I am sharing the best holiday crafts since my home basically turns into Santa's workshop during the holiday season. I think that Christmas crafts are a fun and festive way to get into the holiday spirit. Some crafts become holiday decor while others are gifts for friends. My list of favorite holiday crafts includes some from scratch craft projects and a selection of convenient craft kits.
The Best Holiday Crafts
In my mind, holiday crafts fall into three categories: kid-friendly crafts to do as a family, crafts that kids can pretty much do on their own that will keep them occupied, and crafts for adults that become holiday decor that is used year after year.
Family Christmas Crafts:
Here are some crafts that the whole family can do together. Some of these involve paint or glue, so children will need some supervision.
Paint Your Own Wood Frame - $5
This is a quick project that can be given as a gift to family members. I love the idea of putting a photo with Santa in the frame and using it as holiday decor.
Heart-Shaped Paper Mache Ornaments
Kids will love getting to paint these heart-shaped ornaments. If you want a nicer looking finished product, I recommend letting your child work with two shades of the same color - one light and one dark. The final project will likely be swirls of color. I have found if I give my child a full color palette she mixes them all together to make brown.
If you have a baby you could even put their painted hand-print on this ornament!
Craft Gingerbread House Kit - $5
Gingerbread houses look cute, but they are hard to make! I feel like it takes too long for the frosting to dry so that everything holds together. This paper version of a gingerbread house eliminates that issue.
Paperboard Gingerbread House - $5
Get the whole family involved a create your own little village!
Best Christmas Crafts for Kids:
I like to keep some affordable craft kits on hand during the holiday season. These are easy crafts that don't involve paint or glue that are easy for kids to do on their own, keeping them occupied while the adults chat at a party or get prepare for a holiday meal.
Gingerbread Characters Garland Kit - $5
Kids can assemble this garland with minimal help from grown-ups thanks to the fact that the materials are stickers!
Christmas Craft Stick Character Kit - $5
An easier to make version of a classic popsicle stick craft that comes with pre-painted self-adhesive supplies.
Christmas Craft Ornament Frames - $5
What a cute way to display a school photo! The materials are self-adhesive and the craft kit comes with materials for 14 frame ornaments - enough to make stocking stuffers for everyone! If you aren't a parent, add photos of your pet! I like to write the year on the back with sharpie.
Color-Your-Own Santa's Workshop - $25
Really need to buy yourself some time? This is a playhouse that kids can color in! I would definitely recommend making sure that children are given easily washable markers - but then let them go for it!
Best Holiday Crafts for Adults:
These are crafts that are perfect for gift giving or a craft night with friends.
Paint Your Own Ceramic Christmas Village (2 pieces) - $15
I am planning to host a girl's movie night/craft night were we all get to paint our own houses. This is an easy craft that still lets people unleash their creativity. I am sure that at the end of the night, everyone's homes will look totally different.
Painting paper mache ornaments each holiday season is one of my favorite traditions. Some are gifts for friends, and a handful get added to our own tree each year. This can become time consuming! Some simple designs take about an hour, while others take about three hours.
Essential Christmas Craft Supplies:
Items like acrylic paint pens, velvet ribbon, and gloss varnish can give your holiday crafts a more professional look.
A package of paint pens costs less than buying tubes of paint, and the pens create less mess and are perfect for drawing details. I like this set because it has both gold and silver paint pens.
I use velvet ribbon to hang homemade ornaments, like these salt dough Santa ornaments, to the Christmas tree. It's an easy way to give crafts a more elegant look!
This is the gloss varnish that I use to seal Christmas ornaments and other craft projects. It dries completely within about 4 hours and isn't sticky. I often add multiple coats to give my painted ornaments extra shine.
