Christmas crafts for younger children are a fun, interactive way to share the magic of the holiday season. To help get you in the holiday crafting spirit, we've rounded up 16 Christmas crafts for toddlers and preschoolers that they can complete with confidence (and maybe a little help from you!). Plus, your child's handmade Christmas craft can make for cute, personalized decorations. Explore these simple Christmas crafts, including Christmas trees, Christmas art activities, snowman crafts, religious Christmas crafts and much more.
Little ones will love creating an adorable Reindeer Headband and wearing it at a class or family Christmas party. Using our free printable reindeer headband template, cut 2 antlers and 2 bands out of brown foam sheets. Cut a big red, circle nose out of a red glitter foam sheet. Glue the antlers and nose to the front of the brown strips. Staple or glue the headband strips together using each child’s head to measure. This reindeer headband is sure to spread some holiday cheer this year!
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Create the cutest Craft Roll Santa with white craft rolls. Using the free Santa craft roll template, cut out a hat, body, belt and face from colored card stock. Cut a beard from a white foam sheet. Glue the body around the craft roll. Using adhesive, add the other paper parts around the craft roll to dress up your Santa. To finish off Santa, add a white yard pom pom to the top of His hat. Add a mini red pom pom nose and two black eyes with a Sharpie® marker. Kids will love decorating their home with this cute Santa craft!
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Kids will love creating beautiful snowflakes for the holidays with marker dot paints. Our three free printable snowflake dot paint templates make for an easy and fun holiday craft. Print on white cardstock. We love the marker dot paint crafts for fine motor skill development. Kids will love choosing colors for their snowflakes, and even creating a pattern. Display in windows for fun, kid-created, holiday décor!
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Tissue paper crafts are so fun to create! Little hands will love creating with the fun texture and easy gluing! To create this adorable preschool craft, print and cut out the free printable tree template. Glue the template to the front of a white or red paper plate. Kids can roll green tissue paper squares into balls and glue inside the tree template. Add star foam stickers, rick rack trim and tiny pom poms to spruce up each tree. Such a fun Christmas craft for kids!
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Countdown 12 Days to Christmas with this adorable preschool craft. Let little ones decorate each Paper Stocking with Crayola® Paintbrush Pens. Add the numbers 1-12 to each stocking with the markers. String each stocking on red and white twine. Using hot glue and a parents help, add green and red yarn pom poms to the twine. Add candy canes or other Christmas treats to each paper stocking. Let little ones choose a treat each day to count down the 12 days until Christmas!
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Haeley from Design Improvised came up with this fun way to keep kids active and engaged indoors over winter break. Let littles choose from four different options: a Santa mask made from white round paper dinner plates with cut cardstock Santa hats, pom-pom nose and cheeks, and a stuffing beard all glued together onto a wood craft stick handle; a Mrs. Claus mask using the same materials but with the addition of chenille stem glasses and a holly bow; a DIY Elf Hat Craft Kit; a Reindeer Antler Headband Craft Kit; or a snowman mask made from a white round paper dinner plate and white dessert plate glued together, then decorated with a cardstock hat and scarf, pom-pom buttons, chenille stem bow and wood craft stick handle.
Photo: Design Improvised
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Make the most of the winter sun with these pretty Christmas suncatchers by Becky from The Crafting Chicks. Gather tissue paper squares, white cardstock, Christmas Baker's Twine and scissors, then print out the free downloadable templates to create an ornament, Christmas star, Christmas tree, Santa hat and Christmas light and follow the assembly directions.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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Shauna from Ella & Annie created a set of five cute Christmas finger puppets that toddlers can use to put on a show. The cast of characters includes a Santa finger puppet made from red scrapbook paper, glitter gold construction paper, crayons, a red button nose, googly eyes and white tissue paper squares. Create an elf finger puppet out of glitter green paper, self-adhesive jewels, a red button nose and googly eyes, black marker, brown construction paper and a glitter pom pom. Use silver glitter paper to create a snowman finger puppet, and repurpose some of the remaining supplies to make reindeer and angel finger puppets.
Photo: Ella & Annie
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Becky from The Crafting Chicks cleverly turned DIY Mini Ceramic Flower Pots into Christmas Bells. Cover with a base layer of paint using a sponge brush. Contain your preschoolers' mess by putting the remaining supplies in Easy Clean Trays. Turn toddlers loose with Crayola Tempera Paint and a set of paint brushes. Once the paint dries, let them add stamps with a Christmas Stamp Assortment set. To create the bell, fold a Christmas Colored Metallic Chenille Stem in half and add a Jumbo Jingle Bell per the instructions.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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Using a few basic craft supplies, your toddler can create a whole cast of Christmas characters including Santa, an elf, an angel, a reindeer and a snowman. This project by Shauna from Ella & Annie uses construction paper folded and cut into strips, then accented with seasonal materials like Bright Christmas Scrapbook Paper, tissue paper squares, Glitter Christmas Pom-Poms, Christmas Glitter Paper, Christmas Bag of Buttons, Holiday Stickles(tm) Glitter Glue Set, and rounded out with art supply staples like glue, glue sticks, Sharpie(r) Fine Point Permanent Markers, a hot glue gun and hot glue.
Photo: Ella & Annie
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This cheerful, colorful project by Rachel from I Heart Crafty Things combines DIY with a Felt Cactus Ornament craft kit. Assemble the cactus ornament per the kit instructions, then create a snowy scene using white cardstock paper and a light blue paper plate. Add craft snow and snowflake confetti, then hot glue a clear plastic dessert plate to the top to seal it in. Download and print out the snow globe base template and cut onto black cardstock paper and affix to the globe.
Photo: I Heart Crafty Things
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Becky from The Crafting Chicks created these easy Christmas wreath craft that let littles practice fine motor skills and can also be used on the Christmas tree. Simply place Holiday Pony Beads, Christmas Pony Beads and Christmas Jingle Bells into a bowl for easy access alongside Christmas Colored Metallic Chenille Stems. Invite toddlers to string beads and bells onto the chenille stems. Once filled, bend and twist the ends of the stems into a bow to complete.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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If your preschooler has been on a steady diet of Christmas cookies, opt for this paper gingerbread man by Shauna from Ella & Annie. Cut a gingerbread man shape on white cardstock, then cover with a thin layer of glue and lay brown tissue paper squares on top. Then, decorate with googly eyes, buttons and cotton rickrack trim.
Photo: Ella & Annie
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Looking for a religious Christmas craft for toddlers? This project by Jamie from The Crafting Chicks is the perfect way to get littles excited about the holiday while learning about the Nativity. Start by printing the free downloadable Nativity Story Scripture countdown tags and cut each into a circle and punch a hole in the top. Tie each tag onto a Medium Red & White Nordic Print Kraft Paper Gift Bag using Red Baker's Twine. Create the Nativity Roll Craft Kit and place each character into the bag with the corresponding scripture.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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Work on fine motor skills and introduce younger children to sewing with this charming Christmas tree craft by Becky from The Crafting Chicks. Download and print the Free Christmas Tree Printable, then trace it onto a white paper plate. Poke holes using a pencil or other pointy tool (help younger kiddos with this part so the plate doesn't tear). Then, thread green yarn onto a Super Safe Lacing Needle and instruct children to run the yarn through the holes, then have them criss-cross across the tree to fill it in. Finally, let children paint the rim of the plate with Crayola®Red Washable Paint and Chubby Paint Brushes.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Make the Project
Create nature-inspired, toddler-sized Christmas trees with this fun preschooler craft by Shauna from Ella & Annie. Apply Crayola®Washable Green Paint to Mini Natural Pinecones and allow to dry. Help your child glue an Acrylic Glitter Pom-Pom to the top of each "tree," then decorate the "branches" with Itty Bitty Pom-Poms.
Photo: Ella & Annie
Help your little one send a letter to Old St. Nick in style with this letter template by Jamie from The Crafting Chicks! Download and print the free Santa Letter template. Decorate the front of the cards with Nordic Washi Tape, then use a glue stick to assemble everything per the instructions. Tie cheery Christmas Baker's Twine around each sealed envelope, then send them on their way to the North Pole.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
Make the Project
Create cute favor boxes for candy or party favors using a few simple supplies. Use Mini Black Favor Boxes and Mini White Favor Boxes as the base, then adhere Super Black Googly Eyes and other embellishments like Tiny Pom-Poms and Bright Foam Sheets to make a full cast of characters including a reindeer, snowman and more. Watch how to make this project.
Make the Project
Who doesn't love a good craft stick project? This holiday-inspired toddler craft is colorful and easy to put together. Use Glue Dots(r) to create a tree shape out of green Rainbow Craft Sticks, then wrap with green chenille stems. Decorate with Self-Adhesive Rhinestone Jewels, then create the trunk out of clothespins with washi tape. Finish by cutting a star out of a piece of foam.
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Felt is a preschool crafting favorite. Turn it into a festive tree with this project by Becky from The Crafting Chicks. Download the free printable, grab your supplies -- including green felt and glitter glue -- then follow along with the full video tutorial to create your own miniature Christmas tree forest.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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Jamie from The Crafting Chicks developed this sweet-smelling holiday craft that also makes a fun gift. Follow the instructions to make the playdough, then package it in mason jars with Christmas lids and accent with ribbon.
Photo: The Crafting Chicks
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