You know that moment when you run out of gift tags and your toddler is climbing the furniture? Yeah, me too. Instead of buying more, why not turn craft time into a two-for-one deal?
These 34 Christmas crafts for kids do double duty. They hang on your tree as ornaments, then pop off to label presents. Let’s get messy.
1. Salt Dough Handprint Tags
Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup water. Roll it out and press your child’s hand into the dough.
Use a straw to poke a hole at the top. Bake at 200°F for 2 hours, then paint names on the palm.
2. Popsicle Stick Photo Frames
Glue four popsicle sticks into a square. Your kid paints it red or green, then you tape a tiny photo of them inside.
Write “To: Grandma” on the back with a sharpie. Add a ribbon loop through the top stick – now it’s a tag and a keepsake ornament.
3. Felt Mitten Tags
Cut two mitten shapes from red felt. Your child sews (or glues) the edges, leaving the top open.
Stuff a small piece of cotton inside, then glue a loop of string on top. Write a name on a mini paper tag and tuck it in the mitten.
4. Clothespin Reindeer
Paint a wooden clothespin brown. Glue on googly eyes, a red pom-pom nose, and two tiny twigs for antlers.
Clip it onto a gift bag, then hang it from the tree using the clip itself. My son made five of these last Christmas and refused to give any away.
5. Cinnamon Stick Bundles
Tie three small cinnamon sticks together with red and white baker’s twine. Leave a long loop at the top.
Your kid can add a tiny bell or a bead. The best part? It smells like Christmas and you write the recipient’s name on a small tag tied to the bundle.
6. Paper Plate Wreaths
Cut the center out of a paper plate. Have your child glue on green tissue paper squares, then add red pom-pom berries.
Punch a hole and thread a ribbon. Write a name on the back with a metallic marker – it’s flat enough to tape onto a present too.
7. Beaded Candy Canes
Give your kid red and white pony beads and a pipe cleaner. They bend the pipe cleaner into a cane shape and thread the beads on.
Twist the ends to secure, then form a small loop at the top. Thread a string through the loop, and use a permanent marker on a bead to write initials.
8. Button Snowmen
Sew three white buttons together in a row. Add two tiny black buttons for eyes and orange felt for a carrot nose.
Glue a loop of embroidery floss on the top button. Flip it over and write “Snow Much Fun” plus a name on the back button.
9. Yogurt Cup Bells
Save a small yogurt cup. Your child paints it gold or silver, then glues a jingle bell to the bottom.
Poke two holes in the top rim and thread a ribbon through. Write the gift recipient’s name around the rim with glitter glue.
10. Cardboard Star Tags
Cut a star shape from a cereal box. Cover it with aluminum foil and let your kid crumple it slightly for texture.
Punch a hole in one point. Hang it as is, or write a name on the foil with a ballpoint pen. It presses into the foil nicely.
11. Pinecone Owls
Find a small pinecone. Your kid glues on felt wings, googly eyes, and a tiny yellow felt beak.
Tie a string around the top scales. Write a name on a small paper tag and tie it to the string – the pinecone hangs like a charm.
12. Scrabble Tile Names
Grab old Scrabble tiles or wooden letter beads. Your child strings them onto elastic cord to spell a name.
Tie a loop at the top and add a small bell. This becomes a personalized ornament, and you can hang it directly on the gift handle.
13. Pasta Snowflakes
Boil some fusilli or rotini pasta. Let your kid arrange three or four pieces into a snowflake shape on wax paper.
Glue the intersections, then paint white with silver glitter. Thread a ribbon through the center – write a name on the back with a fine marker.
14. Fingerprint Reindeer Tags
Press your child’s brown-painted thumb onto a white cardstock circle. Add two googly eyes and a red dot for the nose.
Use a brown marker to draw antlers. Punch a hole at the top, add a string, and write “From: [Kid’s Name]” on the back.
15. Bottle Cap Santas
Save a red bottle cap. Your kid glues on a tiny cotton ball beard and a small black felt belt.
Glue a loop of string inside the cap’s rim. Write a name on the underside with a white paint pen – it hides perfectly.
16. Twig Triangles
Gather three small straight twigs. Your kid ties them together at the ends with green yarn to form a triangle.
Wrap more yarn around the twigs. Tie a loop at the top point, then use a marker on one twig to write a name.
17. Egg Carton Bells
Cut a single cup from an egg carton. Paint it gold, then poke a hole in the top.
Thread a ribbon through the hole and tie a knot inside. Write a name on the outside with a metallic marker – it looks like a tiny bell.
18. Pom-Pom Penguins
Glue a black pom-pom onto a white pom-pom. Add googly eyes and an orange felt triangle for a beak.
Attach a small paperclip bent into a hook at the top. Write a name on a sticky label and wrap it around the middle.
19. Maple Leaf Rubbings
Place a real maple leaf under a piece of thin paper. Your kid rubs a red or green crayon over it to reveal the veins.
Cut out the leaf shape, punch a hole, and add a string. Flip it over and write a gift tag message on the blank side.
20. Clay Fingerprint Hearts
Roll out air-dry clay. Have your child press their thumb into the clay to make a heart shape (two thumbprints meeting).
Poke a hole at the top. After drying, paint it and write a name with a fine brush. My daughter gave these to her teachers, and they still hang them up.
21. Soda Tab Stars
Collect six soda can tabs. Your kid links them together in a star pattern using the tabs’ holes.
Weave a ribbon through the top tab. Use a permanent marker to write a short name on one of the tabs.
22. Walnut Shell Boats
Crack a walnut in half carefully. Glue a toothpick mast inside with a small paper sail.
Tie a thread to the toothpick top. Write the recipient’s name on the sail – this one’s better for small gifts or as a tree decoration.
23. Corrugated Cardboard Trees
Cut a triangle from corrugated cardboard. Your kid paints it green and glues on mini pom-pom ornaments.
Punch a hole at the top. Write “Merry Christmas” and a name on the back with a white gel pen.
24. Plastic Lid Wreaths
Take a clear plastic lid from a sour cream container. Your child glues green beans or lentils around the rim in a circle.
Add a red ribbon bow at the bottom. Thread a string through a hole you melt (carefully!) in the top – then write on the lid center with a marker.
25. Matchbox Sleds
Use a small matchbox. Cover it with red paper and glue on two toothpick runners.
Tie a string around the box. Open the drawer slightly and write a name on the inside – it’s a hidden tag.
26. Sponge Stamp Tags
Cut a kitchen sponge into a Christmas tree shape. Your kid dips it in green paint and stamps onto cardstock.
Cut out the stamped tree, add a hole and string. Write “To:” on the back – quick, easy, and no two look alike.
27. Cotton Ball Sheep
Glue cotton balls onto a clothespin. Add tiny black paper ears and eyes.
Clip the clothespin onto a gift bag. Hang it from the tree by the clip – write a name on the cotton with a fine marker.
28. Origami Gift Boxes
Fold a small origami box from festive paper. Your kid can do the simple box fold (plenty of YouTube videos help).
Poke a hole in one flap and add a ribbon. Write the recipient’s name on the bottom – the box itself becomes the tag and holds a tiny candy.
29. Yarn Wrapped Letters
Cut a large letter (first initial) from cardboard. Your child wraps colorful yarn around it until covered.
Tie a loop at the top. Hang it on the tree, then untie the loop to attach to a present. IMO, this is the easiest last-minute craft.
30. Coffee Filter Angels
Fold a coffee filter in half, then in half again. Your kid paints it with watercolors.
Clip the center with a clothespin (that’s the body). Draw a face on the clothespin and write a name on the filter edge.
31. Lollipop Snowmen
Wrap a round lollipop in a white tissue. Your child ties a ribbon around the stick to make a scarf.
Draw a face on the tissue with markers. The lollipop stick becomes the hanging loop – and the tag is the candy itself.
32. Jar Lid Wreaths
Paint a mason jar lid ring green. Glue on small red beads and a miniature bow.
Screw the lid insert back in (or leave it out). Write a name on the insert with a paint pen, then hang the whole ring from a ribbon.
33. Puzzle Piece Reindeer
Take a jigsaw puzzle piece from an old set. Your kid paints it brown and adds googly eyes plus a red pom-pom nose.
Glue a small paperclip loop on the back. Flip it over – the flat back is perfect for writing “To: Uncle John.”
34. Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes
Twist a red and a white pipe cleaner together. Your child bends it into a cane shape.
Leave a small loop at the top. Write a name on a tiny sticker and wrap it around the middle – these are practically indestructible.
You did it. Thirty-four crafts that save you from buying gift tags and add homemade charm to your tree. Pick three or four to start – don’t burn out trying to make all of them in one night. Grab some glue, corral the kids, and remember that lopsided ornaments are the ones you’ll miss most when they’re grown. Now go make a mess. Your tree and your presents will thank you.