19 Christmas Crafts for Kids to Make This Holiday Season

December is for making things — especially with little hands. These christmas crafts for kids to make are fun, festive, and designed for real children: minimal frustration, maximum pride, and results worth displaying.

Each craft below lists the basic approach and a practical tip to keep things smooth. Cover the table, put on some carols, and let the holiday crafting begin.

1. Paper Plate Santa

Turn a paper plate into Santa with cotton-ball beard, red paper hat, and googly eyes. It is the classic preschool-to-elementary craft that never gets old. Every Santa comes out different, and that’s the charm.

Tip: Pre-cut the hat triangles for younger kids so they can focus on the fun gluing part.

2. Handprint Reindeer Cards

Trace a handprint on brown paper, add googly eyes and a red pom nose — instant reindeer. Glue onto folded cardstock for Christmas cards grandparents will keep forever. The antlers are the fingers, naturally.

Tip: Use brown washable paint for real handprints instead of tracing — the texture is even cuter.

3. Popsicle Stick Ornaments

Glue popsicle sticks into trees, stars, and snowflakes, then paint and glitter. Add a ribbon hanger and they are tree-ready. Kids can make a whole set in one afternoon.

Tip: Lay out the stick shapes first and let kids choose which to build — ownership prevents meltdowns.

4. Cotton Ball Snowmen

Glue cotton balls onto blue paper in snowman stacks, then add paper hats, scarves, and button eyes. It is wonderfully tactile — kids love the squishy cotton. Add falling-snow fingerprints with white paint.

Tip: Use a glue stick for cotton balls rather than liquid glue — less soggy, faster drying.

5. Thumbprint Christmas Lights

Draw a wavy wire line across paper and let kids add thumbprint “bulbs” in bright paint colors. Add a tiny highlight dot on each bulb once dry. The result is genuinely beautiful — frame-worthy, even.

Tip: Washable stamp pads are far less messy than paint for thumbprint crafts.

6. Paper Chain Countdown

Cut red and green paper strips and glue them into interlocking chains, one link per day until Christmas. Kids tear off a link each morning. It teaches counting and builds anticipation beautifully.

Tip: Write a tiny activity on some links (“bake cookies,” “drive to see lights”) for extra excitement.

7. Pinecone Elves

Glue felt hats, pom noses, and googly eyes onto pinecones to make pocket-sized elves. Add tiny felt scarves for extra cuteness. They guard the mantel all December.

Tip: Collect and bake pinecones ahead of time (200°F for 30 minutes) so they’re clean and open.

8. Salt Dough Ornaments

Mix, roll, cut with cookie cutters, bake, and paint — the full salt-dough experience. Stars, trees, and gingerbread shapes all work. Kids love every stage, especially the painting.

Tip: Poke hanging holes with a straw before baking; paint after fully cooled.

9. Reindeer Food Bags

Mix oats, glitter, and a sprinkle of sugar into small bags with a cute poem tag: “Sprinkle on the lawn at night…” Kids make them for Christmas Eve. It is tradition in a baggie.

Tip: Use biodegradable glitter so the reindeer food is lawn-friendly.

10. Christmas Slime

Make clear slime with red and green glitter and tiny Christmas confetti mixed in. It is sensory play with a holiday twist. Store in jars tied with ribbon as gifts for friends.

Tip: Add the glitter to the glue before the activator for the most even sparkle.

11. Paper Bag Puppets: Santa and Elves

Decorate paper lunch bags as Santa, elves, and reindeer with paper shapes and cotton. Then put on a puppet show. Craft plus performance equals double the fun.

Tip: Keep a few blank bags handy — someone always wants to invent a new character.

12. Melted Snowman Cookies

Bake round sugar cookies, then decorate each as a “melting” snowman with white icing puddles, marshmallow heads, and candy features. Delicious craft meets adorable result. They never last long.

Tip: Let the icing puddle set for 10 minutes before adding the marshmallow head so it doesn’t slide.

13. Christmas Tree Handprint Art

Layer green handprints in a triangle shape to form a Christmas tree, then decorate with fingerprint ornaments and a star sticker on top. A whole-class classic that parents adore. Date it for the memory book.

Tip: Start with the largest handprints at the bottom and work up for the best tree shape.

14. Jingle Bell Bracelets

Thread jingle bells onto pipe cleaners or elastic cord for bracelets that actually jingle. Kids wear them for days. Add red and green beads between bells for color.

Tip: Twist pipe-cleaner ends into small loops so bells can’t slide off.

15. Snow Globe Jars

Glue mini trees to jar lids, add water, glitter, and a drop of glycerin, then seal. Shake and watch it snow. The wonder on their faces the first shake is priceless.

Tip: Run a bead of waterproof glue around the lid rim before sealing to prevent leaks.

16. Footprint Reindeer Art

Paint the bottom of a foot brown, stamp it upside-down on paper, and add antlers, eyes, and a red nose to the heel. The footprint reindeer is hilarious and heart-melting. Siblings can make a whole herd.

Tip: Have a damp towel ready for immediate foot cleanup — painted feet walk everywhere.

17. Christmas Bingo Cards

Let kids design their own bingo cards with Christmas drawings — tree, star, candy cane, snowman — then play as a family. Crafting the game is half the fun. Laminate favorite cards for reuse.

Tip: Use dried beans or pom-poms as markers so nothing gets lost mid-game.

18. Gingerbread Playdough

Make brown playdough with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves mixed in — it smells exactly like gingerbread. Add cookie cutters for endless play. The scent alone puts everyone in the holiday mood.

Tip: Store in an airtight container and it stays soft for weeks of play.

19. Santa Beard Countdown

Cut a Santa face with space for a cotton-ball beard, and glue on one cotton ball each day of December. By Christmas, Santa has a full fluffy beard. It is the cutest countdown going.

Tip: Number the beard spots lightly in pencil so kids know where each day’s cotton ball goes.

Tips for Crafting with Kids at Christmas

• Prep everything in advance — pre-cut shapes and measured supplies prevent mid-craft chaos.
• Cover the table and dress kids in play clothes; washable supplies are worth the small extra cost.
• Let imperfection reign — a lopsided Santa made with joy beats a perfect one made with tears.
• Keep crafts short for little ones: 15–20 minutes is plenty before attention wanders.
• Display finished crafts proudly — a dedicated “gallery wall” makes kids feel like real artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What age are these crafts good for?

Most suit ages 3–10, with simpler ones (cotton-ball snowmen, thumbprint lights) perfect for preschoolers and slightly trickier ones (salt dough, snow globes) better for ages 6+.

How do I keep craft time from getting chaotic?

Prep all materials beforehand, cover the workspace, give each child their own supply tray, and choose one craft per session. Ending while it’s still fun beats pushing too long.

Can these crafts be given as gifts?

Absolutely — salt dough ornaments, handprint cards, snow globe jars, and reindeer food bags all make heartfelt grandparent gifts. Add the child’s name and year.

What supplies should I always have on hand?

Construction paper, washable paint, glue sticks, cotton balls, googly eyes, pom-poms, pipe cleaners, and ribbon cover nearly every kids’ Christmas craft imaginable.

Wrap Up

The best Christmas crafts aren’t the prettiest — they’re the ones made with giggles, glitter in the hair, and total concentration. Pick a craft from this list, gather the kids, and make something wonderfully imperfect together. These are the Decembers they’ll remember.