When the holidays roll around, it’s time to decorate! There’s something so festive and fun about putting up seasonal decorations and finding the family keepsakes that only get pulled out once a year.
With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, between preparing the house for guests, planning holiday meals and doing all the shopping, it’s important to continue to carve out time for activities to do with your kids. Spending just 10 minutes on fun crafts for Christmas or Hanukah, or just to celebrate the winter season, is a great way to get in some quality time together. Plus, you’ll get some fun new decorations to hang up!
Top 10 Holiday Crafts for Kids
A quick search online will uncover a multitude of crafts you can do with your kids to celebrate the holidays. Here are 10 of our favorites, most of which you can do with everyday items you have at home.
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Create an Advent Calendar. Kids love to count down the days until Christmas or Hanukah, so make your own advent calendar to spark even more excitement. Simply fill small bags or pouches with candy or treats or fun sayings to discover each day. Number each one and place in a central location so you’ll remember to stop and open that day’s reward. You can be as creative and artistic as your imagination and skills will allow!
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Make Homemade Ornaments. This is another fun craft with endless possibilities! Although shiny glass ornaments with their perfect spheres and uniform coloring are nice, there’s something sweet about homemade ornaments. Even better are the ones that become keepsakes and mini trips down memory lane each year you go to decorate the tree.
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Construct Your Own Dreidel. Maybe you know the tune: “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.” Go ahead and make your own, whether with clay, paper or even tasty marshmallow treats! Then try your hand at spinning the dreidel and play for coins or candy.
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String Popcorn and Cranberries. This Victorian-era tradition is fun, flavorful and makes for a festive decoration. Simply thread pieces of popcorn (best if it’s about two days old) and whole fresh cranberries onto pieces of string, fishing wire or dental floss to create a pretty garland. Any broken bits of popcorn become tasty whole-grain snacks!
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Fashion Your Own Snow Globe. A homemade snow globe craft for kids can serve many purposes: for one, it’s fun to make and can include any scene you wish to capture. It can also make a nice gift. Snow globes even have a mesmerizing quality that can help kids calm down.
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Make a Menorah. It’s possible your child has outgrown the too-cute dual-handprint menorah craft, but they’re still not quite ready to handle real candles yet. Have them make their own Hanukah candelabra using cardboard paper rolls and tea lights that they can light each of the eight nights.
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Style Some Stained Glass Candles. With the days so short and dark, brighten things up with candles. You and your kids can take clean glass jars and glue tissue paper to the outside. Then place a candle or tea light inside the jar and watch the glow shine through the colors.
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Stick Up Some Window Clings. Love window decorations but hate peeling glue residue from stickers? That’s what makes window clings so much more fun. Make your own with puffy paint and put a festive feel to it with glitter and other shimmery decorations.
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Prepare Place Card Holders. If you’re hosting a holiday meal, make it fun with assigned seats. Have your kids make place cards and put them in holders made of mini candy canes tied together with string or crafting tape.
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Heighten Your Senses with Sugar Scrubs. Winter cold and flu season means washing hands more often. Make it enjoyable with a homemade exfoliating scrub made with sugar and essential oils. Use holiday scents and spices like peppermint, gingerbread or vanilla. Whether you give these as gifts or keep them for yourself, it’s all good!
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