Christmas crafts for kids: easy ideas and printable templates

December is full of glitter, glue and paper snowflakes. These Christmas crafts for kids are easy, use simple supplies and come with free printable templates, so you can start in minutes. Many of them double as homemade gifts or decorations, which means children get to see their work on the tree or on a grandparent's fridge.

Christmas craft supplies

You do not need a special kit. Most of these crafts use paper plates, card, glue, tape, paint, cotton wool, pipe cleaners, ribbon, glitter (or glitter glue for less mess), pine cones and a few printed Christmas coloring pages.

Easy Christmas crafts for toddlers and preschool

Little ones love big shapes, sticky things and anything with cotton wool.

• Paper plate wreath. Cut out the middle of a plate, paint it green and glue on red paper berries or pom-poms.
• Handprint Christmas tree. Paint green handprints in a triangle, fingers pointing down, and add a yellow star on top.
• Cotton wool snowman. Glue cotton balls into three circles on blue paper and add a paper hat and scarf.
• Sticker ornaments. Cut circles from card and cover them with stickers.
• Color and cut ornaments. Color the Christmas tree coloring pages, cut out the ornaments and hang them with ribbon.

Best Christmas crafts for school-age kids

Older children can manage more steps and enjoy crafts that look impressive when finished.

• Paper snowflakes. Fold a square into a triangle three times and cut shapes along the edges. Every snowflake is different.
• Paper chains. Red and green strips glued into loops. Use one link per day as a countdown.
• Pine cone trees. Paint pine cones green, add dots of glue and sprinkle with glitter or tiny pom-poms.
• 3D paper stars. Fold and glue two star shapes into a 3D star for the top of the tree.
• Popsicle stick snowflakes. Glue three sticks into a star shape and decorate with sequins.
• Stained glass windows. Color a winter coloring page with markers, brush lightly with oil and tape it to the window so the light shines through.

Christmas ornament crafts for kids

Homemade ornaments become family treasures. Write the child's name and the year on the back of each one.

1. Salt dough ornaments. Mix 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of salt and about 3/4 cup of water. Roll out, cut with cookie cutters, make a hole for the ribbon and bake on low until hard. Paint when cool.
2. Handprint ornaments. Press a hand or footprint into salt dough or air-dry clay.
3. Photo ornaments. Glue a small photo in the middle of a jar lid and decorate the rim.
4. Button trees. Glue green buttons in a triangle on a card circle.
5. Felt stockings. Cut two stocking shapes from felt and glue the edges.
6. Coloring page baubles. Color a page from the Christmas coloring pages, cut out a circle and glue it onto card.

Christmas crafts that make great gifts

• Homemade cards. Color a picture, glue it to the front of a folded card and write a message inside.
• Decorated gift tags. Small rectangles of card with stamped stars.
• Painted candle holders. Glass jars decorated with tissue paper and diluted glue, with a battery tea light inside.
• Calendar. Twelve colored pages, one per month, stapled to a printed calendar grid.
• Recipe card. A favorite family recipe written and illustrated by the child.

Christmas crafts for the classroom

Teachers need crafts that work for 25 children at once, with quick cleanup. Good choices are paper chains, paper snowflakes, color-and-cut ornaments and handprint cards. Prepare the pieces in advance, use stations and keep glitter for one well-supervised table. Our Christmas worksheets are useful for early finishers who want a quiet math or reading activity.

Free printable Christmas templates

Every page in our Christmas collection prints on US Letter or A4 and works as a template: color it, cut it out and turn it into a card, ornament or garland. Browse the Christmas coloring pages, Christmas tree pages, star pages and winter pages. For a whole set in one file, see the free coloring books.

Tips for stress-free Christmas crafting

• Choose one or two crafts per day rather than a marathon session.
• Use glitter glue instead of loose glitter to keep it off the carpet.
• Make a drying line with string and clothes pegs.
• Let children decorate in their own way; uneven snowflakes are part of the charm.
• Save a few finished crafts in a box each year. They become a lovely record of how children grow.

Mixing crafts with other December fun

Crafts fit nicely into a wider December plan. Pair them with baking, carol singing and a Christmas story at bedtime. For 30 more ideas, from advent activities to kindness challenges, see our Christmas activities for kids. If snow arrives, our winter crafts for kids have snowmen and snowflake ideas that last into January.

A Christmas craft countdown

Spread the crafts across December so there is something to look forward to without a big mess every day. One simple plan:

• Week 1: paper chains and a paper plate wreath for the door.
• Week 2: salt dough ornaments (bake one day, paint the next).
• Week 3: homemade cards and gift tags for family and teachers.
• Week 4: paper snowflakes and pine cone trees for the table.

Keep the finished pieces in one box, and on Christmas Eve let children choose where each one goes. It turns the decorating into a family tradition they will look forward to every year.

If you have children of different ages, pair an older child with a younger one. The older child helps with cutting and gluing, and the younger one does the decorating. Everyone finishes together, and siblings get a calm, shared moment in a busy month.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest Christmas craft for kids?

Paper chains and handprint trees. Both need only paper, glue or paint and a few minutes, and even toddlers can join in with a little help.

How do I make salt dough ornaments last?

Bake them slowly at a low temperature until completely hard, let them cool fully, then paint them and finish with a coat of clear varnish or white glue. Store them wrapped in tissue paper in a dry place.

Can I use your Christmas pages for a class craft?

Yes. All free pages can be printed for your own classroom. Print on card stock for ornaments and gift tags that need to be a little stronger.