Christmas Crafts

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For Children


Paper Bag Reindeer Puppet

You can make a very simple reindeer puppet using a small paper lunch bag. The antlers are made from handprints traced on construction paper

1. Trace two hands on construction paper. Cut them out. These will be the reindeer's antlers

2. Fold the two square edges of a paper bag under (at the dotted lines), to form the reindeer's head.

3. Glue, tape, or staple the handprints behind the reindeer's head.
Cut out eyes from construction paper (or glue on googly eyes). Using red paper, cut out and glue on a large red nose. Glue them to the reindeer's face. Draw a mouth with a marker or crayons.

[CarolsCritterCare]

For Children

Stand-Alone Star Craft

This 3-dimensional star decoration is made from 2 paper stars that are interlaced. These stars stand by themselves on a table, and make a great patriotic or Christmas decoration

1. Two paper stars are needed to make one 3-dimensional star, draw 2 identical stars on stiff/thick paper

2. Decorate the two stars (if you like) on both sides, then cut them out

3. Make one slit in each star. On one star, the slit goes from an inner corner to the center point of the star; on the other star, the slit goes from an outer corner to the center point.

4. Slip the two stars together through the slits you just cut. For stability, you may have to tape the stars a bit where they meet at the slits.

5.You now have a great three-dimensional star decoration that stands by itself on a table

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for childre

Hand Print Wreaths

1. Trace the child's hand on a piece of green construction paper.
Cut out the hand print. Make about 10 paper hands for each wreath


2. Glue on a red ribbon bow (or make one from red construction paper).
Optional: Decorate your wreath with glitter or glitter glue

[CarolsCritterCare]

For Children

Brown Paper Christmas Stocking

1. Draw a large stocking on thick brown paper (or brown felt).
Cut out two copies of this stocking

2. Glue the two stockings together around the edges (make sure you don't put any glue along the top opening)

3. Punch holes around the edges of the stocking.
Weave yarn in and out of the holes. Leave a loop of yarn at one end, and tie it in a knot.

4. Decorate your stocking with crayons, markers, stickers, construction paper cut-outs, or glitter

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for children

Hand and Foot Reindeer

This cute reindeer is made from your child's handprints and footprint, cut out of construction paper. It makes a cute Christmas decoration.

1. Trace around the child's foot using brown construction paper. This will be the reindeer's head.

2. Trace around the child's hands using tan construction paper. These 2 pieces will be the reindeer's antlers.

3. Glue the handprint "antlers" to the top of the reindeer. Add a bright red paper nose, a paper (or drawn) mouth, and googly eyes (or paper eyes) to the reindeer's head.

You can now decorate your house for Christmas with these cute reindeers. Don't forget to put the child's name and age on the back of the reindeer

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Children will need help from a parent with this one

Candy Train

This candy train is made from a roll of hard candy (like Lifesavers), wrapped peppermint candies, a wrapped caramel, and a wrapped chocolate kiss

1. Using a hot glue gun, glue four wrapped peppermint candies to a roll of candy; the peppermint candies are the wheels of the train.

2. Glue a wrapped caramel to the top, at one end the train. Glue a wrapped chocolate kiss on top of that.

To use the train as a tree ornament, glue a small length of string to the top of the train

[CarolsCritterCare]

For Children

Paper Plate poinsettia

This simple-to-make poinsettia is made from a paper plate and a child's handprint cutouts.

1. Trace a child's hand on red and green paper construction paper

2. Cut out the hand tracings

3. Glue or staple a circle of green handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) around the outside of the plate.

4.Glue or staple a second circle of red handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) just inside the first circle

5. Glue or staple a third circle of red handprint tracings at the center of the plate

6. Glue a small paper yellow circle in the center of the flower.

[CarolsCritterCare]

For Children

Paper Plate Snowman

Make a cute snowman decoration using two paper plates. This makes a nice decoration to put on a door or hang in a window


1. On one of the paper plates, cut off the outer rim, making a smaller plate

2. Punch a hole near the rim on both plates

3. Tie the two plates together, using the yarn (or ribbon).

4. On black construction paper, draw and then cut out a top hat and two boots. On colored construction paper (or gift wrap paper), draw and then cut out two mittens.

5. Glue the hat, boots and mittens on the snowman

6. Either glue on googly eyes or draw eyes. Draw a mouth. For the nose, cut a short length from an orange pipe cleaner. Stick the pipe cleaner through the plate to secure it (if the plate is too tough, make a tiny hole with the tip of the scissors).

For the buttons, you can cut out shapes from construction paper, use round stickers, glue on real buttons, or simply draw them.

You now have a cute snowman decoration!

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Birds Need to Eat Too

Another great Christmas craft idea is to make a bird feeder out of one of nature’s most beautiful “decorations” during the winter months - pine cones!

Attach a long ribbon to your pine cone.

Spread peanut butter over the pine cone.

Next, roll the pine cone in birdseed.

Hang your bird feeder outside.

Make sure you get pictures of the birds stopping by to visit.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Your Snowman Needs Some Color

Take an empty spray bottle and fill it with water and red food coloring.

Take another spray bottle and do the same thing except this time use green food coloring.

You can decorate your snowman or even just the snow in Christmas colors.

The great thing about this Christmas craft idea is that it is incredibly easy to do, can create an hour of fun for your little ones, and it doesn’t cost very much at all.

Food coloring is inexpensive, and a spray bottle costs about .99 cents.

You can even recycle a spray bottle from your home such as you’re a non-aerosol hairspray bottle or a bottle from your window cleaner.

[CarolsCritterCare]

These are fun to make and smell so good!!!!

Applesauce Ornament

4 ounces (1 cup) cinnamon
1 Tablespoon cloves
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
3 Tablespoons white glue
1/2 teaspoon food coloring
optional: 1 teaspoon glitter

Combine ingredients. Work with the dough until smooth. Divide into several portions. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with cookie cutters. Make hole in the top. Dry at room temperature for 1-3 days. Turn over once to let the other side dry. String ribbon thru the hole and hang on Christmas tree, or give as gifts.

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Baking Soda Ornament

There is a recipe every year on the Arm & Hammer baking soda box for ornaments made from water, cornstarch and baking soda. The dough is cut out, left to dry and then decorated with paints or markers.

2 cups baking soda (1 one pound package)
1 cup cornstarch
1 1/4 cups water

Stir in saucepan constantly over medium heat. When it is the consistency of mashed potatoes (approx. 10-15 minutes), turn out and cover with damp cloth. Once it cools, pat it smooth. It's ready to use. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick to cut. Dry overnight. Decorate with paints, glitter, markers, etc.

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Christmas Bells

Take a white cup, decorate the outside with glitter, sequins, beads, paper, stickers, whatever. Punch a small hole in the top of the cup. Slip a pipe cleaner through the hole to the inside of the cup. Twist the pipe cleaner around so it forms a hook. Place a jingle bell at the end of the pipe cleaner. Now your little ones have a bell for the tree or a gift. (Don't forget about using the toilet paper rolls for crafts.) You could make napkin rings, drums, toy soldiers, angels, and lots more.

For variation, use a tiny plant pot which you've painted white. Instead of pipe cleaner, gold chord. For an angel, cut out and glue on felt wings. Cut a piece of gold pipe cleaner to form a halo and attach through wooden bead used as a head.

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Christmas Candle Decoration

you will need;
toilet tissue tube
construction paper in the colors white, yellow, green, red
white glue

Cover the tissue tube with white paper. Glue. Cut out two flame shapes from the yellow paper. Glue them to an open end of the tube, facing each other. Cut out nine holly leaf shapes from the green paper and nine red berries from the red paper. Glue the base of each leaf to the bottom of the candle, overlapping leaves slightly as you go around. Glue a red berry to the base of each leaf.