10 Christmas crafts for kids that’ll keep little hands busy this season

Looking for new ways to amp up the holiday cheer? Christmas crafts for kids are a spectacular way to double up on holiday bonding time, keep the little ones busy and create lovely art projects that the kids can gift to their nearest and dearest.

If you’re hosting this year, then creating kids Christmas crafts is also a great mom hack for decorating your house. Not only can this be the start to a new family Christmas tradition but, you also get the joy of seeing your child’s artwork on display. We’ve rounded up simple ideas for Christmas crafts for toddlers and kids of all ages.

Spread the holiday cheer with these 10 Christmas crafts for kids

1. DIY snow globe

First, ask your child to choose which small plastic toys or legos they would like to place in their snow globe. Then, open an empty glass jar and glue the inside of the top. Place their small toy(s) on the glue and hold down for a few seconds. While that’s drying, fill the jar with water, add sequins or glitter and a few drops of glycerine. Then attach the lid and watch your child’s face fill with delight as they watch their snow globe come to life. Make extra as gifts for loved ones or fun party favors.

2. Candy cane place holders

For little ones who are practicing their letters, this is an activity they will absolutely love! Cut small strips of paper and give your child the Christmas dinner guest list so they can write everyone’s names in their adorable handwriting. Then, when you’re getting the table ready, place the paper on the inside hook of two candy canes to create your own place holders.

3. Pom pom wreathe

All you need to create this adorable wreath is paper plates, pom poms (any color and any size), green paint and glue. Kiddos can paint the paper plates first. Once it’s dried, cut a hole in the middle so only a round green outline remains. Then kids can grab a pom pom and one by one dip them in glue and stick them on their wreathe. It’s a sensory activity with painting and gluing—two things toddlers love to get their little hands on!

Related: Gather around the tree for these 10 entertaining Christmas games for kids

4. Twig ornaments

Christmas crafts with a side of forest adventure? Sign me up! Start with a little outside adventure where your child can pick up an assortment of small twigs. Bring them home and give them a nice rinse so they’re clean. Then, use glue to hold the twigs together in different shapes for your holiday ornaments. For example, you can glue three twigs in a triangle shape, add a short twig to the bottom to create a trunk and voilà, it’s a tree! To decorate, you can wind colored yarn or ribbon all around it.

5. Paper garland

Christmas crafts for toddlers doesn’t get easier than this idea for a paper garland. You can download and print these free Christmas coloring pages and let your child go town with their coloring. Then, you can use clothespins to attach the coloring pages to the garland and simply hang it. For the actual garland part of it, you can use a few different things. Add a bit of greenery with a green artificial garland, cut a long strip of butcher paper and either tape or glue the top of the page to the strip, or you can even hole punch the top right and left side of the coloring pages and wind a piece of yarn or ribbon through them all.

6. Santa’s beard

Hold a paper plate up to your child’s face and mark the area around their mouth with a pencil. Cut a hole in that shape. It does not have to be perfect! Now, cut the plate in half. You only need the bottom half with the mouth hole. Your child can dip white cotton balls or pom poms in glue and stick them to the plate or you can cover the plate in glue and have them place their “beard” on top. Let it dry then glue a popsicle stick to the back so your child can hold their Santa beard up to their face.

7. Christmas tree cone

First lay a paper plate flat in front of you and mark a pizza slice from the middle to be cut. With the remainder of your plate, roll it into a cone and tape the ends so it holds. Next, your child can paint their cone in green or any other color for the base of their tree. Once it’s dry, they can dip brightly colored poms in glue and attach to their tree as their “ornaments.” You can use the finished product as table top decor or the kids might have fun wearing them as party hats.

8. DIY Christmas cards

These hand and foot prints are truly Christmas crafts keepsakes. Fold a blank piece of paper like a book. Cover your child’s hand in washable paint then press it onto the front page. If you’d rather capture their little feet then do the same but this time have them press their feet lightly onto the paper. The reindeer doesn’t take much more than brown paint, google eyes and a red pom pom. To create a Christmas tree, instruct your child to lay both hands on the paper, slightly tilted to either side. Then, using just individual fingers, repeat going up so the outcome is a full bottom and a narrow top. Simply, let them glue on their poms for ornaments. Once everything is dry, they can write a sweet note on the inside or even, fill it with their own special Christmas drawings.

9. Potted reindeer

Using mini flower pots, attach google eyes on the front and glue a red pom pom underneath. Then, fill the pot with any kind of candy and stick brown pipe cleaners inside for the antlers. Kiddos can also use cotton balls to make Santa. Just cut red felt and glue it to the rim of the pot. You can also add a white pom to the tip. These would make great party favors for young and old alike!

10. Toilet paper roll characters

Collect those empty toilet paper rolls for this Christmas craft! First, your kiddo can paint the roll—green for elves, red for santa, white for snowmen or leave it brown for a reindeer. Attach google eyes. Use a black marker to add a little belt (for everyone but the reindeer!) For elf ears, you can cut pointy ear shapes from a black piece of paper and glue them to the back of the roll so the ear tips poke out from the sides. Use pipe cleaners to create antlers and tape them to the inside of the roll. For Santa’s beard, glue mini white poms. For the snowman’s buttons, glue mini black pums or even, apply stick on black beads or sequins for some sparkle.

A version of this story was published November 5, 2022. It has been updated.