Crafting holiday ornaments with children is more than just an activity—it’s a way to freeze time, capturing their creativity and excitement in small keepsakes you’ll cherish for years. When planning ornament crafts for kids, the goal is to balance simplicity with imagination. You want projects that are easy enough for little hands to manage without frustration, but unique enough to stand out on the Christmas tree.
To get started, set up a “creation station” with a wipe-able tablecloth and organized trays for supplies. Most of the projects below rely on household staples and inexpensive craft store finds. You’ll want to have a basic toolkit ready:
- Adhesives: Washable school glue (PVA), glue sticks, and glue dots (safer than hot glue for young kids).
- Bases: Popsicle sticks, cardboard, wooden beads, pine cones, or clear plastic baubles.
- Decoration: Washable paints, biodegradable glitter, yarn scraps, sequins, buttons, and googly eyes.
- Tools: Kid-safe scissors, hole punches, and paintbrushes.
The process is simple: Prep the base materials ahead of time if the children are very young, explain the steps clearly, and let them take the creative reins. Imperfection is part of the charm—crooked smiles on snowmen and messy glitter only add to the memories!
1. “Melted Snowman” Puddle Ornaments
Instead of a perfect sphere, let kids embrace the mess! These ornaments look like a snowman who got a little too warm, making them hilarious and unique.
Materials Needed:
- White air-dry clay or salt dough
- Mini orange craft foam triangles (noses)
- Tiny twigs (arms)
- Mini buttons or sequins
- Black marker
- Ribbon for hanging
How-To Steps:
- Give each child a ball of white clay and ask them to “splat” it onto the table to create a flat, uneven puddle shape.
- Before it dries, have them press in the foam nose, twig arms, and buttons.
- Poke a hole at the top with a straw for the ribbon.
- Once dry, let them draw eyes and a mouth with the marker.
- Thread a ribbon through the hole to hang.
2. Yarn-Wrapped “Cookie Cutter” Shapes
This is a fantastic fine-motor skill activity that uses cookie cutters as a frame rather than a mold. The result is a soft, textured silhouette.
Materials Needed:
- Plastic or metal cookie cutters (simple shapes like stars or trees work best)
- Thick, multi-colored yarn or wool
- Glue
- Scissors
How-To Steps:
- Tie a knot of yarn around the cookie cutter to start.
- Let the child wrap the yarn around and around the cutter, covering the metal/plastic as much as they like. They can cross over the middle to create a web effect.
- Once they are happy with the coverage, tie off the end and tuck it inside the wrapping.
- Add a loop of yarn at the top for hanging.
3. Fingerprint “Reindeer Herd” Bulbs
Turn a plain bauble into a family of reindeer using just fingerprints. This is a great keepsake to see how small their fingers were!
Materials Needed:
- Solid color matte plastic baubles (white or light blue work best)
- Brown acrylic paint
- Red and black markers (fine tip)
- Wet wipes (for messy fingers!)
How-To Steps:
- Have the child dip their thumb or index finger into brown paint.
- Press the finger gently onto the bauble multiple times around the center to create the reindeer heads.
- Allow the paint to dry completely.
- Use markers to draw antlers, eyes, and a red nose on each fingerprint.
4. “Nature’s Tinsel” Pine Cone Pom-Poms
A colorful twist on the classic pine cone. Instead of glitter, children stuff soft, colorful pom-poms into the pine cone scales for a cozy, polka-dot look.
Materials Needed:
- Clean, dry pine cones
- Small multi-colored pom-poms (1cm size)
- White craft glue
- Twine
How-To Steps:
- Tie a piece of twine around the top of the pine cone for hanging.
- Put a small dot of glue on the inside of the pine cone scales.
- Have the child push a mini pom-pom into the glue spots.
- Continue until the pine cone is filled with colorful dots!
5. Popsicle Stick “Skiing Penguins”
Use popsicle sticks to create a little penguin character zooming down a slope. It creates a dynamic, action-packed ornament that kids love.
Materials Needed:
- Jumbo popsicle sticks (the skis)
- Wooden clothespins (the body)
- Black and white paint
- Orange felt scraps
- Toothpicks (ski poles)
How-To Steps:
- Paint the wooden clothespin black, leaving a white oval on the “tummy.”
- Paint a jumbo popsicle stick a bright color for the skis.
- Glue the clothespin (penguin) standing onto the middle of the popsicle stick.
- Glue toothpicks to the side of the clothespin as ski poles and add a tiny orange felt beak.
6. “Galaxy in a Jar” Mini Ornaments
Using tiny clear plastic craft jars (often found in the jewelry aisle), kids can make mesmerizing, swirling galaxy ornaments using cotton and water.
Materials Needed:
- Small clear plastic craft jars with lids
- Cotton balls
- Water
- Food coloring (blue, purple, pink)
- Bio-glitter (silver)
How-To Steps:
- Fill the jar 1/3 full with water and add a drop of blue paint or food coloring.
- Stretch out a cotton ball and push it into the water until submerged. Add glitter.
- Repeat the process with a different color (e.g., purple) for the next layer.
- Seal the lid tight with strong glue. Shake slightly to see the shimmer!
- Tie a ribbon around the neck of the jar to hang.
7. Button Wreath “Donuts”
A clever optical illusion! By gluing buttons onto a small cardboard ring, kids can create ornaments that look like colorful donuts or abstract wreaths.
Materials Needed:
- Cardboard cut into small circles with the centers removed (donut shape)
- Assorted colorful buttons
- Glue
- Ribbon
How-To Steps:
- Provide the cardboard rings.
- Let children glue layers of buttons onto the ring, overlapping them to cover the cardboard completely.
- They can mix colors for a “sprinkle” look or do monochrome wreaths.
- Loop a ribbon through the center hole to finish.
8. Paper Straw “Christmas Mazes”
This is an interactive ornament! Kids build a tiny maze inside a clear plastic coaster or lid, creating a game they can play even when it’s hanging on the tree.
Materials Needed:
- Clear plastic fillable ornament halves or clear jar lids
- Paper straws (cut into small pieces)
- A small bead or marble
- Cardstock circles (to fit the lid/ornament)
- Glue
How-To Steps:
- Glue paper straw pieces onto the cardstock circle to create a maze pattern.
- Place the bead on the cardstock inside the maze.
- Glue the clear plastic cover over the top to seal the maze.
- Attach a string to the top. Kids can tilt the ornament to move the bead through the maze!
9. “Pasta Angel” Choir
An update on the classic pasta craft. Using different pasta shapes (farfalle for wings, rigatoni for bodies), kids can construct an entire choir of angels.
Materials Needed:
- Rigatoni (body), Farfalle/Bow-tie (wings), small wooden beads (head)
- White and Gold paint
- Fine-tip permanent marker
- Hot glue (adult supervision required for assembly) or strong tacky glue
How-To Steps:
- Glue the wooden bead to the top of the rigatoni.
- Glue the bow-tie pasta to the back of the rigatoni.
- Once the glue is set, let the kids paint the entire angel white or gold.
- Draw a simple smiling face on the wooden bead.
- Make a halo from a small piece of pipe cleaner or wire and glue it on.
10. Scrabble Tile “Wish List”
Kids can spell out their holiday wishes (“JOY,” “TOYS,” “SNOW,” “LOVE”) using Scrabble tiles glued onto festive ribbon. It looks vintage and personalized.
Materials Needed:
- Wooden letter tiles (Scrabble style)
- Wide, stiff ribbon (plaid or burlap works well)
- Glue gun or strong craft glue
- Small embellishments (mini bows, holly)
How-To Steps:
- Cut a strip of ribbon about 6 inches long.
- Have the child pick letters to spell a word (e.g., SANTA, HOPE).
- Glue the tiles vertically down the ribbon.
- Fold the top of the ribbon over to make a loop for hanging.
- Glue a small bow or holly sprig at the top of the tile stack for decoration.
