No matter what age you are, the holiday season spirit includes homemade Christmas crafts and decorations. These personalised items – hung on the tree, added to gifts or placed in Christmas stockings – are the source of childhood smiles and grown-up memories. So check your arts and crafts supplies stash to make sure you are kitted out to keep little hands as busy as Santa’s little elves.
Keeping children busy and creatively productive over the holiday season is as simple as stocking up on basic art materials such as glitter, cardstock, finger paints, polystyrene balls, ribbon, washi tape, felt squares, popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners – just for starters. But a Christmas crafts checklist is as easy as ‘adding to cart’ from your favourite art supplies online store.
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. ‘” -Dr Seuss
So, without further ado, let’s get started on some Christmas crafts & decorations inspiration…
Little pots of glitter
Besides the mess, you will be amazed at what little kids can conjure up with some coloured cardstock and glitter pots or glitter glue. We guarantee that hours of sparkling fun will bring forth the most delightful Christmas creations.
- A little eco-upcycling involves nature and glitter – the perfect childhood combination. Let the kids collect pine cones and then proceed to paint them with craft glue and douse them in colourful glitterati. Hang these on the tree or use them as table decor.
- Plain Christmas baubles can always do with a makeover and some bling. This is where glitter glue really comes into its own; personalise the baubles with the names of friends and family or simply prettify them with designs and patterns.
A few popsicle sticks & pipe cleaners
The humble popsicle/ice lolly stick and pipe cleaner need no introduction as they are renowned in the arts and crafts world. And when it comes to Christmas crafts and decorations, these quintessential and inexpensive supplies will keep kids creating for hours on end. Add some poster paint and stickers into the mix, and the creative possibilities are endless.
- Give kids a bunch of popsicle/ice lolly sticks, some poster paint and craft glue and let them create. From snowflakes to Christmas trees, young engineering minds will kick into gear.
- Pipe cleaners are the most versatile of art supplies. Bend them into whatever shape you fancy or thread colourful beads onto them and hang them from your tree.
Felt scraps, pom poms & ribbon
Crafters are notorious for not throwing any art & craft supplies away. (It is called creative hoarding). Christmas craft decorations are the perfect excuse to get out those boxes of old scraps and transform them into something new. For slightly older kids, felt squares (+crafting wire, mini pompoms, thread and ribbon) open up a world for crafting ingenuity. Watch this video for the most gorgeous ideas for using up any felt scraps. (Make sure children are not left unattended when using a glue gun).
Coloured cardstock & paper
Christmas craft decorations hit the recycling paper sweet spot. From stencilled cards and cutouts to 3D and origami shapes, inspiration has no bounds. (Check out this video on how to make adorable origami Christmas tree decorations). Add craft markers into the mix and the creative juices will start flowing.
Besides the fine motor skills that are being developed in the making of Christmas craft decorations, children just love learning to be creative in fun new ways. Yes, there will be mess, but that is a small price to pay for the creative childhood smiles and special crafting memories.