25 Kids Christmas Crafts by Age (Toddler to Age 8)

By Rowan Avery Updated 11 min read Reviewed by Rowan Avery

Kids Christmas crafts go a lot smoother when the craft fits the kid. A 2 year old wants to smear paint, and an 8 year old wants to cut, thread and sew something that looks real. These 25 easy Christmas crafts are sorted by age, and each one lists prep time, mess level, supplies and a safety note.

Kids Christmas crafts on a light wood table: a handprint Christmas tree, a paper plate Santa, toilet paper roll reindeer, popsicle stick snowflakes and a felt ornament Save

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Read our disclosure.

Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.

Key takeaways

  • Crafts grouped by age: toddlers 1 to 3, preschool 3 to 5, ages 5 to 6 and ages 6 to 8.
  • Toddlers tear, stamp and stick. Big kids cut, thread, fold and sew.
  • For under 3s, skip beads, pom poms, googly eyes and glitter, and draw details with a marker.
  • Hot glue and anything with a sharp blade stay grown-up jobs at every age.
In this post33 sections
  1. Kids Christmas Crafts: What Kids Can Do at Each Age
  2. Christmas Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 1 to 3)
  3. 1. Handprint Christmas tree
  4. 2. Sticky contact paper tree
  5. 3. Torn paper wreath
  6. 4. Sponge stamp trees
  7. 5. Dot marker ornaments
  8. 6. Salt dough handprint ornament
  9. Preschool Christmas Crafts (Ages 3 to 5)
  10. 7. Paper plate Santa
  11. 8. Toilet paper roll reindeer
  12. 9. Pipe cleaner candy canes
  13. 10. Craft stick snowflakes
  14. 11. Coffee filter ornaments
  15. 12. Handprint reindeer card
  16. 13. Paper chain countdown
  17. Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids Ages 5 to 6
  18. 14. Folded paper snowflakes
  19. 15. Shatterproof ornament fill
  20. 16. Cereal box gingerbread house
  21. 17. Yarn-wrapped cardboard trees
  22. 18. Paper star garland
  23. 19. Thumbprint lights card
  24. Christmas Crafts for Kids to Make, Ages 6 to 8
  25. 20. Felt ornaments with a running stitch
  26. 21. 3D paper Christmas tree
  27. 22. Pinecone gnomes
  28. 23. Stamped gift tags
  29. 24. Toilet paper roll elf
  30. 25. Kindness ornament jar
  31. How to Run a Christmas Craft With Kids of Different Ages
  32. More Holiday Fun for Kids
  33. FAQ

Kids Christmas Crafts: What Kids Can Do at Each Age

Craft frustration usually means the craft asks for a skill a child hasn't built yet. Use this table to match the craft to the hands, then pick from that age's section below.

Christmas craft skills by age (a rough guide, every child is different)
AgeUsually ready forSkip for now
1 to 3Painting with hands and sponges, sticking on contact paper, tearing paper, glue sticks with helpBeads, pom poms, googly eyes, loose glitter, scissors
3 to 5Child-safety scissors on straight lines, glue bottles, pipe cleaners, big beads with supervisionSmall beads for kids who still mouth things, sewing needles
5 to 6Cutting curves and folded paper, simple patterns, threading, following 3 to 4 stepsHot glue, craft knives
6 to 8Plastic needle sewing, folding 3D shapes, multi-step crafts, low-temp glue gun with an adultCraft knives and regular hot glue guns
Christmas craft supplies for kids on a wood table: paper plates, green and red construction paper, washable paint, glue sticks, pipe cleaners, craft sticks, cotton balls and child-safety scissors Save
Most of these crafts pull from the same short supply list.

Use washable, non-toxic supplies (look for the AP seal from the Art & Creative Materials Institute), and keep a damp cloth nearby. Our play safety notes cover choking hazards and glue in more detail.

Christmas Crafts for Toddlers (Ages 1 to 3)

Toddler crafts are about the doing. Expect lopsided trees and painty wrists, and stay right beside them the whole time.

2Sticky contact paper tree

Toddler Christmas craft: a clear contact paper tree taped to a wall with green and red tissue paper squares stuck on, chubby toddler hands pressing on another square Save

Tape a tree shape of clear contact paper to the wall, sticky side out. Toddlers press on big squares of green and red tissue paper. Ages: 1 to 3. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: none. Supplies: contact paper, painter's tape, tissue paper squares.

  • Safety: cut tissue squares bigger than your palm so they're less tempting to mouth.

3Torn paper wreath

Cut the center out of a paper plate, then let toddlers glue torn green paper all around the ring. Add a red paper bow. Ages: 2 to 4. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: paper plate, green and red paper, glue stick.

  • Safety: a grown-up cuts the plate. Glue sticks are the easiest glue for little hands.

4Sponge stamp trees

Easy Christmas craft for kids: green triangle sponge stamps making a row of Christmas trees on brown paper, a toddler's small hand holding the sponge Save

Cut a kitchen sponge into a triangle and let toddlers stamp green trees across a big sheet of paper. It makes great homemade wrapping paper. Ages: 1 to 4. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: new sponge, washable paint, paper plate, butcher paper.

  • Safety: use a brand new sponge, not one from the sink.

5Dot marker ornaments

Draw three big circle ornaments on paper and let toddlers fill them with dot marker dots. Simple, bright and nearly mess-free. Ages: 1 to 3. Prep: 2 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: washable dot markers, paper.

  • Safety: dot marker caps are small, so keep them in your hand.

6Salt dough handprint ornament

A round salt dough handprint ornament with a small toddler handprint pressed in, a red ribbon through the hole, on a light wood table Save

Mix a stiff dough from about two parts flour, one part salt and one part water, roll it thick and press your toddler's hand in. Bake low until hard, then paint. Ages: 1 to 8. Prep: 20 minutes plus baking. Mess: medium. Supplies: flour, salt, water, straw for a hanging hole, paint.

  • Safety: salt dough isn't food. It's very salty and can poison dogs, so hang ornaments high. A grown-up handles the oven.

Preschool Christmas Crafts (Ages 3 to 5)

Preschoolers can snip, squeeze glue and twist pipe cleaners. Give them a sample, then let them do it their way.

7Paper plate Santa

Preschool Christmas craft: a paper plate Santa with a red painted hat and a fluffy cotton ball beard, a preschooler's small hand gluing on one more cotton ball Save

Paint the top third of a paper plate red for the hat, glue cotton balls along the bottom for a beard, and draw the rest with markers. Ages: 3 to 6. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: paper plate, red paint, cotton balls, glue, markers.

  • Safety: cotton balls can be choking hazards for kids who still mouth things. Count them out and count them back.

8Toilet paper roll reindeer

Three toilet paper roll reindeer crafts painted brown with paper handprint antlers and red paper noses standing on a wood table Save

Paint a toilet paper tube brown, glue on paper antlers traced from your child's hands, and add a red paper nose. Ages: 3 to 6. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: toilet paper tube, brown paint, paper, glue.

  • Safety: use a paper nose instead of a pom pom for younger siblings.

9Pipe cleaner candy canes

Pipe cleaner candy cane ornaments with red and white pony beads on a wood table, a preschooler's hand threading another bead Save

Thread red and white pony beads onto a pipe cleaner in a pattern, then bend the top into a hook. Great pattern practice. Ages: 3 to 6. Prep: 2 minutes. Mess: none. Supplies: pipe cleaners, red and white pony beads.

  • Safety: pony beads are choking hazards. Only for kids who no longer mouth things, with an adult at the table. Fold sharp pipe cleaner ends over.

10Craft stick snowflakes

Craft stick snowflake ornaments painted white and blue with paper dot decorations, drying on a sheet of newspaper Save

Glue three craft sticks into a star shape, let it dry, then decorate with white paint and big sequins or paper dots. Ages: 3 to 7. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: craft sticks, white glue, paint, paper dots.

  • Safety: skip sequins with kids who mouth things. Paper hole-punch dots look just as nice.

11Coffee filter ornaments

Color a coffee filter with washable markers, mist it with water and watch the colors bleed. Once dry, pinch the middle with a pipe cleaner for a bow ornament. Ages: 3 to 7. Prep: 3 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: coffee filters, washable markers, spray bottle.

  • Safety: wipe up drips so nobody slips on the wet floor.

12Handprint reindeer card

Paint the palm brown, press it on folded cardstock fingers up, and the fingers become antlers. Add a red fingerprint nose and write a message inside. Ages: 2 to 6. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: high. Supplies: brown and red washable paint, cardstock.

  • Safety: same as any hand painting, keep a wet cloth ready and wash up before snack.

13Paper chain countdown

Cut red and green paper strips and help kids loop and glue them into a chain, one link per day until Christmas. Ages: 3 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: construction paper, glue stick or tape.

  • Safety: hang the finished chain out of reach of babies, who can pull it down.

Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids Ages 5 to 6

Kindergarteners can follow a few steps and cut curvy lines. These crafts give them something that looks finished and still leaves room for their own ideas.

14Folded paper snowflakes

A child's hands unfolding a white paper snowflake on a wood table covered in paper scraps and child-safety scissors Save

Fold a square of paper into a triangle three times and snip shapes along the edges. Unfold for the reveal. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 2 minutes. Mess: low, paper bits. Supplies: printer paper, child-safety scissors.

  • Safety: child-safety scissors and a grown-up nearby. Thin paper is easier than cardstock.

15Shatterproof ornament fill

Pop the cap off a clear plastic ornament and let kids fill it with shredded tissue paper, ribbon bits or a rolled-up drawing. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 2 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: clear plastic fillable ornaments, tissue paper.

  • Safety: plastic, not glass. Glue the cap on for homes with toddlers.

16Cereal box gingerbread house

Kids Christmas craft: a cereal box covered in brown paper and decorated as a gingerbread house with white paint icing lines and paper windows Save

Cover an empty cereal box in brown paper, then decorate with white paint "icing" lines, paper windows and a paper roof. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: cereal box, brown paper, white paint, glue, markers.

  • Safety: no candy needed. If you add some, it's a choking risk for younger siblings.

17Yarn-wrapped cardboard trees

Three cardboard Christmas trees wrapped in green yarn with a child's hands wrapping another on a wood table Save

Cut a cardboard triangle, notch the edges, and let kids wrap green yarn around and around. Tape the end on the back. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: none. Supplies: cardboard, green yarn, tape.

  • Safety: put yarn away after, out of reach of babies and toddlers.

18Paper star garland

Trace star shapes on yellow and white paper, cut them out, and tape them along a strip of string. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: paper, scissors, string, tape.

  • Safety: hang garland high, since string is a strangulation risk for little ones.

19Thumbprint lights card

Draw a curly black line across folded cardstock as a light strand, then press colorful thumbprints along it as bulbs. Ages: 4 to 8. Prep: 2 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: cardstock, black marker, washable ink pads or paint.

  • Safety: washable ink only. Wash hands before snack.

Christmas Crafts for Kids to Make, Ages 6 to 8

Big kids want crafts that look like the real thing. These take more steps and make good gifts for grandparents and teachers.

20Felt ornaments with a running stitch

An 8 year old's hands sewing a red felt star ornament with a plastic needle and white floss on a light wood table Save

Cut two matching felt shapes (a star, a mitten, a tree) and sew them together with a big plastic needle and embroidery floss. Stuff with a little cotton before closing. Ages: 6 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: none. Supplies: felt, plastic needle, embroidery floss, scissors.

  • Safety: plastic needles only, and keep them in a closed jar away from younger siblings.

213D paper Christmas tree

Standing 3D paper Christmas trees made of slotted green cardstock with marker ornaments on a wood table Save

Cut two matching tree shapes from green cardstock. Cut a slit from the top of one and from the bottom of the other, then slide them together so the tree stands up. Ages: 6 to 8. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: green cardstock, scissors, markers.

  • Safety: cardstock is tough to cut, so help with the slits.

22Pinecone gnomes

Christmas crafts for kids to make: three pinecone gnomes with red felt cone hats and white cotton beards on a wood table Save

Glue a felt cone hat and a cotton or felt beard onto a pinecone. A wooden bead makes a nose. Ages: 6 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: pinecones, felt, cotton, wooden beads, glue.

  • Safety: grown-ups run the hot glue gun. Bake foraged pinecones low to dry them out, and keep beads away from toddlers.

23Stamped gift tags

A grown-up cuts a star or tree shape into half a potato. Kids stamp tags on cardstock and write names once dry. Ages: 5 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: medium. Supplies: potato, knife (adult only), paint, cardstock, hole punch.

  • Safety: only adults use the knife. Kids do the stamping.

24Toilet paper roll elf

A toilet paper roll elf craft wrapped in red paper with a green paper hat and cotton pom on top, standing next to markers Save

Cover a tube in red paper, add a green paper hat with a cotton tuft and draw the details. It makes a fun side character for your elf's adventures. Ages: 4 to 8. Prep: 5 minutes. Mess: low. Supplies: toilet paper tube, red and green paper, glue, cotton ball, markers.

  • Safety: draw details on with marker for younger crafters instead of using googly eyes.

25Kindness ornament jar

Kids write small kind acts on paper strips ("help set the table"), roll them up and drop them in a jar. Pull one each December day. Ages: 6 to 8. Prep: 10 minutes. Mess: none. Supplies: paper, pencil, jar.

  • Safety: a plastic jar is safer than glass for younger siblings.

How to Run a Christmas Craft With Kids of Different Ages

Siblings rarely fit the same craft. Pick one theme, like reindeer, and give each child the version for their age: handprint card for the toddler, paper roll reindeer for the preschooler, a sewn felt reindeer for the 8 year old.

Before you start a craft with mixed ages

Christmas craft basics

More Holiday Fun for Kids

For toddlers who'd rather scoop than glue, try a Christmas sensory bin. The paper roll elf pairs well with our easy elf on the shelf ideas and funny elf setups. Crafting before December? Start with Thanksgiving crafts for kids.

Frequently asked questions

What are easy Christmas crafts for toddlers?

A handprint Christmas tree, a sticky contact paper tree, sponge-stamped trees and dot marker ornaments all work for ages 1 to 3. They use paint or paper only, with no small parts.

What Christmas crafts can a 5 year old do?

Folded paper snowflakes, a cereal box gingerbread house, yarn-wrapped cardboard trees and thumbprint light cards fit most 5 year olds. They can cut curves and follow three or four steps.

What Christmas crafts are good for 8 year olds?

Sewn felt ornaments, 3D paper trees, pinecone gnomes and stamped gift tags give older kids a real challenge. A grown-up still handles hot glue and knives.

What Christmas crafts make good gifts for grandparents?

Salt dough handprint ornaments, handprint reindeer cards and felt ornaments are favorites. Write the child's name and the year on the back.

Is salt dough safe for kids?

It's safe to craft with, but it isn't food. Salt dough is very salty, so supervise toddlers and hang finished ornaments where dogs can't reach them.

Pin with four photos of a green handprint Christmas tree, a paper plate Santa with cotton ball beard, pinecone gnomes and a child's hands sewing a felt star, text reads 25 Easy Kids Christmas Crafts, sorted by age.

Save it for later

Pin this to your Holiday Crafts board so it's there when you need it.

Save to Pinterest

About the author

Rowan Avery, Founder & Editor

Rowan Avery is the pen name of the independent publisher who founded Puddles & Play. Rowan isn't a teacher or childcare professional, so each activity is checked for age range, supplies and choking hazards against published child-safety guidance, with AI tools helping on research, drafts and images. Every activity is meant for adult-supervised play.

Reviewed by Rowan Avery, Founder & Editor. Read our editorial guidelines.

A human editor checks every Puddles & Play activity for ages, supplies and safety before it's published.

Love this? Save it for later. Save