The countdown to Christmas is on, the kids are buzzing with more energy than a squirrel on espresso, and you’re desperately trying to keep them entertained without resorting to just sticking them in front of a screen. I’ve been there. More times than I can count.
You need an outlet for that creative chaos, something that results in less mess on your walls and more festive cheer. That’s where this list comes in. I’ve rounded up 15 Christmas art activities that are actually fun (for both of you), use supplies you probably already have lurking in a drawer, and won’t make you want to pull your hair out.
So, grab a glue stick, put on your favorite playlist, and let’s get messy. 🙂
The Usual Suspects: Classic Crafts with a Twist
We all know the classics, but sometimes they need a little facelift to keep things interesting. Here are a few old favorites with a fresh spin.
1. Salt Dough Ornaments: The Eternal Favorite
If you’ve never made salt dough ornaments, where have you been?! This is a rite of passage. The recipe is stupidly simple: 1 cup of salt, 2 cups of flour, and about 1 cup of water. Mix it, knead it, and roll it out.
Here’s the twist: Don’t just use cookie cutters. Let the kids make handprint shapes, or use textured items like doilies or leaves pressed into the dough before baking. I did this with my niece last year, and she was absolutely mesmerized by the patterns.
- Pro Tip: Use a straw to poke a hole for the ribbon before you bake it. Learn from my mistakes. :/
- The Result: Handmade, treasured keepsakes that look adorable on the tree.
2. Paper Plate Angels: Simple & Sweet
We’ve all got a stack of paper plates, right? Instead of the standard flying saucer shape, fold one plate into a cone for the body and use a half-plate for the wings.
Why I love this: It’s a great way to use up scrap materials. Let the kids raid the craft bin for sequins, glitter glue, or even dried pasta to decorate the angel’s robe. Ever wondered why kids love pasta crafts so much? I think it’s just the sheer joy of gluing food to things. 😀
3. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes
Forget the generic plus-sign snowflakes. Show your kids how to glue popsicle sticks together at different angles to create more intricate, geometric designs.
The key is in the decoration. Let them paint the sticks white or blue, then add dots with Q-tips. Once they’re dry, glue on buttons or small pom-poms at the joints. It’s a fantastic fine motor skill workout disguised as art.
Getting Messy: Sensory-Focused Activities
Sometimes, you just have to lean into the mess. These activities are about the process, not just the final product. I’d recommend laying down a cheap plastic tablecloth first. You’re welcome.
4. Puffy Snow Paint
This stuff is like magic. It’s just shaving cream and white school glue mixed in equal parts. That’s it!
The mixture creates a fluffy, puffy paint that dries with a satisfyingly soft texture. Kids can paint snowmen, snow-covered trees, or just a glorious winter blizzard on a piece of cardstock.
- FYI: It dries puffy, so don’t panic if it looks alarmingly 3D when it’s wet.
- Cleanup: A warm damp cloth wipes away any stray drips easily.
5. Pinecone Christmas Trees
This is less of an art project and more of a “let’s see how many tiny things we can glue onto a pinecone” challenge. Go on a nature walk to collect some decent-sized pinecones first.
Once you’re home, let the kids paint the tips of the scales green or white. Then, the real fun begins. Provide little bowls of pom-poms, beads, and glitter glue. They can glue them on as ornaments. It’s a great way to practice that pincer grip!
6. Potato Stamp Gift Wrap
Why buy expensive gift wrap when you can make your own? It’s cheaper, more personal, and a great activity for a rainy afternoon.
Cut a potato in half and carve a simple shape into the flat surface—a tree, a star, a circle for an ornament. It doesn’t have to be perfect. IMO, the wonky ones have more charm. Give the kids some brown kraft paper and different colored paints, and let them go to town stamping away.
- The Result: Unique, personalized gift wrap that grandparents will absolutely fawn over.
A Touch of Whimsy: Crafts with Character
These activities always end up being the ones that make me laugh. They have a built-in personality that kids just love to exaggerate.
7. Cotton Ball Santa
This is a classic for a reason. Draw or print out a simple outline of Santa’s face. Then, give your child a pile of cotton balls and some glue.
The challenge: Create Santa’s beard. They can use whole cotton balls for a fluffy look, or pull them apart for a scraggly, more textured effect. It’s a simple, tactile activity that’s perfect for younger kids who aren’t ready for intricate steps.
8. Clothespin Reindeer
You know those wooden clothespins? The ones you never actually use for laundry? They make perfect reindeer bodies.
Paint the clothespin brown. Then, glue on some googly eyes and a small red pom-pom for the nose. For the antlers, you can use brown pipe cleaners twisted and glued to the back. Once they’re dry, you can clip them onto curtains, gift bags, or even use them as napkin holders at the kids’ table on Christmas day.
9. Egg Carton Bells
Start saving your egg cartons now! Cut apart the individual cups. Let your kids paint them gold, silver, or red.
Once dry, poke a small hole in the bottom of the cup, thread a pipe cleaner through, and tie a small jingle bell onto the end inside the cup. Fold the top of the pipe cleaner over to create a hanger. They actually jingle! It’s a delightful little craft that feels like a real toy.
Wall-Worthy Art: Projects to Display
Not everything has to be a 3D object that takes up space. These are flat art pieces that are beautiful enough to frame or hang on the fridge.
10. Chalk Pastel Christmas Lights
This is one of those “wow, that looks way harder than it is” projects. Give your kids a piece of black or dark blue construction paper and some vibrant chalk pastels.
Show them how to draw a simple string line across the paper. Then, have them draw oval shapes for the bulbs. The magic happens when they use their finger to smudge the pastel outward from the bulb, creating a soft “glow.” The result is stunning and super effective.
11. Winter Silhouette Painting
This is a fantastic way to teach kids about contrast. Have them paint a background with a cool wash of blues and purples for a winter sky. Let it dry completely.
Then, give them black paint and a small brush. Their job is to paint a silhouette in the foreground—a simple tree, a house, a deer. Because the background is so soft and colorful, the black silhouette really pops. It’s a very sophisticated look for such a simple concept.
12. Yarn-Wrapped Cardboard Trees
Cut out simple triangle shapes from recycled cardboard (cereal boxes are perfect!). Cut small notches along the two long edges of the triangle.
Give your child a length of green yarn and show them how to wrap it around the triangle, using the notches to keep the yarn from slipping. It’s a fantastic fine motor challenge. Once the whole triangle is wrapped, they can glue on tiny pom-poms or beads as ornaments.
Last-Minute Lifesavers
It’s Christmas Eve, you’ve run out of ideas, and you need something quick. I’ve got you.
13. Magazine Christmas Collages
Grab a stack of old holiday catalogs or magazines. Give your child a piece of paper, scissors, and a glue stick.
Challenge them to find and cut out specific things: “Can you find five red things?” “Can you find a picture of a present?” “Look for something shiny!” They can then arrange and glue them onto their paper to create a unique, found-object collage. It’s zero prep and keeps them busy for a surprising amount of time.
14. Christmas Tree Doily Cards
Doilies make perfect, instant Christmas trees. Give each child a small paper doily and some green paint or a green marker. They can color the doily green.
Then, simply glue it onto a folded piece of cardstock. Add a small star sticker or a drawn star on top, and you have an incredibly cute, textured Christmas card for a teacher or neighbor.
15. Fingerprint Light String Art
This is my absolute go-to for a quick, adorable project. Draw a simple wavy line on a piece of paper. Then, using different colored ink pads or washable paint pads, have your child press their fingertip onto the pad and then onto the paper along the line.
Each fingerprint becomes a bulb on the string of lights! Once the paint is dry, they can use a fine-tip marker to add little “caps” at the base of each fingerprint. It’s a perfect little keepsake of how tiny their hands were this year.
So there you have it: 15 ways to channel that pre-Christmas frenzy into something creative, memorable, and hopefully not too stressful. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection. It’s about making a mess, having a laugh, and creating something together. Some of my favorite ornaments are the ones that are lopsided and covered in too much glitter.
Now, go forth and get crafty! And please, for the love of all that is holy, put a drop cloth down first.
Happy Holidays! 🎄
