The holiday season is one of many festivities. What I love about this time of year is that it fosters such creativity. There is no shortage of fun activities to do with kids right at home, many with materials found right there! Crafting at home is a fine way to pass the time with family when, well, we are supposed to be staying in anyway. Looking for ideas? Here are the top 10 holiday crafts to make at home with kids!
1. Pine Cone Christmas Tree
My daughter loved adorning two larger pinecones saved from a trip to the local mountains. She used Elmer’s glue as the adhesive to stick flatback gemstones like these to the scales (the “branches”) of the pinecones and added glitter for extra flair. Painting the entire pinecone green with acrylic paint is another option to make it more “treelike” before adding sequins, beads, and a star on top. Here is a great example!
2. Make Your Own Ornaments
So many options here! Ornaments can be created from construction paper lying around the house or even dried out playdough (which I almost tossed the other day!). For less off-the-cuff ornament ideas, check out the offerings from Oriental Trading. Also, we use clear plastic ball ornaments like the ones pictured below and fill them with fake snow, glitter, or strips of tissue paper.
3. Homemade Stockings
What better way to get kids excited about stocking stuffers than to have them create their own stocking? Stockings can be easily created from a nice pair of storebought socks dressed up with embellishments like lace or beads. I made a felt stocking as a child and still use it to this day! Also, I found plenty of homemade stocking styles ranging in complexity here.
4. Pipe Cleaner Snowflake Garland
These are easy and fun and are a great way to put those stray pipe cleaners you may have lying around to use. Grab some glittery ones, twine or string, and a pair of pliers to help create fun snowflake shapes!
5. D.I.Y. Snowglobes
Next on the list of Top 10 Holiday Crafts, we love repurposing mason jars in our house. Creating snowglobes is a fun way to do just that. Similarly, they can be created out of empty baby food jars or even using plastic cups. While many snowglobes are made with glycerin to get that oily liquid effect, even just simple water and glitter can make a pretty holiday creation like this one.
6. Paper Snowflakes
My aunt mastered the art of creating beautiful paper snowflakes. Each winter in Michigan, we would decorate the living room with assorted shapes and sizes of snowflakes. In like manner, I now share this craft with my daughter so we can get the snow-feels here in Southern California.
7. Construction Paper Christmas Tree
My daughter actually did this one during her virtual learning class. I loved the simplicity of it, as she was able to do it on her own with very little guidance. Needed items: strips of green construction paper, a full 8.5 x 11″ sheet of plain colored paper for the background, a strip of brown paper, and a glue stick. Grab markers for added creativity, as the Santa added below:
8. Candy Bar Critters
These critters are an easy, cute way to decorate chocolate bars and assorted treats. Not only are they simple to make using wrapping or construction paper, but also make great gifts! Adorn them with ribbons, bells, and candy canes for extra flair.
9. Paper Plate Santa
Creating St. Nick from a paper plate and a few other household craft items is a fun, easy tradition. We love creating Santa’s fluffy beard from cotton balls and gluing googly eyes to the paper plate, but there are many possibilities when it comes to making this icon of the Christmas holiday!
10. The Sock Snowman
The last of our Top 10 Holiday Crafts is this adorable snowman made from a clean sock (child or adult size is fine!). Grab rice for a filling, small pieces of black and orange felt (or other fabric scraps), 2 googly eyes, white pom poms, glue, a few hair elastics or yarn, and buttons if desired. Look here for an Olaf sock snowman!
Looking for more crafting ideas from us? See this fun blog post on how to make your own tree at home!
