The holiday season is filled with magic, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by getting creative with your little ones, starting with some Christmas crafts for kids and families alike. Holiday crafts are the perfect way to keep kids entertained, inspired, and connected to the joy of the season.
As Andrea Silvers of Specially Gifted says, “Christmastime brings out the most merry and cheerful traits within us; it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. This holiday season also sparks a festive collection of crafts and activities. Whether it’s handcrafted gifts, refrigerator art, or ornaments, Christmas colors encourage even the most non-crafty person to jump on the sleigh.”
Crafting gives children the chance to make something special with their own hands — whether it’s a gift for a loved one or a new decoration for your home. It’s an opportunity for you to slow down, share quality time together, and make memories that will last long after the holidays have passed. No matter the age or skill level, there’s a craft out there to suit every child’s imagination. So, whether it is an apartment in Chicago, a new home in Colorado Springs, or a rental home in Helen, this Redfin article will prepare you to grab your craft supplies, put on your favorite holiday playlist, and get started on turning your home into a beautiful winter wonderland!
Fun ornament crafts for kids
Ornaments are the heart of holiday decorating, and what better way to make your tree truly special than with handmade creations from your little ones? Ornaments are a great way to spark creativity while adding a personal touch to your holiday decor.
Gina Ozhuthual, founder of Bohemian Mama & The Creative Brand Architects, shares, “Christmas crafts for kids can be a wonderful way to brighten up your home and create lasting memories. One favorite idea is making salt dough ornaments, where kids can shape and decorate their creations to hang on the tree or give as gifts.
Another fun project is creating paper snowflakes or garlands, which can be strung across windows or walls for a festive touch. To keep the experience engaging, let kids choose their favorite colors, materials, and themes, and turn on some holiday music to set the mood. Crafting together not only enhances your home but also fosters creativity and family bonding.”
Lulu of Nomad Mum states, “One of our favorite Christmas crafts is making salt dough ornaments. My girls, 3 and 7, love rolling out the dough, using cookie cutters, and painting their creations. It’s messy but so much fun! Add glitter or let the kids write their names for a personal touch. Bonus: Hang them on the tree, or use them as gift tags — they’re adorable and meaningful.”
Tiffany from Krafty in Kinder knows how to make holiday crafting special with projects that kids will love and parents will cherish. She suggests some creative ways to turn simple holiday crafts into personalized gifts and decor. One of her favorite ideas is for kids to make snow globe ornaments, using construction paper, glitter, and their own photos to create keepsakes that can be hung on the tree. She adds, “Another fun idea is creating “Love Never Melts” handprint canvases — kids paint a snowy handprint, then decorate it as a snowman. For an even quicker project, kids can create festive holiday light fingerprint art using multicolored ink pads and a simple template. These crafts are easy to personalize and make cherished additions to your holiday decor.”
Amy Sutliff of Twin Mom Refreshed shares, “For Christmas crafts, I like to use things I already have around the house to make it easy and simple. Some favorite easy and fun crafts for kids to make are painting pinecones for ornaments or decoration (I also like to add glitter), hanging paper snowflakes they cut out, and making salt dough ornaments they can paint. To make it fun and engaging for kids let them be as creative as they want to be! I would let them be involved in choosing the craft and the designs or colors they want to use. You can put these Christmas crafts up every year and it makes kids so proud to see their art and crafts on display for decoration!”
Marie Loveless of My Silly Squirts adds, “As a mom of five, my kids really enjoy making polymer clay snow globes during Christmas. Whether it’s a Santa Claus, a Christmas tree, or a snowman, they love to make their own tiny creations. Simply bake the hand-crafted figurines in the oven for 15 minutes at 275 degrees and glue them to the inside lid of a plastic pint-size mason jar. You can also add fake snow and ribbons for some finishing touches. This fun craft can be hung as an ornament or placed on a shelf as decoration. Super easy and so much fun. Your kids will remember their creations for years to come.”
Sensory-friendly crafting: Holiday fun for everyone
Darla Farmer, CEO of Hope For Three Autism Advocates highlights that “Holidays can be a challenging time for all of us, but especially for autistic loved ones. The time away from school, disruptions in their schedules and routines, celebrations, and time spent with groups of people can be overwhelming.
Here are some tips for helping individuals with autism adjust to the change in routine, a chance to enjoy the decorations, make the most out of holiday gatherings, and prepare for opening presents. Adding your child’s favorite activities and characters to your holiday decorations is a wonderful way to incorporate their special interests. Decorating may be overwhelming. Try putting decorations up slowly or even room by room. Be sure and ask them to help and add decorations they like.
Similarly, Andrea Silvers of Specially Gifted recommends making Christmas tree sensory bags. She says, “Sensory bags, or squish bags, provide kids with a fun sensory experience with virtually no mess. For those who do not like getting sticky or messy hands, they also make for a great alternative to things like fake snow, play dough, slime, etc. To make these Christmas tree sensory bags, you will need a quart-size Ziploc bag, permanent marker, duct tape, clear hair gel (which can be purchased at the dollar store), green liquid watercolor, and “ornaments” (beads, buttons, sequins, and googly eyes). Read here for further details.”
Christmas crafts for kids that will decorate every room
When it comes to holiday decorating, why limit the magic to just one room? These crafts will help you spread the Christmas cheer throughout your entire home. These easy and fun Christmas craft projects are perfect for adding a personal touch to every corner.
Cassie Smith from Thrifty in Third Grade, knows how to bring the magic of winter indoors, even when the weather outside is chilly. She suggests turning your home into a snowy wonderland with homemade paper snowflakes, arguably one of the most classic Christmas crafts for kids.
Cassie shares, “Bring the magic of winter indoors with homemade paper snowflakes! As you and your kids snip away, share the amazing and true story of Wilson Bentley, also known as ‘Snowflake Bentley,’ who first photographed snowflakes and showed how no two are alike.” Not only are these snowflakes a fun, easy craft, but they also provide a wonderful opportunity to share a bit of history with the kids.
Once the snowflakes are made, you can hang them on a string, tape them to windows, or even use them to decorate your holiday table or fireplace mantle. Cassie even suggests turning them into a magical snowy curtain across a doorway for children to walk through. This simple craft is a perfect way to celebrate the season and create lasting memories together.”
The Butterfly Teacher, Tanya G. Marshall, says, “Create a holiday tradition with your kiddos by crafting ‘The Legend of the Christmas Stockings’ together! Not only can they personalize stockings with paint, glitter, and felt to hang as festive decor, but you can also pair this craft with storytelling to make it engaging and magical. For an added touch of fun, combine this with an ‘Elf Letter’ activity where your family elf writes notes about the stockings’ adventures. It’s a hands-on way to keep the holiday spirit alive while making memories you’ll cherish forever.”
Kim F. Anthony, founder of Single Moms Society shares her advice on letting kids’ creativity run wild. “Holiday arts and crafts are a wonderful way to connect with your kids while creating festive decorations. Try easy projects like crafting popsicle stick Christmas trees, decorating pinecones with glitter, or making paper garlands. Set up a dedicated craft space with colorful supplies and turn on some holiday music to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Let your kids’ imaginations run wild, and proudly display their creations around your home for a personal and festive touch.”
Giving holiday crafts the presentation they deserve
Kym of Cobberson + Co. highlights the importance of presentation. She says, “I love the freedom and gusto that children have when making art, and using it in your home decor adds such a joyful element. The presentation is key to a cohesive look, so if you are adding to your holiday art, frame pieces of their work using a similar color and style of frame. Kids always love painting on a real canvas using an artist’s easel. You can find inexpensive ones, as well as paints in your Christmas color scheme, available at Target or Michael’s. Finally, a string of unfinished wood beads, ornaments, and even tiny paintings on canvas, are always fun to color/ paint/ glitter and make a special addition to your Christmas tree or mantel. Be sure to date to the back!”
To make your Christmas crafting experience with your kids even more special, take a tip from Christine Kreikemeier of Kidorzo, who shares some great advice for turning holiday crafts into both fun activities and beautiful home decor. She suggests, “When creating Christmas arts and crafts for kids that double as home decor, focus on simple yet colorful activities, like making tissue paper wreaths or paper snowflakes. Encourage creativity by letting kids choose their favorite colors, decorations, and textures. Make it more engaging by turning the craft session into a festive event with holiday music, hot cocoa, or having a mini ‘craft contest’ where everyone showcases their creation. Display their work proudly around the house to boost confidence and spread holiday cheer!”
Gregory Okshteyn, founder & CEO of Playday, writes, “PLAYDAY’s Mixed Media Christmas Card project is a perfect way for kids to have fun by creating unique, display-worthy holiday art!
Start with a sturdy cardstock base and let kids layer materials like tissue paper, glitter, buttons, ribbons, and cutouts from old magazines or wrapping paper to design their cards.
Ask the children to pick a theme for their project. Themes can include outdoor snow scenes, Christmas trees with ornaments, Santa, and whatever else comes to your children’s fruitfully imaginative minds. Encourage them to incorporate tactile elements like cotton for snow or popsicle sticks for Christmas tree trunks. Add a storytelling twist by asking children to include a secret message or holiday wish inside the card. Adding pinecones, twigs, or dried oranges to your holiday cards will add interesting colors and textures to your projects while teaching kids about sustainability. Once finished, string the cards along a ribbon to create a festive garland or display them on a mantel for a cheerful, personal touch to your decor!”
Projects that last a lifetime
For Tomika Anderson-Greene, founder of Single Parents Who Travel, the holiday season is about more than just giving gifts — it’s about creating memories together. She shares how some of her 11-year-old’s favorite Christmas presents are the ones he helps design and create with his parents.
Tomika explains, “Some of my 11-year-old’s favorite Christmas gifts are the ones he either receives or helps his father and I create every year, among them a leather-bound photo album of all our favorite, silly or fun family memories of the year, with particularly special memories turned into a variety of products we feature in various places around our house, such as canvas prints, Christmas ornaments, and coffee or, in his case, hot chocolate mugs. We also give some of these items away to friends and family.”
She adds, “During the holidays we also create vision boards for the year ahead using Canvas and photos he, myself, and his father captured on our devices throughout the year. The time we spend together creating these crafts—not to mention the beautiful decor to come from it—help contribute to the warmth we create for our home all year long.” It’s a beautiful reminder that crafting is not just about the end product, but about the time spent together, making memories that will last long after the season ends.
