‘Tis the season for crafting! Okay, so around these parts, that’s all year, but we are especially fond of the crafts that arise around Christmas time.
We’ve written a lot about crafts for toddlers and kindergarten-aged children, and while there are plenty of fun ideas available to that age group, we think that older kids deserve their own list. After all, older kids will have a whole other level of ability and unlocked creativity compared with toddlers, which means that there is a whole world of crafting out there that they can participate in! We’ve gathered up a few of our favorite ideas.
Easy Toddlers Christmas Crafts
Sock Snowman
Snowmen are one of the most magical parts of the holiday season! Not only are snowmen a common theme in popular children’s shows, movies, and books, but they are also a very fun activity that children who live in snowy locales can take part in on the regular. Here is a way that you can make a snowman of the non-snow variety — perfect for people who live in areas with no snow and for those who receive a lot of snow but would rather not go out in the cold!
Cork Reindeer
Here is something that you can do with all of those corks that you have hanging around from every Christmas gathering — make them into reindeers! The brown hue of the corks is already perfect for portraying a reindeer. All you need to do is add adorable pipe cleaner antlers and arms and googly eyes.
Christmas Jar Lids
This is a very fun idea for all of those loose mason jars that you have hanging around. All you really need to have are the rings of the jar lids and not the lid itself, although if you do happen to have the lids this can help you. However, for some reason, it seems to always be the flat lids and not the rings themselves that get lost! This tutorial shows you how to make an adorable Christmas scene that fits in a mason jar lid. You can either use them as wall decorations or put them on a piece of string and hang them on a tree.
Button Wreath
Buttons are another item that many of us have hanging around the house in mismatched piles. Don’t throw these reject buttons out! You can instead use them to make a button wreath. No, we don’t mean an actual large door-sized wreath (although that would be quite impressive). We mean a tiny little wreath that you can make out of buttons and then use as a Christmas tree ornament. Check it out, it’s so cute!
Handprint Bulb
Handprint crafts are some of the best crafts to do with kids. Not only does it involve them and engage them, but it also creates a keepsake to hold onto for years to come! You will always be able to look back and marvel at how small their handprints once were. This particular craft shows you how to decorate a bulb using handprint art.
Christmas Hydrangea Wreath
Hydrangeas are beautiful flowers, but they aren’t exactly associated with the Christmas season. For something a bit different (and unexpected), you can make a lovely wreath for the holiday season out of hydrangeas (real or artificial depending on the climate of where you live). Check it out here!
Egg Carton Snowman
When the holiday season comes around, don’t go throwing out those egg cartons just yet! They can be used to make some wonderful holiday crafts, such as this egg carton snowman. We can’t get over how cute they are with their little pipe cleaner ear muffs and actual button-up shirts!
Gingerbread (Play)House
This craft is on a whole other level, literally! It will show you how you can make a life-sized gingerbread house that can be played in. All you will need is a large cardboard box (or boxes) as well as a few other normal materials that can be found around the house. It’s not only sure to provide hours of fun while making the craft but hours of fun afterward too.
Pom Pom Ornament
Ornaments are not only fun to make, but they are also a great gift idea, After all, ornaments are all about sentimental value, and what could be more sentimental than an ornament that is made by a child? This ornament tutorial is designed for preschoolers which makes it even more special. The young ones will love the feel of the spiky pom-poms on their hands as they put the ornaments together.
3D Paper Snowflakes
Chances are that you have probably made some kind of snowflakes before, but this tutorial is not just about any regular paper snowflake. It’s a 3D snowflake, which is about a million times cooler! They aren’t as complicated to make as it seems, but the end results certainly look complicated.
Egg Carton Elves
Coming at you with another egg carton craft! This time it’s all about how to make elves from egg cartons (egglves, if you will). These egg carton elves are so well painted and full of glitter that you won’t even be able to tell that they’re made from materials from the recycling bin. We love how they used to cotton balls to give Santa a real-looking beard, too.
Salt Dough Footprint Reindeer
As we mentioned earlier, footprint and handprint crafts are a wonderful way to involve children as well as create a keepsake that you can reflect on for years to come. Salt dough is great for making real hand and foot imprints and is also inexpensive and easy to work with. You can easily make Christmas tree ornaments out of salt dough, too. Here’s a good tutorial that shows you how to make a reindeer from the shape of your child’s foot.
Christmas Bath Bombs
Sometimes the best crafts are the practical ones that you can actually use in real life. That’s certainly the case with these beautiful bath bombs that are totally ready for the Christmas season. A word of warning, though: once you’ve made your first bath bombs you will always want to make them for every possible occasion — is this really a craft you’re only doing for the kids, or is it one that you would do by yourself anyway?
Clothespin Snowman
Here is something that you can do with those wooden clothespins that you likely have laying around the house. All it takes to turn clothespins into mini snowmen is a bit of white paint and some pom poms or string for scarves.
Peppermint Sugar Scrub
Here is another cosmetic Christmas craft that older children are sure to love: a peppermint sugar scrub! It’s fun to make, it smells great, and it is also a surefire way to make sure that your hands and feet are feeling smooth as can be.
DIY Snowglobe
Did you ever have a snowglobe in your house as a kid? If you did, then you probably have opted to buy one for your kid’s room as well. If your child doesn’t have a snowglobe or if they’ve taken to collecting them, they can make a snowglobe all of their very own as seen here. It has a Christmas tree inside of it and it’s adorable!
Button Christmas Tree
Here is another adorable craft involving buttons. You can make a lovely button Christmas tree by following the tutorial found here. This is a craft that appeals most to older children though it is certainly advantageous to have small hands for button threading purposes!
Christmas Tree Pencil Toppers
One of the most fun parts about being a kid in school is being able to use a pencil topper of your favorite character or animal. You can send your child to school with a holiday-themed pencil topper by making one using the tutorial found here. We love how it’s made from felt.
Christmas House Ornaments
Yes, another ornament idea, but this one was too cute to not include. It shows how you can paint a little gingerbread house on a small terracotta pot! This is a great idea because terracotta pots are usually very expensive. The only other things you’ll need for this craft are a ribbon, a bell, and acrylic paint.
Pinecone Owls
We never promised that we wouldn’t include any other holiday ornaments! This one is for all of the owl lovers out there. Owls aren’t exactly Christmas-themed, but we think they are cute enough to enjoy a spot here nonetheless. These ornaments can be made from felt and also pinecones that you find out in nature.
Whether your child has a moderate to strong interest in crafts, there is bound to be something on this list that will appeal to their interests! Which Christmas craft are you going to work on first?