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What Are the Different Types of Christmas Crafts for Kids?

Sheri Cyprus
Sheri Cyprus

The different types of Christmas crafts for kids include projects to make ornaments, gifts and seasonal items. For instance, a child may turn a shoebox into a diorama snow or Nativity scene. He or she may make a gift that doesn't have a Christmas theme, but is made to give a family member or friend for a holiday present. Making greeting cards or gift wrap are other types of Christmas crafts for kids. There are also many different kinds of Christmas craft kits available for children.

Children's craft kits with Christmas-themed projects typically include all of the materials needed and are labeled with a suggested age group. Ornaments, Advent calendars, stockings, bookmarks, napkin rings and fridge magnets are just some of the different Christmas crafts for kids available in kit form. A kit may include a small clay plant pot with items such as brown pipe cleaners and plastic "googly" eyes for children to glue onto to it to create a container that looks like a reindeer. Other kits include felt pieces to make into a bookmark, fridge magnet set, Advent calendar or holiday stocking. Beaded craft kits for kids are also popular and may include ornament and napkin ring projects.

Construction paper is often used in children's holiday crafts.
Construction paper is often used in children's holiday crafts.

Gift wrap and greeting card projects may also be sold in Christmas project kits for children or they could be made from supplies bought separately. Plain sheets of paper can be stamped by kids using rubber stamps. For younger children, or to help avoid a mess, stampers that contain ink in them may be used. Older kids may use ink pads and stamps that aren't pre-filled with ink. Colored construction paper, markers or crayons and glitter may all be used to make Christmas greeting cards. Christmas crafts for kids typically include the traditional holiday colors of red and green.

Making greeting cards or gift wrap are fun Christmas crafts for kids.
Making greeting cards or gift wrap are fun Christmas crafts for kids.

Many Christmas arts and crafts projects for kids involve reusing items around the home to make gifts. For instance, a plastic margarine or chip dip container with a lid may feature glued on paper or felt plus a decorative scene on the top such as a snowman made from cotton balls. A similar artistic treatment could be given to a food can to create a pencil holder. Cardboard shoeboxes turned on their side to glue many different items to create a winter or Nativity scene are classic Christmas crafts for kids.

Discussion Comments

browncoat

Some easy Christmas crafts for kids is to get them helping with the food, especially if you are hosting for Christmas day. Even if you aren't, they can make things like fudge to give as presents.

If you want to extend them a little bit, you can get them to design the packaging and cards for all the presents as well.

When I was a kid we would do this and we would put all kinds of glitter and ribbons on the box. We'd make fudge and coconut ice and sometimes some chocolates as well.

It was particularly good once my older sister was old enough to be able to supervise us, because it kept us out of our mother's way while she was getting her own work done for the holiday.

MrsPramm

@umbra21 - My favorite thing to do with kids for Christmas crafts is just to bring out a whole bunch of craft materials and ask them to make ornaments for the tree. I usually have a few examples on hand that they can copy, or I'll provide some books with different ideas. That way they can choose what they want to do and have complete agency over it, including if they just want to make something up on the spot.

umbra21

You have to be careful with this kind of thing to make it something the kid is going to enjoy. My mother was very insistent last year that my nephew cut out some paper figures to make a nativity and he did it but he complained the whole time. He didn't see the point of it and took so long that we had no time to help him set up the scene.

So basically, he did something he disliked and never even got the result of it to keep, which is basically the opposite of what my mother was hoping for.

Kids love doing crafty stuff, but it has to involve a lot of imagination. Christmas kids crafts that are just coloring inside the lines or cutting out figures aren't going to make them happy.

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    • Construction paper is often used in children's holiday crafts.
      By: smuay
      Construction paper is often used in children's holiday crafts.
    • Making greeting cards or gift wrap are fun Christmas crafts for kids.
      By: vodolej
      Making greeting cards or gift wrap are fun Christmas crafts for kids.
    • Many craft kits allow kids to decorate their own Christmas ornaments.
      By: sheva_ua
      Many craft kits allow kids to decorate their own Christmas ornaments.
    • Inexpensive and kid-friendly Christmas ornaments can be made out of felt.
      By: Ekaterina Garyuk
      Inexpensive and kid-friendly Christmas ornaments can be made out of felt.
    • Different origami crafts are fun for kids and parents.
      By: lily
      Different origami crafts are fun for kids and parents.
    • Gift wrap and card projects are ideal for kids.
      By: Africa Studio
      Gift wrap and card projects are ideal for kids.