Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids Homemade Christmas Ornaments

On this page is my collection of easy Christmas Crafts for kids.

Enjoy and have a GREAT Christmas!


Homemade Playdough Ornaments

Christmas ornament mooseFor a great playdough for your children, mix 1 cup of salt, and 2 cups of flour, and add enough water to make a soft dough. Add any food coloring desired.

Roll out and cut with decorative cookie cutters. poke a hole in the top, add sparkles or sequins, and let them dry. String on yarn or ribbon and hang on the tree.

Baker's Clay "This is a NON-EDIBLE cookie recipe that makes lovely ornaments to hang on your Christmas Tree." Original recipe yield: 5 cups of dough.

INGREDIENTS: 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup salt 1 1/2 cups water

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix the flour, salt and water. Knead dough until smooth. Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour. Once cool paint with colors, if desired.

Click here for another recipe for Play-Doh, and here's a different type of Playdough

Also see this Apple Cinnamon Clay.

Scroll to the bottom of this cooking website page to see an edible Play Dough made from peanut butter


Plastic Scoop Ornaments

Save the plastic scoops from laundry containers, or koolaid drink mixes. Create a scene inside the scoop using craft supplies. Spray paint the outside, and drill a hole through the center of the handle, and insert a ribbon to hang it on your tree.


Christmas Card Ornaments

Cut circles out of old christmas cards to the size of plastic container lids. Glue the cutouts to the lids. Decorate with glue and sparkles, then cut a hole and hang with a colorful ribbon.

Cut circles of christmas card scenes the same size by using a plastic lid. Loop a piece of yarn or ribbon and glue to one of the circles. Glue the other circle on the back. When it is hanging on the tree, there will be a design on both sides.


Egg Carton Christmas Bells

Make Christmas bells by cutting an egg carton up. Cover each bell shape with aluminum foil. Use yarn threaded on a large needle, insert through the bottom of the bell, then insert it back thru the top and cut and tie it off. The knot will be on the inside now.


Other Homemade Ornaments

minature presentsHere's another cute little idea. These are small squares of Styrofoam, wrapped like little presents.

The wrapping paper is not foil, but shiny like foil, and tied in a bow with a thin gold string.

I have always liked these because they are so light on the tree. See a picture taken from the top

Also in the Christmas Ornament Basket was some crocheted butterfly refrigerator magnets.and three flannel santas (see large pic) and two ceramic santas

My sister sent me these Christmas chocolates from Indiana, check them out. Yum Yum! They are called chocolate meltaways. She bought them here at Libs candy


Christmas Tree Streamers

Make colorful beads out of cut macaroni (like ziti) and dunking them into assorted food colors. Drain and dry completely. Pour the beads into individual cups, and let the children string them on yarn. Put the strings on the tree.


Popcorn Balls Garland

Prepare one recipe of Popcorn Balls. To garland your Christmas tree, shape into tiny balls. Using a darning needle, string on baby ribbon.

Make Christmas cookie ornaments

Did you know the first Animal Crackers were not made for eating... they were made as Christmas tree decorations!


Paper Snowflakes

During my childhood years I must have made a ton of paper snowflakes. You know, the kind that you fold the paper into eighths and cut triangles or designs with scissors. After a little practice, you can make some pretty fancy designs.


Yarn Doll

You will need: a ball of yarn, scissors, and a book. Take the yarn and wrap it around the book 50 times. Next, cut the yarn and tie it on another piece of yarn that is already around the book. Then, slide the yarn off the book so that it is in a loop. Cut the bottom of the loop and tie a short piece of yarn around the top of the part that is still connected.

Separate a little of the yarn on each side and cut them as short as you want the arms to be. Tie another short piece of yarn in the middle of the doll to make the waist. Then take two more short pieces of string and tie them at the bottom of the arms to make the hands.

To make a boy doll, separate the yarn at the bottom and tie two short pieces of yarn at the bottom of the separated pieces of yarn to make the legs and feet. If you want a girl doll, don't make legs and feet.

Crochet an Easy Christmas Animal Ornament - crocheted animal ornaments or Make some Felt Ornaments


Orange Pomanders

Make these 5 to 6 weeks before Christmas!

A firm orange
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
3/8 inch masking tape
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
a fine knitting needle, nail, awl or scewer
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 feet of 1/2 inch ribbon - cut in half
waxed paper (grease proof)
Whole cloves (approx 1 oz per orange)

Note: Ground oris root (1 tablespoon) mixed in with the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger helps to preserve the pomander.

Mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and oris root (optional). Set aside. Start at stem end of the orange. Wrap tape around the orange. Wrap a second piece of tape in the same manner so that the orange is divided into quarters.

Using an a knitting needle or other sharp object, poke holes into the orange next to the tape. Insert a clove in each hole. Make holes as close together as possible creating your own design. Remove the tape.

To make extra spicey, roll in cinnamon mixture. This step is optional. Lay ribbon in the space left by the tape. Tie up at the top.

To preserve, place in a cool, dark closet wrapped in waxed paper (grease proof) until it is hard and dry - approx 5-6 weeks. It will shrink as it dries and smell spicey for years. These make nice Christmas gifts or a little something to give at any time of the year.

Buy the ground oris root, and bulk whole cloves on Ebay.


Christmas Ideas and Tips

1. To keep toddlers from getting to the christmas tree and presents, why not decorate their old playpen and put the tree and presents in there.

2. If you put your presents under the tree before christmas, keep the kids from knowing whose is whose by attaching numbers. The secret name that goes with the number should be revealed Christmas Day.

3. To wrap an extra large Christmas present, buy a paper Christmas tablecloth. A lot less hastle and cheaper too.

4. Reuse cards you get for any occasion by putting a little household bleach on a cloth and rubbing gently over the handwriting.

5. For a last minute gift, keep a popular book or cookbook on hand, and inscribe it at the last minute.

6. Collect old decorative plates at yard sales, auctions or flea markets. At Christmastime bake Christmas cookies and Christmas Candy Ornaments, and place them on these plates, wrap in cellophane and tie with a ribbon or bow. Or try Rolled Christmas Butter Cookies. You can even make a Gingerbread House!

How to Make a Christmas Bow


Easy Centerpiece Idea

Need an easy centerpiece for the dining room table or an end table? Fill a clear glass bowl with different sized and colored Christmas Tree Ball Ornaments.

Put the largest on the bottom, the smallest on the top. Pull out and save the hangers and keep that end of the ball out of sight. For a taller arrangement, do the same thing with one of the large but inexpensive glass brandy snifers used for terrariums or any tall, clear glass container.

Make a Crystal Garden if you can find some "bluing."


Window Stencils

If your children insist on window stenciling try these washable ideas.

1. Give each child a bottle of white shoe polish. It applies neatly to windows while they draw and wipes off with a damp sponge.

2. Let the kids try spray stenciling with an aerosol deoderant. Many brands, dry white and are perfect for snowflakes and holiday greetings.

Here's a recipe for finger paints, and a recipe for soap crayons.

How to make homemade soap bubbles for the kids.


More Fun Christmas Crafts

Christmas Costume Ideas
Crochet Christmas Ornaments
Make Felt Ornaments
Make a Real Christmas Wreath
Make a Holly Pinecone Wreath
Make a Christmas Bow
Start a Christmas Tradition
Magazines for Toddlers