Our Christmas Crafting Adventures
Every year, as the holiday season approaches, my kids and I indulge in a delightful array of Christmas crafts. It’s become a cherished tradition that not only sparks creativity but also strengthens our family bonds. In this post, I’ll share some of our favorite crafts categorized for your inspiration!
Handprint and Footprint Art
Handprint crafts are always a hit, capturing those tiny hands’ prints while creating cherished memories. The foam angel stickers with handprint wings are magical! From our collection of foam sheets, we use their handprints to create beautiful angel wings. We also created a wreath of paper handprints. By tracing and cutting out colorful papers (could also use the foam sheets or painted handprints), the kids arranged them into a festive circle. It’s a fun way to brighten home with their artworks. Such a unique way to add personal touches to our holiday decor.
Another hands-on favorite is the handprint painted Christmas trees. We have an assortment of acrylic paints, paint trays, and large paintbrushes or foam rollers (better for the ticklish feet). This is a good starter set with the water cups that I LOVE. I find it easier to get a good print by painting their hand rather than having them stamp it in the paint. Using different shades of green, we paint their hands, and the kids stamp them onto canvas. I like to use these canvases (the 5/8 inch profile is worth the higher price because they don’t warp like the thinner ones). I’ll add their names, a cute pun, and the year with these paint pens. Each tree is uniquely theirs and serves as a lovely keepsake year after year. For more handprint fun, the reindeer handprint canvas is such a fun and adorable holiday craft! With just your little one’s handprints, you can create the cutest reindeer with tiny antlers and googly eyes that are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. It’s an easy and creative way to capture those tiny hands and turn them into a festive piece of art.
The “Mistletoes” footprint canvas my kids and I made is one of my favorite holiday crafts! We turned their tiny footprints into festive mistletoe leaves, complete with bright red berries. It’s such a sweet and simple project that captures those little toes in the cutest way. If you’re up for more, the footprint snowman canvas is another super cute idea. Imagine little snowmen made from your kiddo’s footprints, complete with colorful scarves and happy faces. These projects aren’t just great for holiday decorations—they’re sweet keepsakes you’ll love looking back on for years. Plus, they’re a perfect way to spend quality family time and make memories together!
For a more elegant touch, my most cherished keepsake are the painted handprints on glass ornament balls. We used gold ornaments for my daughters pink print, clear ornaments for my youngest’s white print, and white ornaments for my older son’s blue print. We used acrylic paint that’s sure to last the years, and the results are stunning! Each ornament glows beautifully on the tree, capturing their first pudgy Christmas handprint forever.
Interactive and Engaging Crafts
No holiday craft list would be complete without some interactive elements! One of our favorite activities is the gingerbread house kit. The kids love decorating their houses with icing and candy, and it’s always entertaining to see their imaginative designs come to life. My kids seemed to enjoy munching on the edible goodies far more than the actual decorating process, leaving behind a half-finished gingerbread house that was more a testament to their appetites than their artistic skills! Nevertheless, fun was had by all and our gingerbread house is proudly on display!
We also enjoy creating candy cane elves and candy cane reindeer. Using simple supplies like felt, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners, we turn candy canes into adorable elf and reindeer figures, invoking giggles and a lot of laughter as they attempt to craft the perfect holiday companion!
Finger painting is always a hit no matter their age! My 7, 5, and 1 year old had a blast creating snowflakes. We put painters tape on white cardstock and let the kiddos loose. I like to keep the baby contained to the high chair during these messier crafts. 🙂 Once the finger paint is dry, remove the tape! Make sure to use nontoxic paint; I like Crayola. You can add some fake snow or glitter if you want. I like to laminate these paper crafts to help preserve them and they can serve as placemats each winter. This a a good home laminator for 9×12 papers and these sheets are nice and thick which prevents curling.
The felt advent wreath is another standout project. You can use special crafting glue but we had luck with Elmers. Since this craft is felt, it gives the kids the opportunity to add pieces daily leading up to Christmas, fostering excitement and anticipation as we countdown toward the big day. We reuse it each Christmas!
Seasonal Decorations
Our crafting sessions also facilitate the creation of charming decorations. The toilet paper snowmen and reindeer with handprint antlers are great examples. This easy craft not only recycles materials but also leads to delightful decorations that we place around the house.
The Santa ornaments we made really showcase the creative side my oldest has! He added “wings” to his Santa because he needed to be able to fly. 🙂 They loved these. Any craft they use the hot glue gun is always a hit! Couldn’t find the exact craft but these wooden bead kits are adorable! Another fun and cheap craft is the pinecone tree farm we made. After rolling the pinecones in paint, we glued little pompoms on to mimic the lights on our trees.
Lastly, we create lots of snowmen, which are easy for little hands to manage. We make them from toilet paper rolls, links of paper, and these fun foam stickers! These cheerful snowmen add a fun and whimsical charm to our holiday decor, completing our crafting festivities perfectly. We hole punch snowflakes and glue them, honing those fine motor skills!
Wrapping It Up
These Christmas crafts have become a treasured part of our holiday traditions. Each project encapsulates special memories and showcases the creativity of my kids. Whether you opt for handprint art, interactive crafts, or festive decorations, I hope you find joy in crafting with your children this season. Merry crafting!
Leave a Reply