25 Christmas Crafts for Kids That Make Great Keepsakes

December moves fast when kids are small. Between school parties and weekend errands, the season can blur past, yet the crafts kids make during these weeks often outlast the toys. A handprint keepsake from age three still brings a smile at thirteen, and that is why Christmas crafts for kids deserve a spot on your list.

These 25 ideas focus on keepsakes, the kind of projects that end up boxed with care each year and opened with happy smiles next Christmas. Most use supplies from the craft drawer, and each project suits a range of ages with a little adult help.

Pick one for a quiet day or work through a few across the month. Either way, the finished pieces double as gifts, which makes the whole season feel extra special.

1. Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments

Stir the flour and salt, then work in water until a firm dough forms, and roll it half an inch thick. Press your child’s hand firmly in the center, cut a wide circle around the print, poke a hole near the top, and bake at 200 degrees for three hours.

Once cool, kids paint the print while an adult adds the year on the back. Thread ribbon through the hole and hang it front and center, since loved ones always ask for this keepsake first.

2. Thumbprint Christmas Light Cards

Fold white cardstock in half, then draw a loose swag line across the front with a black marker. Kids press inked thumbs along the line with small gaps between prints, and each print turns into a glowing bulb once you draw a tiny cap above it.

Add a greeting inside and mail the cards to friends and teachers. Toddlers love the simple stamping motion, while older kids enjoy mixing ink colors for a rainbow strand.

3. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes

Glue four craft sticks into a plus sign and add four more on the slant. Let the glue set for twenty minutes before you paint. Kids paint the eight-point star white or icy blue, sprinkle glitter over the wet paint, and shake the extra onto paper.

Tie fishing line through one tip and hang the snowflakes in a window. Each child angles the sticks their own way, so no two flakes match. An adult can add spray sealer outdoors to keep the glitter in place.

4. Pinecone Mini Christmas Trees

Stand wide, open pinecones tip-down on small wooden disks so they look like tiny trees. Kids dab green paint on the scale tips, add white dots for snow, and glue tiny pom-poms on top after the paint dries.

Line a few along a mantel and they look like a tiny forest. Store them in a rigid box with tissue between layers so they keep their shape for years. The pinecone hunt on a winter walk starts the fun early.

5. Handprint Reindeer Art

Paint your child’s hand brown and press it onto heavy paper with fingers spread wide to form the antlers. After the print dries, add a red pom-pom nose with two googly eyes above it, then draw a smile with black marker.

Slip the page into a cheap frame and note the child’s name and age on the back in pencil. The print captures how small those hands once were, which parents love most. It also makes a sweet gift for those far away.

6. Cinnamon Stick Bundles

Gather three cinnamon sticks and tie them at the middle with red twine. Tuck faux leaves behind the knot. Kids arrange the pieces while an adult secures them with hot glue, and a dried orange slice adds classic charm.

Hang the bundle on the tree, tie it to a gift, or tuck it into a stocking. The warm scent fades after a season, but the bundle stores well in a drawer. Toddlers can help arrange the pieces, which makes this a fine first craft.

7. Cotton Ball Snowmen

Glue three large cotton balls in a row on navy cardstock, pressing gently so they stay fluffy. Kids add a paper hat, an orange felt carrot nose, and small black dots for eyes and buttons.

Frame the finished art for a winter wall display. The soft texture invites little hands to touch it, so toddlers enjoy this one too. Write the year on the back and keep it to mark one small winter.

8. Paper Plate Santa Faces

Paint the center of a paper plate peach and let it dry all the way. Glue cotton balls around the outer edge for a fluffy beard and add a red paper hat with a cotton pom-pom tip. Draw simple eyes and a smile on the peach center.

Punch a hole near the top and hang Santa on a door or window. Kids love showing it to guests all month long. The steps are simple and cheap, so this works well as a classroom party craft.

9. Felt Gingerbread Men

Trace a cookie cutter onto brown felt and cut two matching shapes per piece. Kids decorate one side with buttons or fabric paint, then an adult stitches or hot-glues the layers, leaving a gap for a little stuffing.

Add a ribbon loop for hanging. These soft pieces survive drops and small toddler hands. Stitch each child’s name on the back and the set becomes a yearly tradition. The felt holds its color, so they look fresh each year.

10. Cardboard Tube Reindeer

Cut empty paper tubes into four-inch sections and let kids paint them brown. Fold brown pipe cleaners into antlers and glue them inside the top, then add googly eyes and a red pom-pom nose with small felt ears.

Glue a ribbon loop on the back for hanging. Line them on a shelf or tie them to gifts as tags with the child’s name on the back. Turning old tubes into something worth keeping feels pretty great for kids.

11. Button Christmas Tree Cards

Draw a triangle tree outline on a folded card front. Kids fill it by gluing green buttons in many sizes inside the lines, then add a gold button star on top and a brown button trunk below.

Write a message inside and mail them out. Sorting buttons by shade keeps younger kids busy and builds fine motor skills. Loved ones often keep these on the mantel long after the holidays end.

12. Footprint Santa Sleigh Prints

Paint your child’s sole red and press it on white paper to form Santa’s sleigh. Add brown thumbprint reindeer pulling it across the page with white paint dots for snow. Finish with black marker lines for runners and harness.

Frame one for the hallway and gift the rest to friends. The footprint captures one age in a way that feels truly special, which is why parents save these prints for decades. It pairs well with handprint reindeer art.

13. Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

Twist one red and one white pipe cleaner from top to bottom, then bend the top into a hook. Kids manage the twisting on their own since the wire core holds its shape well. Tie a small green bow at the bend.

Hang a dozen on the tree or use them as napkin rings. They keep their shape in storage if laid flat, and the colors stay bright for years. The supplies fit in a zip bag, so this travels well too.

14. Ribbon Christmas Tree Cards

Cut green ribbon into strips that shorten as they go, then glue them across a folded card in stacked rows to build a tree. Top it with a gold star sticker and add a small brown trunk at the bottom.

These look nicer than the work they take, so they impress teachers. Let kids pick patterned ribbons they like. The finished cards also tuck into stockings as a bonus surprise.

15. Bead Icicle Ornaments

Thread clear and icy-blue pony beads onto a twelve-inch craft wire, leaving two inches empty at the top. Twist the top into a hanging loop and curl the bottom into a tight spiral so beads cannot slide off.

Hang them where light catches the beads, like a window or the tree’s outer branches. They sparkle like real ice in the sun, which delights kids of all ages. Store flat between tissue sheets to keep the wire straight.

16. Craft Stick Sled Ornaments

Lay two craft sticks side by side as runners and glue five shorter sticks across them. After thirty minutes of drying, kids paint the sled red or green and write their name along one runner. Tie twine at the front for a pull string.

Hang the sled on the tree or prop it in a winter scene. The name turns a simple craft into a keepsake that marks one Christmas. These also dress up wrapped gifts that recipients keep.

17. Fingerprint Holly Wreath

Draw a light pencil circle on white cardstock as a guide. Kids stamp green prints around it, layered a bit so no paper shows, then add red thumbprint berries in clusters of three once dry.

Erase the pencil line and frame the wreath or glue it to a card front. Each print differs, which gives the piece a lovely handmade quality all its own. Siblings can each claim a section of the wreath.

18. Paper Chain Countdown Garland

Cut red and green paper into one-inch strips about six inches long. Loop the first strip into a circle, then thread each new strip through the last loop before closing it. Count twenty-five links for a Christmas countdown.

Hang the chain across a mantel and remove one link each day as Christmas nears. Kids love the daily ritual. Save a few dated links each year and the collection tells the story of many Decembers.

19. Tissue Paper Stained-Glass Stars

Cut two matching star frames from black craft paper. Kids cover one frame’s back with colorful tissue squares using a glue stick, layering colors like stained glass. Sandwich it with the second frame and trim the edges.

Tape the stars to a sunny window and watch light glow through the colors. They fold flat, so they mail to neighbors as gifts. The black frame gives a polished look kids feel proud of.

20. Painted Pinecone Ornaments

Brush the cones with white, gold, or silver paint, working color into the crevices between scales. While tacky, kids sprinkle fine glitter on top and set them on wax paper to dry. Add a small eye hook or twine loop for hanging.

These look smart mixed with store-bought ones, and guests rarely guess kids made them. Paint seals each cone so it holds its shape for seasons. Gathering cones on a fall walk starts the fun early.

21. Yarn-Wrapped Star Ornaments

Cut a star from sturdy cardboard and poke a hole near the top. Kids wrap yarn round and round until no cardboard shows. Knot the end and trim it short. Two colors, like red and cream, give a striped look.

These add cozy texture to the tree and survive little hands. The wrapping motion builds hand strength, good for quiet time with little ones. Write the year on the cardboard before wrapping so the date stays with it.

22. Shrink Plastic Keepsake Tags

Draw trees, stars, or stockings on shrink plastic with permanent markers and let kids color them in. Cut out the shapes and punch a hole near the top. Bake on parchment while an adult watches them curl and flatten into thick charms.

Thread ribbon through the hole for gift tags, tree branches, or backpack zipper pulls. Watching the plastic shrink is the highlight for most kids. The charms are sturdy enough for daily use all season.

23. Snow Globe Photo Ornaments

Trim a small photo of your child into a circle that fits a clear plastic ball that opens in the middle. Place the photo inside with a pinch of faux snow and close the ball. Seal the seam with clear-drying glue.

Tie ribbon through the cap loop for hanging. These capture a face at one age, which makes them precious decades later. Make one each year and the tree slowly fills with a timeline of childhood. They also make great gifts for loved ones.

24. Clothespin Reindeer Ornaments

Paint a wooden clothespin brown, treating the clip end as the reindeer’s face. Glue googly eyes near the top with a red pom-pom nose at the tip, then add short pipe cleaner antlers behind the eyes. Add a ribbon loop on the back.

Clip these onto tree branches, stockings, or gift bags. Kids enjoy making a whole herd with fun nose colors. Each takes only minutes, which helps during the busy week before Christmas.

25. Handprint Angel Ornaments

Trace your child’s hand twice on white cardstock and cut out both shapes. Glue them back to back at the palms so the fingers fan out like wings. Add a wooden bead head and paper dress, then glue a gold pipe cleaner halo on top.

Hang the angel high on a small tree or in a sunny window. The wings show each finger clearly, making it a touching record of little hands. Like salt dough keepsakes, these come out of the box first each year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Christmas crafts for kids under five?

Stick with projects that use big motions, like stamping, gluing cotton balls, and wrapping yarn, since small parts frustrate toddlers. Salt dough handprints, cotton ball snowmen, and pipe cleaner candy canes all suit little hands with an adult nearby. Keep sessions short, around twenty minutes, and let the child stop when interest fades. The goal is time well spent, and a slightly lopsided piece still counts as a win.

How do you store handmade ornaments so they last?

Wrap each piece in tissue and store them in a rigid box with tissue layers between pieces. Keep the box somewhere cool and dry, since heat softens glue and damp air warps paper crafts. Tuck a rice sachet in with salt dough pieces to soak up damp air. Label the box with the year so the right keepsakes are easy to find next Christmas.

What supplies should you keep on hand for holiday crafting?

A basic kit covers most Christmas ornaments for kids: paint that washes out, glue sticks and tacky glue, craft paper, cotton balls, pipe cleaners, ribbon, and googly eyes. Add salt, flour, and cinnamon sticks from the kitchen for dough and scented crafts. Choose paint and markers that wash out when kids under six are crafting, since cleanup stays simple. A plastic tablecloth protects the table during each session.

Are salt dough ornaments safe around pets?

Salt dough holds a lot of salt, which can harm dogs and cats if they chew or swallow a piece. Hang these pieces on higher branches, well out of reach of nosy pets. If a pet manages a bite, call the vet right away. For homes with pets that chew, felt pieces and paper crafts make the safer keepsake choice.

Christmas Crafts for Kids Worth Trying

By the time the decorations come down, these small projects will have earned their place in the storage boxes. Each piece and card holds a little piece of this December, from the size of a handprint to the colors a child chose all on their own.

Start with the one that made you smile while reading, and let the rest wait for next year.