Jill A. Chafin
After the excitement of new presents wears off, it’s good to have something to keep the kids (and Grandma!) out of your hair while you prepare the Christmas day dinner. Here are some easy, no-brainer projects to keep them distracted—at least for an hour or two!
Yogurt Cup Rudolph
Who knew that empty yogurt cups could be transformed into delightful and charming reindeer? Add a red nose, and you’ve got your own little Rudolph. These are great decorations to set on the table or shelves.
Here’s what you need:
- Empty yogurt cups: One per reindeer (and size will do). Just make sure it’s super clean and dry before starting!
- Brown acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Googly eyes
- Pom poms: Use a red one to make Rudolph or brown ones for ordinary reindeer.
- Pipe cleaners: 2 gold or brown ones per reindeer
- Cardstock paper: Any shade of brown
- Hole punch
- Hot glue gun
Read the full tutorial at I Heart Crafty Things.
Pinecone Tree
Want an excuse to get everyone outside? Send them on a hunt for the biggest, fullest, craft-ready pinecones out there! Then set out the supplies and let them go at it—making delightful, sparkly, gorgeous little trees.
Here’s what you need:
- Pinecones: All sizes from small to big!
- Wood slices: You can try to gather these from outside, or buy them in advance.
- Wooden stars
- Acrylic paint: You’ll need green, white, red, yellow, and blue.
- Paintbrush
- Hot glue gun
Read the full tutorial at PJs and Paint.
No-Sew Sock Snowman
Do you have a pile of lonely, abandoned socks? It’s time to put them to use! (Seriously, though—what happens to all those missing socks? Where do they go?).
This craft is so easy that anyone can join in. There’s no need for sharp needles—this project is completely sew-free!
Here’s what you need:
- One sock: Of course, white will create the best snowman, but it’s fine to use other colors too. You’ll also need another sock for the hat (can be a different color).
- Rice
- Rubber bands: Thread will also work.
- Buttons: A variety of colors is best.
- Ribbons
- Hot glue gun
- Markers: Or paint will do.
- Pom poms: These will be used to make the nose, so make sure you get orange-colored ones!
Read the full tutorial at Easy Peasy and Fun.
Popsicle Stick Snowflake Ornament
If you have a box of popsicles all ready in your freezer, go ahead and let everyone have one as a treat. Then wash and dry them—now you’re all ready for this fun craft!
These ornaments are stunning. At first glance, you can’t even tell they’re made from popsicle sticks! They’ll give your tree some bright color and pizazz. And the best part is there’s so much creative freedom in making them—letting each child decorate it in his own special way.
Here’s what you need:
- Popsicle sticks: You can paint them, or order colored ones ahead of time.
- Tacky glue
- Hot glue gun
- Christmas bells
- Stick-on rhinestones
- Glitter: Silver is a great choice, but other colors will work.
- Tinsel pom poms
- Foam snowflakes
- Twine: Or any kind of string, ribbon, etc. to hang your ornament.
Read the full tutorial at The Best Ideas for Kids
Toilet Paper Roll Snowman
If you don’t think you have the supplies needed to do a DIY Christmas craft, think again! A few toilet paper rolls can be transformed into a family of snowmen. Now that’s being resourceful!
Granted, you need a few extra things, but you can always improvise if you don’t have these exact supplies on hand. So grab those empty rolls and put everyone to work. You’ll enjoy the extra quiet as they focus on this fun project.
Here’s what you need:
- Toilet paper rolls: You can also use empty paper towel rolls or a gift wrap tube. You can trim it down to size, or make super tall snowmen!
- Pipe cleaners
- Googly eyes: If you don’t have these, you can always draw eyes or glue on buttons.
- Pom poms: Cotton balls will work too!
- Ribbon
- Glue
- Markers: Preferably, black and orange. You can also use crayons or colored pencils.
- Scissors
Read the full tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous
Cupcake Liner Ornament
We love this craft because it uses something that most people have in their kitchen: cupcake liners! Instead of having your kids fill them with cupcake batter (let’s face it, that’s bound to get messy fast!), why not make sweet ornaments out of them?
This is a popular option for toddlers since it doesn’t need a ton of supervision. Even Grandma should be able to manage on her own!
Here’s what you need:
- Cupcake liners: Use a variety of colors or patterns.
- Glue stick
- Paper: You can use construction paper, cardstock paper, or just regular paper. Green is best, but use whatever you have on hand.
- Decorations: Pens, crayons, markers, scrap paper, glitter, stickers, stamps—the sky’s the limit here.
- Black marker
Read the full tutorial at Easy Peasy and Fun
Sparkly Icicle Ornaments
These have to be one of the most simple ornament projects out there, using regular aluminum foil to make sparkly and stunning icicles. This is a great craft for little hands just learning to master motor skills, as well as older kids who want to make a unique snowflake.
Really, there’s no such thing as a wrong snowflake here. Isn’t every snowflake completely different anyway?
Here’s what you need:
- Aluminum foil
- Cord: Used to hang the ornament (you can also use a ribbon or string).
- White glue: You want something that dries clear, like Elmer’s glue.
- Glitter: Blue glitter is a fantastic choice against the silver. But really, these would look good in red or green too!
Read the full tutorial at Kids Craft Room
Having a few crafty projects ready to go will ensure you get some breathing space this Christmas. Just make sure there’s another adult ready to supervise (such as Grandma!), so you can sneak away into the kitchen to start cooking dinner (or nibble on some chocolate). In the end, you’ll have some cute decorations to scatter around the house.
