’s smiling face with cotton balls, red construction paper, and googly eyes. It’s cute, cheap, and easy enough for toddlers and preschoolers.

2. Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees

This is a classic Christmas craft, and one that kids of all ages love. Have them assemble popsicle sticks in a triangle shape and glue them, then let them paint, decorate, and adorn the mini tree with beads, sequins, pom-poms, or glitter. Hang them on the Christmas tree, or put magnets on the back and stick them on the fridge.

3. Handprint Reindeer Art

We’re a big fan of Christmas crafts that capture your child’s hands here. Have them dip their hands in brown paint and print them onto paper, then use googly eyes, a red marker for a nose, and have them turn their handprint into a cute little reindeer. Framed, these make adorable keepsakes.

4. DIY Snow Globe Jars

Snow globes are so expensive to buy, but with your kids, you can make them yourself! All you need is an empty jar, glitter, a small plastic figurine (snowmen, Christmas trees, Santas), and a mixture of water and glycerin. Glue the figurine to the lid, fill the jar with the glittery water, screw the lid on tightly, and shake.

Related: Kids Boo Basket Ideas

5. Christmas Cookie Cutter Ornaments

Turn old cookie cutters into beautiful ornaments. Let the kids wrap string, ribbon, or yarn around them, then tie a bow or hang a small bell. Simple but beautiful on the tree, and kids will go nuts watching their ornaments come to life.

6. Felt Gingerbread People

Felt is great for crafts for kids, because it’s soft, colorful, and easy to cut and shape. Cut out gingerbread people from brown felt and let your kids decorate them with buttons, ribbons, sequins, and some fabric glue. These make great ornaments, garlands, or just little toys.

7. Pine Cone Christmas Creatures

Nearby trees? Take the kids out for a little “pine-cone hunt” and bring them home to turn into little Christmas creatures. Think reindeer, owls, elves, Christmas trees, anything you can dream up. Add googly eyes, felt ears, pipe-cleaner antlers, and a dusting of glitter and it’s a festive Christmas decoration.

8. Salt Dough Ornaments

Kids have a blast shaping and customizing salt dough, and it’s also great for teaching about science and cooking. Mix together equal parts flour, salt, and water to make the dough, roll it out, cut out shapes using cookie cutters, and bake. After it cools, they can paint it any way they like. Or write names and dates on the ornaments for cute keepsakes.

9. DIY Christmas Wreath Craft

Kids will love making their own little Christmas wreaths. Bend a pipe cleaner into a ring shape, then wrap it in red or gold pipe cleaners and decorate it with pom-poms, beads, ribbons, and more. This is a great craft for classrooms or make them as gifts for grandparents.

10. Egg Carton Snowmen

Kids love crafts that use recycled items, and this one’s great for turning egg cartons into fun, frosty snowmen. Cut the egg carton into cup sections, stack two or three together for the body, and let the kids paint and decorate them however they like. Fabric scrap scarves and buttons are the finishing touches.

11. Toilet Paper Roll Angels

Don’t toss those empty toilet paper rolls, use them for some Christmas crafting instead! Help the kids turn them into Christmas angels by adding paper wings, cute little faces, and glue on some yellow yarn to make angel hair. Just one more great way to repurpose household items.

12. Christmas Countdown Paper Chain

Kids love advent calendars, but a paper chain that they can make themselves is another great option. Cut long strips of paper and form paper loops that interlock to make a chain. Starting December 1st, your child tears off one link each day until Christmas. It’s like a counting activity and learning to wait at the same time.

13. Button Christmas Tree Art

Take a cardboard or paper triangle and let the kids glue buttons of all colors and sizes to make a happy little Christmas tree. It’s a great fine-motor activity, and the finished craft is beautiful when framed or displayed as holiday décor.

14. Yarn-Wrapped Candy Canes

Mess-free crafting? Yes, please! Pipe cleaners make great “candy canes”, then let the kids wrap them with red and white yarn. Relaxing, easy, and great for hand-eye coordination and motor skills, these fun candy canes look cute on the tree too.

15. Glitter Pine Needle Snowflakes

Make snowflakes from sticks or pine needles (or popsicle sticks!) by arranging them in a star shape, then gluing or taping them together. Kids can paint the snowflakes white or silver, then sprinkle them with glitter. A simple craft that makes beautiful snowflakes you can hang around the house.

16. Holiday Playdough Creations

Buy or make some red, green, and white playdough, and let your kids get creative with Christmas figures. Snowmen, candy canes, trees, presents, even little gingerbread houses—they can have hours of fun.

17. Christmas Card Making

Kids love making Christmas cards for everyone they know (and teachers, grandparents, neighbors). Give them plain cards, stickers, glitter glue, markers, stamps, and whatever else you have on hand, and let them draw or write whatever they like. These cards make great gifts.

18. Reindeer Footprint Art

Another fun keepsake Christmas craft: dip your child’s foot in brown paint and stamp it onto paper. From there, turn their footprint into a reindeer by adding eyes, a red nose, and antlers. Kids think it’s hilarious, parents love to save them as keepsakes.

19. Star-Shaped Paper Lanterns

These paper lanterns look like they’re more difficult than they actually are. Cut stars out of thick paper, decorate them, then tape or glue them with space inside for LED tea lights. Kids love these, and they also look great when lit and hanging in your Christmas décor.

Tips for Crafting With Kids During Christmas

The following tips will help your Christmas crafting run smoothly and be a breeze for you and the kids:

1. Prep the supplies

Get all the supplies ready before you begin—scissors, glue, paints, paper, ribbons, and whatever the craft requires. Kids will get bored fast if they have to wait for stuff.

2. Age-appropriate crafts

Plan crafts that are age-appropriate. Young kids are better at big, simple projects like paper plate Santa faces, while older ones can do more intricate ones like gingerbread people or snow globes.

3. Let the mess happen

Crafting is messy—it’s inevitable. Glitter will get everywhere, glue will drip, and somehow paint always ends up on the eyebrows. But that’s part of the fun of crafting. Cover your table with old newspapers, or a table cloth to help with cleanup.

4. Kids in charge

Kids love being creative and in charge of something. So let them choose what colors and what designs to use, and let them go wild. Don’t worry about the end product—it just has to be fun.

5. Keep mementos

Write your child’s name and the year on any crafts you want to keep. In a few years, you’ll be surprised how special they are.

Final Thoughts

Christmas crafts with kids aren’t just about keeping them busy. It’s about creating memories and bonding. When children sit down to make something with their hands, they’re learning, they’re expressing their creativity, and they’re enjoying time with you or their siblings.

Crafting is one of the ways to bring the magic of Christmas to life, in the most literal way possible. So take a look at these 19 Christmas craft ideas for kids and see what you and your kids love. You might start a new family tradition before you know it.

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Onwe Damian

Onwe Damian Chukwuemeka is a Researcher, writer and the founder of Mom With Vibe, Powerful Sight and Financial Mercury.