1. Paper Chains
Children can cut strips of colorful paper and glue or staple them into interlocking loops to create festive paper chains. These are great for hanging on the tree or around the house.
2. Salt Dough Ornaments
Mix flour, salt, and water to create a dough. Kids can roll it out and use cookie cutters to make shapes like stars, trees, and gingerbread men. Once baked and cooled, they can paint and decorate them.
3. Pine Cone Decorations
Collect pine cones and let kids paint them with white, gold, or silver paint to look like snow. Add a bit of glitter for extra sparkle and tie a ribbon on top to hang them.
4. Button Christmas Trees
Use green cardstock to cut out tree shapes. Children can glue buttons of different sizes and colors onto the trees to resemble ornaments. Add a star at the top for the finishing touch.
5. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Glue together popsicle sticks in a snowflake pattern. Once dry, kids can paint them white or blue and add glitter. Attach a string to hang them on the tree or in windows.
6. Toilet Paper Roll Santas
Use empty toilet paper rolls as the base. Wrap them in red construction paper, add a cotton ball for Santa’s beard, and draw or glue on eyes and a hat.
7. Beaded Candy Cane Ornaments
Children can thread red and white beads onto a pipe cleaner, bending it into a candy cane shape once full. These are simple and quick to make.
8. Handprint Wreaths
Trace and cut out multiple handprints from green construction paper. Arrange them in a circle to form a wreath, and add red paper berries or a bow at the bottom.
9. Glitter Pinecone Ornaments
Collect pinecones and let kids dip them in glue, then roll them in glitter. Attach a ribbon for hanging. These look beautiful and sparkly on the tree.
10. Paper Plate Angels
Cut a paper plate in half and roll one half into a cone for the body. Use the other half to cut out wings. Attach a circle of paper for the head and let children decorate with markers, glitter, and cotton balls for hair.
These projects are simple, fun, and use materials that are often readily available at home or easy to find at a craft store.