The festive season is full of excitement; so much, in fact, children may need a little help to harness that extra energy as the holidays start.

These easy DIY Christmas crafts for kids will keep little hands (and minds) busy, working their fine motor skills, inspiring their imagination and encouraging patience as the countdown to the Big Day begins. Best of all, their projects will add extra festive cheer to the whole house.

Hand Make an Advent Calendar

A series of images showing how to create a Christmas tree advent calendar using cardboard rolls, tissue paper and glue for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

A fun project to start in November, as it may take a little while to complete, but they’ll get a whole 24 days of joy from it! Cover cardboard rolls in green paper or paint.

Add a disc of cardboard to the bottom of the roll so they can fill it with goodies, and then top off with a disc of tissue paper (or something easily breakable) to seal the roll.

Glue or tape the rolls together into the shape of a Christmas tree and add numbers 1-24 on the tissue paper top end. (Try printing the numbers onto paper and cutting them out or use a Cricut.)

You can even top the ‘tree’ with a ‘golden’ tissue paper star. Hello, homemade advent calendar! Perfect for children who love construction and engineering.

What You’ll Need

Create a Paper Christmas Tree Farm

An assortment of crafted Christmas trees and the supplies used to make them, arranged in a neat pattern on a light blue background. Products include things like coloured paper and felt, pom-poms and stickers.

Classic craft for kids of all ages, a paper cone can easily transform into a Christmas tree. Let their imaginations run wild with the decorations, using sticky gems or pom-poms as baubles.

The more trees they make, the better; you could have an entire Christmas tree ‘farm’ running down your dining table or across a mantelpiece. Or they can even transform their cone into an elf hat using felt and bells instead.

Children will have to make a cone template, tracing it onto construction paper before cutting it out, folding and taping into the 3D shape.

While it’s a cinch after the first few attempts, this activity is actually a fantastic example of problem-solving for little minds.

What You’ll Need

SEE ALSO: Christmas Craft: 12 Festive STEM Activities for the Kids

Make a Garland of Gingerbread Folk

A series of images showing how to create a garland of gingerbread folk using kraft paper, scissors, construction paper and a chalk marker for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

Like the paper dolls you made as a kid, only the Christmas version!

This activity is an excellent chance for kids to work on their scissor skills: little hands may want to use kraft paper which is easier to cut (and gingerbread-colour!) or for a more hardy garland, coloured board will hang well in their room or over a mantelpiece.

Simply fold the cardboard concertina-style, and either help children to sketch their gingerbread folk or encourage them to have a go on their own, making sure the arms reach the folds so when you cut out and unfold, you have a row of gingerbread folk.

Then glue on buttons (try punching holes out of red paper) and draw on eyes and a smile. Tape together multiple pieces until you have a big, juicy garland.

What You’ll Need

Santa Napkin Rings for a Festive Lunch

A series of images showing how to create a Santa napkin ring using red, yellow and black construction paper, scissors and glue for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

If your Christmas lunch table needs a sprinkle of festive cheer, get the kids to make some napkin rings! All you need for these Santa buckle designs is paper or coloured board, scissors and a glue stick, making it mess-free but loads of fun. Bonus point is it works their dexterity too!

What You'll Need

A Handmade Holly Wreath for Their Door

series of images showing how to create a holly wreath using green and red cardboard, red tissue paper, a paper plate, scissors and glue for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

The front door shouldn’t be the only one to receive Christmas love this year. Why not encourage the kids to make DIY wreaths for their bedroom doors too?

A paper plate makes a nice, sturdy base and cutting out cardboard holly sprigs and drawing on the veins is a fantastic way to work their fine motor skills and dexterity, not to mention lateral thinking, as they work out how to hide the paper plate under the holly leaves and tissue paper berries. Finish off with a paper ribbon trim.

What You'll Need

Craft Your Own Christmas Hats

A series of images showing how to create Christmas headbands using coloured cardboard, googly eyes, pom-poms, scissors and glue for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

Forget the flimsy paper crowns from Christmas crackers this year, and task your kids with making cool reindeer and Santa headbands for the family.

They can get as creative as they like with cardboard, googly eyes, pom-poms and more. Even the antlers can be their very own hands traced onto board and cut out, making a cute keepsake.

What You'll Need

SEE ALSO: 5 Fun DIY Crafts With Cardboard Rolls

Frame Photos With Pom Poms

A crafted pom-pom photo frame and the supplies used to make it, arranged in a neat pattern on a light blue background. Products include things like glue, string, pom-poms and scissors.

Not only will children love making their own pom-pom photo frame but you can add to the fun by encouraging them to take the pic and print out the photo as well. 

Then it’s all about the basics: cardboard, glue and pom-poms, plus a little string if they want to turn it into a tree decoration. 

Tracing a small bowl and mug onto kraft board is a great way to get a solid ‘doughnut’ shape base, then the pom-poms can be glued directly onto the cardboard. 

After the photo is placed behind the base, the left-over middle piece of the cardboard ‘doughnut’’ can be attached back to the picture doughnut, holding in the picture.

What You’ll Need

Dress the House With a Christmas Mobile

A series of images showing how to create a Christmas mobile using a disposable plate, green paint, coloured cardboard and string for a Christmas crafts for kids idea.

Who knew a paper plate could be so pretty? With a bit of paint, a hole punch, string and some coloured cardboard, the humble plate can become a hanging Christmas mobile. Add some little tinkly bells for a Christmasy jingle.

What You’ll Need

DIY Air Dry Clay Decorations

An assortment of crafted clay decorations and the supplies used to make them, arranged in a neat pattern on a light blue background. Products include things like air-dry clay, red and green paint and a paintbrush.

Air-dry clay is always a hit and although it’s a bit messier than paper crafts, it’s a fantastic way for kids to craft a whole afternoon away.

There’s no need to bake this clay, you simply leave it in the sun to dry (summer is the ideal season), turning the decorations every now and then so they dry all the way through.

Add toothpicks, old cutlery, a rolling pin and more to a ‘tool box’ and then suggest they find botanicals, shells, paper doilies and more to press into their designs, adding texture and patterns. 

What You'll Need

SEE ALSO: 3 Creative Kids’ Activities to Try at Home

Whip up Washi Tape Cards

A series of images showing DIY Christmas cards and the supplies used to make them on a light blue background. Products include kraft board, washi tape and a chalk marker.

Actually sending real Christmas cards in the mail is such a lovely example of community and kindness. What better way to explain this to our kids than to get them involved?

With the simplest tools, cardboard and washi tape, have the children make heartfelt, homemade cards to send loved ones this year.                          

What You’ll Need

‍

This article was originally published in November 2020 and has been updated.