Christmas Craft Ideas for Kids

Christmas can be an exciting and busy time of year. Children are excited about the upcoming festivities and love to feel like a part of the holiday preparation. By including these simple Christmas craft ideas in your holiday planning, children get the chance to contribute to the holiday decorating while creating memorabilia you will treasure for years to come. As a plus, these holiday activities are a creative way to pass the time during long holiday breaks from school.

Wreaths and Garlands

Garlands and wreaths are easy-to-make decorations that even the youngest children can create using inexpensive craft supplies and things found in the backyard. You can display them outside to give a festive appearance to doors and entryways, or you can use them inside to decorate mantles or walls.

Popcorn Wreaths

Cut out a large circle from a piece of heavy cardboard. Adults can use a craft knife to cut out the center of the wreath shape. Make a small hole about an inch from the top of the wreath and tie a piece of red yarn or ribbon through the hole for hanging the wreath. Invite the kids to cover the cardboard with glue and lots of popcorn in a single layer. Glue the corn kernels very close together. When the glue has dried, decorate the wreath with a simple red bow.

Pine Cone Wreaths

This craft makes a beautiful wreath, but it does require adult supervision and help. Purchase a wire frame for wreaths at a craft store. Collect pine cones from outside and wrap each cone from the middle with thin green craft wire, leaving long ends for attaching to the frame. Twist wire ends around wreath frame until pine cones are tight against each other. When the wreath frame is full, spray paint cones with gold, silver, or snow craft spray and add a matching bow. Pine cones can also be left bare and adorned with sprigs of holly and little red bows.

Hand Print Wreaths

Younger children can make this simple display using green and red construction paper, glue, and cardboard. Make a wreath using cardboard as directed above (popcorn wreath). Have your child trace his hand on about 15 to 20 pieces of green paper. Allow him to cut out the hand shapes and glue them onto the cardboard with the fingers pointing out, overlapping the hands slightly. Children can adorn the finished hand print wreaths with a red paper ribbon and red glitter.

Garlands

Children have been stringing popcorn and cranberries to create festive holiday garlands for generations. Try varying this traditional craft by drying thin slices of apples in the oven and stringing them on twine. Space apple slices apart, and alternate them with cranberries for an old fashioned look. Sliced, dried, oranges and pears work well too.

Ornaments

Use ornaments to decorate the trees, walls or windows of your home to transform it into a winter wonderland. In addition, your children's hand-crafted ornaments can make thoughtful gifts for friends and family members who live far away. A special ornament made just for them is a perfect way to help them feel included in your holiday. This type of craft project also makes a memorable yet inexpensive gift for children's teachers, caregivers, or special friends, and most children enjoy the excitement of making a gift for a special person.

Coloring Page Ornaments

Making ornaments with the images found in coloring books or pages is quick and easy. Let your child pick an image, perhaps a scene from a winter coloring page, or an object like a snowman, and decorate it as she chooses. Let her cut out the image (adults may need to help younger children with this step) and glue it to cardstock or cardboard. Use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of the ornament and loop a piece of yarn or ribbon through the hole. Knot the top of the ribbon or yarn to make a hanger for the ornament.

If you are into recycling, empty cereal boxes can be used for the cardboard for this project; just paste the image on the printed side of the box. Write the child's name and date on the blank side of the cardboard to help you remember when it was created. Rubber cement works better than glue for affixing paper to cardboard as the image will adhere smoothly and will not wrinkle or pucker when it is dry. Laminate the image for durability.

Frame ornaments

Collect snapshots of your child and have them photocopied and reduced to 2x2 at a photo store. Cut out 3x3 pieces of white cardboard. Punch a hole near the top of the cardboard and thread a piece of thin red ribbon through it for a hanger. Have your child glue the photo to the middle of the cardboard and then glue red and white candy mints around the edges to create a frame. This craft makes a great gift for grandparents or other favorite relatives or friends.

Outside Ornaments

Children can make a holiday project to help feed the little creatures in nature. Begin by collecting pine cones from outside, then drill a hole in the top of each pine cone and thread a wire through for a hanger. Allow your kids to roll the pine cones in creamy peanut butter and then dip in bird seed. Tie a thin red ribbon in a bow around the top of the cone at the base of the wire hanger. Hang ornaments on an outside tree and watch birds and small animals delight in them.

Keeping Kids Involved in Christmas Preparations

Young children love to be actively involved in the preparations for any holiday festivities. Seasonal projects are an excellent way to keep them busy and to make them feel included during this exciting and hectic time. Christmas crafts will help your child prepare unique holiday items that can be used to decorate the home or wrapped and offered as gifts to loved ones. Children enjoy giving gifts, especially those they have created with their own hands, as much as they like receiving them.