How to Make DIY Christmas Ornaments: Crafting with Kids

Stores are filled with Christmas ornaments and decorations for your home. But handmade Christmas ornaments are far more special, especially when you create them with your kids. What could be better? It’s fun, rewarding, and helps develop creativity and fine motor skills. We’ve prepared a few simple ideas for making your tree decorations.

5 Easy Ideas for DIY Christmas Ornaments

These Christmas ornaments are sure to delight you! The crafting process is engaging for everyone – kids, teens, and even adults. It brings families together and spreads holiday cheer. Ready to get creative? Here are 5 simple ideas for DIY ornaments.

Snowmen Made from Cotton Pads

A super simple craft you can finish in just a few minutes.

Materials Needed:

• Cotton pads.
• Glue (PVA or hot glue).
• Buttons, ribbons, glitter.
• Markers or acrylic paints.

Instructions:

1. Glue two cotton pads together – one for the head and one for the body.
2. Draw a face with markers: eyes, a smile, and a carrot nose.
3. Decorate the body with buttons, glitter, or fabric for a scarf.
4. Add a string to hang the snowman on your tree.

The result is a cute, fluffy snowman kids will love. Hang it on the tree or display it on a shelf.

Felt Ornaments

These crafts are slightly more challenging and are great for older kids. Younger ones can help with simpler tasks like gluing pre-cut shapes.

Materials Needed:

• Colored felt.
• Needle and thread or glue.
• Scissors.
• Stuffing (like polyester fiberfill).
• Beads for decoration.

Instructions:

1. Draw or print a template (a bear, bunny, or fox). You can also make candy canes, boots, or gingerbread men.
2. Cut out two identical felt shapes for the body.
3. Sew the shapes together, leaving a small gap for stuffing.
4. Fill with stuffing, then sew the gap closed.
5. Decorate with beads or ribbons.

You’ll have colorful, dimensional ornaments that are fun to make!

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Yarn Christmas Balls

These are great tree ornaments that are safe for kids and pets – no risk of breaking!

Materials Needed:

• Yarn.
• Balloons.
• PVA glue.
• Glitter (optional).

Instructions:

1. Blow up a balloon to the desired size.
2. Soak yarn in glue and wrap it tightly around the balloon.
3. Sprinkle with glitter and let dry for a few hours.
4. Pop the balloon and remove it.

Now you have lightweight, delicate decorations that add a magical touch to any tree!

Paper Christmas Trees

Remember making crafts in elementary school? These DIY ornaments bring back that carefree childhood fun.

Materials Needed:

• Colored or kraft paper.
• Scissors.
• Glue or double-sided tape.
• Glitter or rhinestones for decoration.

Instructions:

1. Cut out several identical circles of varying sizes.
2. Fold each circle in half and glue them together to form a 3D tree.
3. Decorate with glitter or rhinestones.
4. Attach a string for hanging.

That’s it! A stylish, minimalist paper tree that complements any decor.

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Salt Dough Ornaments

It’s a classic school project that kids love. These are not edible, but the crafting process is so much fun!

Materials Needed:

• 1 cup of flour.
• 0.5 cup of salt.
• 0.5 cup of water.
• Cookie cutters.
• Paints and brushes.

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, salt, and water to make the dough. Roll it out evenly.
2. Use cookie cutters to create shapes like stars, trees, and bells.
3. Make holes for hanging strings and let them air dry or bake at 100°C (about 1 hour).
4. Paint the ornaments once dry.

The result? Sturdy, beautiful decorations you can use for years – or create new ones every year for fun!

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DIY Christmas Garland

Want a bigger project? Make a Christmas garland with your kids! Here’s an idea for a simple garland you can complete in one evening.

Materials Needed:

• Thick yarn or a long string.
• Plain beads.
• Colored paper (green, red, white – any colors you like).
• Hot glue gun.
• PVA glue.
• Pinecones, dried fruits, or berries.
• Optional: dried oranges, cloves, and star anise.

Instructions:

1. Cut out tree shapes from paper and string a bead between each tree for balance.
2. Use the hot glue gun to attach fruits, spices, and pinecones randomly along the string.
3. Glue paper trees onto the string using PVA glue.

It’s simple and beautiful! You can also make garlands entirely from pinecones and dried fruits using the same method.

Bonus: a few more ideas for DIY Christmas decorations – video

In this video, you will see in detail the process of creating Christmas decorations with your own hands. So try it out: