Simple Holiday Crafts to Make With Your Kids

The holiday season is a magical time for family bonding, and what better way to create lasting memories than with some fun, budget-friendly holiday crafts? These simple activities are perfect for little hands and busy moms alike, focusing on creativity and connection without the stress. Plus, they’re a great way to sneak in some screen-free time!

Here are a few easy, delightful lil’ craft ideas to try with your kids this holiday season:

Setup Time:

5 minutes

Supplies:

White paper (or old magazines), scissors 

How-To:

1. Fold a sheet of paper into quarters or eighths

2. Snip away small shapes along the edges

3. Unfold to reveal a beautiful, unique snowflake design!

Let your kids experiment with different shapes and folds, to see how they turn out each time. Stick on the snowflakes to decorate your windows, or string them together for a festive garland.

Setup Time:

5 -10 minutes

Supplies:  

Salt dough (flour, salt, and water), cookie cutters, paint, or whatever other craft supplies you like

 
How-To:  

1. Combine 2 cups of flour, ½ cup of salt, and ¾ cup of water to make a simple dough

2. Use cookie cutters to shape festive designs, then bake at 220°F for 1.5-2 hours until dry

3. Once they’ve cooled, decorate!

Setup Time: 

5 -10 minutes

 
Supplies: 

Clear globe ornaments (available at craft stores), cotton balls, small knick-knacks 

 
How-To: 

Grab some see-through globe ornaments from Micheals (or somewhere similar) and fill them with cotton balls to be “snow” — or get your kids to add glitter, tiny holiday trinkets, or even handwritten notes

These ornaments make lovely keepsakes or gifts for family members. 

Setup Time:

5 minutes

Supplies:

Big roll of brown paper, markers, crayons, paints, or stamps

How-To:  

Lay out the paper and let the kiddos draw, stamp, or paint designs to create personalized wrapping paper

The result? A one-of-a-kind wrapping paper that’s as special as the gift itself!

Setup Time:

5 - 10 minutes

Supplies:

Small trinkets (like ornaments or candy canes) or paper cut-outs, a checklist of the items to find

 
How-To: 

1. Hide festive items around your home ( or use these cut-outs as a template )

2. Create or print out a checklist for your kids to find them

Add an educational twist by asking your kids to count the items, or to sort them by color once they’ve found them. This is a fun activity to do before you open up gifts, or while you’re waiting  for your holiday food to be ready.

Setup Time:

5 minutes

Supplies:  

A large cardboard gingerbread house  (or pre-purchased kit) , markers, stickers

 
How-To: 

1. Set up the cardboard house and let the kids go wild coloring, decorating, and customizing their very own life-sized gingerbread home!

2. This is a great “big project” for kids to work on throughout the season, combining creativity with imaginative play

Setup Time:

5 - 10 minutes

 
Supplies:

Paper plates, craft paper, cotton balls, glue, markers, craft sticks

 
How-To: 

1. Cut the center out of a paper plate to create a mask shape

2. Decorate with cotton to make Santa’s beard, or add a scarf and buttons to make a snowman. Attach a craft stick to the base, so you can hold up the mask.

3. Let your kids create their own characters with unique designs!

Setup Time:

10 minutes

 
Supplies:

A felt Christmas tree kit  (or green felt, colored felt for decorations, and Velcro)

 
How-To: 

Let the kids decorate the tree by sticking felt ornaments and decorations right onto it

This reusable craft is perfect for little ones, keeping them engaged while you work on other holiday prep.