Christmas Crafts for Kids: 46 Easy Ideas by Age, From Toddlers to Tweens

The best Christmas crafts for kids match the child’s age: sticker trees and handprints for toddlers, paper chains and craft stick ornaments for preschoolers, and salt dough, sewing and handmade gifts for bigger kids.

A restless afternoon and a drawer of paper are all these Christmas crafts for kids need. Each comes with a short how-to that names its supplies.

We grouped 46 kids Christmas crafts by type and age, then added a supply kit, a salt dough recipe and safety notes checked against the CPSC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

As an Amazon Associate, Betteroo earns from qualifying purchases.

Christmas Crafts for Kids by Age

Age	Good first crafts	Adult help needed
1 to 2 years	Sticky tree, paint in a bag, handprint ornament	Full: you prep, your child presses
2 to 3 years	Fork-print tree, sticker ornaments	Close: you handle anything small
3 to 5 years	Paper chain, paper plate wreath, craft stick snowflake	Some: stay close for scissors
5 to 7 years	Salt dough cutouts, pinecone tree, stamped gift wrap	Light: you run the oven
8 to 12 years	Felt stocking, pom-pom wreath, origami garland	Little: you run the glue gun

A Basic Supply Kit and a Low-Mess Setup

One shoebox covers almost every project here:

• Paper, cardstock, paper plates, kraft paper and cardboard tubes
• Washable paint and markers, crayons, glue sticks and school glue
• Craft sticks, pipe cleaners, yarn, ribbon, cotton balls and large pom-poms
• Blunt-tip safety scissors, tape, a hole punch and clear contact paper

For a fast cleanup, cover the table, give each child a rimmed baking sheet as a work tray, pour small amounts of paint into a muffin tin and keep a damp cloth handy. Swap loose glitter for glitter glue. More: indoor activities for kids.

DIY Christmas Ornaments for Kids

• Craft stick snowflake: glue three craft sticks into a star, paint it and tie on ribbon.
• Fillable ornament: stuff a clear plastic ornament with paper strips, yarn or large pom-poms.
• Beaded candy cane: thread red and white pony beads onto a pipe cleaner and bend the top (ages 3 and up).
• Yarn-wrapped star: tape yarn to a cardboard star and wrap until it is covered.
• Photo frame ornament: glue four craft sticks into a square, decorate it and tape a photo behind.
• Salt dough cutouts: cut rolled dough with cookie cutters, dry and paint (recipe below).

How to Make Salt Dough (and a Warning for Pet Owners)

Salt dough is the classic ornament base. This is the PBS KIDS for Parents recipe:

• Mix 4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 cup of salt and 1.5 to 2 cups of water. Start with 1 cup of water and add more as needed.
• Knead for about eight minutes, until smooth.
• Roll it out, but not too thin, cut shapes, and poke a hanging hole with a straw, away from the edge.
• Bake at 200 degrees F or air-dry for a couple of days. Paint when fully dry, then seal.

Pet warning: salt dough is toxic to dogs and cats if eaten. Pet Poison Helpline says eating salt dough ornaments can cause severe salt toxicity and has resulted in deaths. Signs include vomiting, lethargy, tremors and seizures. Hang ornaments high, keep raw dough out of reach, and call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline right away if a pet eats any.

It is not a snack for children either. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises avoiding trimmings that resemble candy or food around young children.

Handprint and Footprint Keepsakes

Use washable paint, and write the year on the back.

• Handprint ornament: press a hand into a thick salt dough disc, poke a ribbon hole, dry and paint.
• Handprint wreath: glue eight traced green paper hands in a ring with a paper bow.
• Footprint reindeer: print a brown footprint, then draw antlers by the toes and a red nose on the heel.
• Thumbprint string lights: draw a loopy marker line on cardstock and add painted thumbprint bulbs.
• Handprint Santa: print a white hand, fingers down, as the beard, then add a red paper hat.
• Fingerprint snowman: stack three white fingerprints on blue paper and draw a hat and arms.

Paper Crafts, Cards and Gift Wrap

Easy Christmas crafts for kids start with paper.

• Paper chain countdown: tape 24 paper strips into a chain and tear off a link each night (see our advent calendar ideas).
• Coffee filter snowflakes: fold a coffee filter into a wedge, snip notches with safety scissors and unfold.
• Paper plate wreath: glue green tissue paper and red paper berries onto a paper plate ring.
• Cone tree: roll green cardstock into a cone, tape it and cover it in stickers.
• Cardboard tube reindeer: paint a tube brown and glue on paper antlers and a red nose.
• Paper bag puppet: glue paper shapes onto a lunch bag to make a snowman or reindeer.
• Stamped gift wrap: stamp kraft paper with sponge shapes dipped in paint, then let it dry.
• Scribble wrap: let a toddler crayon plain paper, then wrap a grandparent’s gift in it.
• Cotton ball snowman card: glue three cotton balls on folded cardstock and draw a face with markers.
• Washi tape tree card: stick tape strips from longest to shortest on a card and add a sticker star.
• Recycled gift tags: cut pictures from old cards, punch a hole and add string.

Christmas Crafts for Kids to Make as Gifts

Pair one with our free gifts for Christmas or small stocking stuffers.

• Painted flower pot: paint a small terracotta pot, let it dry and add a plant.
• Coupon book: draw promises (a hug, setting the table) on paper slips and staple them.
• Ribbon bookmark: decorate a cardstock strip with markers, punch a hole and tie on ribbon.
• Beaded keychain: string pony beads on cord tied to a key ring (ages 5 and up).
• Handprint tote bag: print fabric paint hands on a plain cotton tote.
• Drawing calendar: draw one picture per month on printed calendar pages and clip them together.

Christmas Nature Crafts

Let cones and twigs dry first. Leftovers from our fall crafts for kids or Thanksgiving crafts work too.

• Pinecone tree: paint a pinecone’s tips green and glue pom-poms between the scales.
• Pinecone reindeer: glue pipe cleaner antlers, paper eyes and a red pom-pom nose onto a pinecone.
• Twig star: tie five twigs into a star with twine and wrap it in yarn.
• Evergreen brush painting: dip a fir sprig in paint and use it as a brush on paper.
• Nature wreath: glue sprigs, small cones and dry leaves onto a paper plate ring.

Christmas Crafts for Toddlers (Sensory and Food-Free)

Christmas crafts for toddlers are about the squish, not the result. None of these use food. More: sensory activities for toddlers.

• Sticky tree: tape contact paper to a window, sticky side out, and press on tissue paper squares.
• Paint in a bag: seal a paper tree and blobs of paint in a zip bag, tape it down and squish.
• Fork-print tree: press the back of a paint-dipped plastic fork in rows on paper.
• Cotton ball snow painting: clip a cotton ball in a clothespin and dab white paint on dark paper.
• Sticker ornaments: tape a drawn paper tree to the wall and hand over large dot stickers.
• Scrunch wreath: press crumpled tissue paper onto a glue-covered paper plate ring.

Christmas Crafts for Big Kids (Ages 8 to 12)

• Felt stocking: stitch two felt stocking shapes together with yarn and a blunt plastic needle.
• Pom-pom wreath: wrap yarn around a fork, tie, snip and glue the pom-poms on a cardboard ring.
• Origami garland: fold paper stars from a diagram and string them on thread.
• Beaded snowflake: twist three pipe cleaners into six arms and thread on beads.
• Snow globe jar: an adult glues a waterproof figure inside a jar lid; add water and glitter, then seal.
• Cardboard village: cut house fronts from cereal boxes, paint them white and stand them in a row.

Use them with elf on the shelf ideas. While the glue dries, try Christmas games or Christmas movies for kids.

Craft Safety for Kids and Babies

• Small parts under 3: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) bans small parts in products intended for children under 3 because of the choking hazard. Keep beads, buttons, jingle bells and googly eyes for ages 3 and up. The AAP says to keep trimmings with small removable parts out of children’s reach.
• Button batteries: skip light-up add-ons. The AAP advises securing battery compartments in string lights, flameless candles and musical ornaments.
• Glue guns: CPSC’s art safety guide says to avoid high-temperature glue guns for children through grade 6. Our rule: an adult runs any glue gun.
• Glitter and eyes: the American Academy of Ophthalmology warns that glitter can scratch the cornea. Do not rub. Flush with saline or sterile eyewash, and see a doctor if it stays.
• Scissors: under 3, tear paper instead. From about 3 to 5, use blunt-tip safety scissors with you close by.
• Paint and hands: CPSC advises keeping food and drinks out of the art area and washing hands after use.
• Labels: look for the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) AP seal. AP (Approved Product) means a toxicologist has certified it contains no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans, including children. Never give children in sixth grade or younger a CL seal product.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Advent calendar ideas
• Elf on the Shelf ideas
• Christmas games
• Free gifts for Christmas
• Christmas movies for kids
• Fall crafts for kids

The Bottom Line

Choose one craft that fits your child’s age and let the result be lopsided. Keep small parts, batteries and salt dough away from babies, toddlers and pets.

Frequently Asked Questions