Christmas crafts for kids of all ages? Put the ho ho ho into your kids’ Christmas crafts from decorations to gifts, cards, kits and keepsakes!

Christmas is all about spending time with family and friends and making fun memories that will last a lifetime—this rings especially true when it comes to the little ones. Who doesn’t remember tearing open gifts on Christmas morning or crafting salt dough ornaments with grandpa? And while there are endless ways to do this—think snow angels and sledding—there are some days when the weather doesn’t cooperate and indoor activities are the best option. Rather than sitting the kids down in front of holiday movie (although we love doing that, too!), spread your love of DIY Christmas craft ideas by making a Christmas crafts with their help.

The best part about these projects? They make for fun holiday decor that you can use anywhere in the house and are also perfect for gifting. And heading to the craft closet every year will also help cement long lasting Christmas traditions! If you’re looking to add a few more decorates to your Christmas tree, bookmark the many DIY Christmas ornaments ahead. Want an adorable item to put up on your wall or hang from the ceiling? We’ve got you covered. And these ideas are guaranteed to keep them busy during the hours you’re making the holiday feast. I mean what kid isn’t going to have a blast making slime.

Whatever you and your little ones choose to create, the most important thing is that you’ll be spending quality time together! So go grab some glue sticks and paint, and get started making one of on our favorite Christmas crafts for kids.

1

School Paper Gift Bags

Have the kids transform plain white paper bags into school paper with nothing but a few pens and a standard hole punch. Once done they can use the bags to give gifts to their teachers or classmates.

To make: Use a ruler to draw blue lines side to side on a white paper gift bag. Draw a red line perpendicular to the red line. Use a standard size hole punch to punch three holes to the left of the red line. Fill with a gift, then tissue paper.

2

Apple Mason Jar

A craft the kids can make for their favorite teacher as a holiday present or to set on their own desk and fill with colored pencils and pens!

To make: Paint the inside of a Mason jar with red craft paint. Cut an apple leaf from green craft paper and punch a small hole in one end. Write a note to teacher on the leaf and attach to the jar with a length of twine. Fill jar with pencils, colored pencils, or pens

3

Snowmen Cupcakes

Kids will love decorating, with a generous sprinkle of coconut and icing faces and of course eating, these cute snowman vanilla-flavored cupcakes.

For the cake:

Ingredients

• 3 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 c. canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. full-fat buttermilk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the vanilla buttercream:

• 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 to 3 tbsp. whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 c. confectioners’ sugar
• 1 c. shredded coconut
• Black food coloring
• Orange food coloring

Directions

SAVE RECIPE

1. Step 1Make the cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. 
2. Step 2Beat oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to prepared pans, dividing evenly (each cup should be about two-thirds full). 
3. Step 3Bake, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes. Cool in pans on a wire rack 15 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely. 
4. Step 4Make the buttercream: Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in milk, vanilla, and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar until combined. Add remaining 2 cups confectioners’ sugar and beat until combined. Set aside 1 ½ cups of buttercream. Frost cupcakes with remaining buttercream. Press shredded coconut into frosting. 
5. Step 5Stir together 1 cup frosting and black food coloring in a bowl until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip or a zip-top bag with a small hole cut in one corner. Stir together ½ cup frosting and orange food coloring in a second bowl until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a second piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip or a zip-top bag with a small hole cut in one corner. Pipe a carrot-shaped nose in the center of each cupcake. With the black frosting, pipe two eyes and five or six smaller dots for the mouth. Store cupcakes, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.

4

Santa Mason Jar

After crafting a Santa mason jar, kids can use it to store their favorite holiday treats and candy.

To make: Paint the inside of a Mason jar with red craft paint. Cut a piece of red felt into cone shape and glue to the metal ring; shape into a hat. Cut a thin strip of white felt and hot glue to the bottom of the hat. Attach a small white pom pom or marble to the tip of the hat with hot glue (adults should help with hot glue use). Wrap a length of black ribbon around the lower part of the jar to create a belt. Top with a piece of yellow felt that’s fashioned into a buckle with hot glue. Attach two white buttons with hot glue.

5

Hot Chocolate Gift Mugs

Besides setting out just cookies have the kids put together a mug or two of cocoa mix for Santa to sip on while he delivery their holiday haul.

To make: Place hot cocoa mix in the bottom of small mug Mason jars. Top with mini marshmallow, chocolate chips, and crushed starlight mints. Attach lid. Attach a tag with red baker’s twine

6

Reindeer Brownies

Once an adult has baked up a batch of brownies invite the kids to help decorate them like Dancer, Dasher, Prancer, and Rudolph.

Ingredients

For the brownies:

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for baking pan
• 1 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/4 sugar
• 3 large eggs

For the chocolate buttercream:

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. whole milk or cream
• 1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
• Pretzel twists, red M&Ms, and candy eyes, for decorating

Directions

SAVE RECIPE

1. Step 1Make the brownies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. 
2. Step 2Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Cook, stirring often, until melted; remove from heat. Add sugar and stir to combine. Add eggs and stir to combine. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. 
3. Step 3Transfer batter to prepared pan, dividing evenly (each cup should be about two-thirds full). Bake, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes, then transfer to rack to cool completely. 
4. Step 4Make the buttercream: Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in cocoa powder, vanilla, and cream, scraping sides as necessary, until combined, about 1 minute. Add half of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined. Add remaining confectioners’ sugar; beat for 1 minute. 
5. Step 5Frost brownies with buttercream, dividing evenly. Place eyes and noses in the center of frosting. Cut 12 pretzel twists in half to make antlers. Press antlers into the frosting. Store, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.

7

Reindeer Food Cones

In the lead up to the visit from the big guy in red enlist the kids to craft reindeer cones that they can use to sprinkle a snack for Donner, Dasher, Dancer, and Comet (really for the birds but the fantasy is the fun!) when they come to drop off presents.

To make: Cut a piece of brown kraft paper into a shape that can be rolled into a cone shape. Draw reindeer antlers, eyes, and a large red nose in the middle of the paper. Roll the shape into a cone and tape together. Fill cone with birdseed.

8

Advent Paper Bag Houses

Recruit the kids to help make their advent calendar or one for a little brother or sister. Made from paper bags and a few different colored markers, it’ll be so fun to see what house styles they dream up!

To make: Draw windows, a door, and a roof on 24 small paper bags using a white paint pen. Write the numbers, one through 24, on the bags with a red pen. Use a small hole punch to punch two holes through the bags. Fill bags with treats then tie closed with red and white baker’s twine, adding a holly leaf, if desired.

9

Yarn Ball Ornaments

Sweet and soft these ornaments just might peak your kids interested in learning to knit or crochet. Get ready for an ugly sweater gift next year!

To make: Wrap yarn around a clear plastic Christmas ornament, holding the beginning of the yarn in place with a dab of hot glue, until the ornament is completely covered. Thread bamboo cocktail picks through the yarn to mimic knitting needles. Hang as desired.

10

Craft Bead and Button Snowman

These cute as a button snowman are great for hanging on the tree or adorning presents.

To make: Draw snowmen faces on wooden craft beads with markers. Thread a length of baker’s twine through a brown button. Thread both ends of the thread twine through two plain buttons then through the button with the face. Thread twine through 5 to 6 black button to creating a hat. Tie twine close to the top button to hold everything together, then tie again about 2-inches up to create a loop for hanging. Cut a thin piece of red felt and tie between the top to buttons for a scarf.

11

Yarn Stars

So simple to make you made find that the kids have gone wild and there are yarn stars in every room of your house!

To make: Cut a star shape from a piece of cardboard using an X-acto knife (adults should help kids with this). Wrap the star in yarn, using dabs of hot glue to help hold the yarn in place near the points of the star, until fully covered. Glue the ends of a length of yarn to the back on one point to create a loop for hanging.

12

Cookie Cutter Candy Corral

Have the littles help you package up a candy assortment using cookie cutters to stylishly separate each sweet. Or, lay them out on a tray and fill with snacks at a holiday gathering.

13

Twine-Wrapped Toppers

Kids will love helping wrap cookies cutters with bakers twine that will add a playful touch to presents.

To make: Wrap baker’s twine (if your twine is thin, wrap two strands at a time) around cookie cutters, holding the ends in place with glue. Secure to presents with extra twine.

14

Cookie Cutter Ornaments

A handmade ornament will bring back sweet memories every year when you hang it on the tree and what’s sweeter than the memory of a craft days with the kids.

To make: Hot-glue tinsel and mini Christmas notions in solid-backed aluminum cutters. Tie or glue a piece of thin ribbon to the back for hanging.

Becky Stayner

15

Oversized Pom Poms

When it’s time to head outside for a little skiing and skating, kids will love showing off the oversized pom poms they made for their skates!

Becky Stayner

16

Snowflaked Stamped Bags

After you’ve spent time with the kiddos in the kitchen making and decorating cookies, shift to the craft room and put together a quick set of snowflake covered gift bags for gifting your delicious treats.

To make: Stamp snowflakes on the front of brown paper bags using snowflake rubber stamps and light blue, dark blue, and white ink. Use a small round hole punch to make two holes in the top of the bag. Thread and tie a piece of red and white bakers twine through the holes.

Brian Woodcock

17

Santa Advent Calendar

The kids will love helping Santa’s beard grow with fluffy cotton balls. By the 25th he will have the full monty!

To make: Cut Santa’s face from white craft paper. Add texture with colored pencil. Cut pink cheeks, eyes, and nose from construction paper; glue to the face. Cut the hat from red and white craft paper; glue to the face. Glue a large cotton ball at the point of the hat. Cut a long beard shape from white craft paper. Write the dates of the month leading up to Christmas on the beard. Hang the calendar and set a bowl of cotton balls and a bottle of glue nearby.

Brian Woodcock

18

DIY Hot Cocoa Kit

We can guarantee that you’ll have to make the kids a cup of hot cocoa when you recruit them to help assemble these sweet DIY kits. But spending quality time making gifts for loved ones will be worth the sugar rush.

To make: Paint a red circle with acrylic paint (or use a round red sticker) on a 1-cup mason jar. Once dry paint on a bit of greenery and write hot cocoa. Layer hot cocoa mixture, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows in the jar. Place a square of seasonal fabric between the lid and screw band and tighten.

Brian Woodcock

19

Felt Wreath

Simply tie strips of green felt around a wreath form to create this fluffy and fun holiday decor.

To make: Cut strips of two different shades of green felt. Tie strips around a wreath form. Attach small red ornaments throughout the wreath with hot glue. Loop a length of wide ribbon around the wreath to hang.

Brian Woodcock

20

Jingle Bell Swag

Kids will love helping you make this sweet holiday noise maker. Have them thread the bells on the ribbon while you tie the bow. Hang on the front door, above the mantel, or at the end of a bed.

To make: Thread large jingle bells onto three lengths of ribbon; knot one end of the ribbon. Tie the unknotted end around a small wreath form or a length of wire shaped into a circle. Wire together a small bunch of seasonal greenery; attach to the wreath or circle form. Tie an oversized bow and hot glue to the wire just above the greenery.