For more Christmas crafts, check out this penguin keepsake plate, Christmas handprint crafts, and our snowflake crafts!

Pinecone Gnome Ornament	Pinecone Snow Bunnies	Elegant Pinecone Ornaments	Pinecone Placecard Holders
Pinecone Gift Tags	Pinecone Votive Craft	Christmas Pinecones in a Pot	Pinecone Christmas Tree
Fabric Button Pinecone Trees	Pinecone Christmas Carolers	Pinecone Christmas Angels	Christmas Pinecones

Check out all of our Christmas crafts, coloring pages and activities for kids from Woo! Jr. Network sites!

For these handmade decoupaged fabric Christmas ornaments, you will need:

• 3″ Styrofoam balls
• decoupage medium/glue
• fabric scraps
• paint brush
• ribbon
• skewer
• embellishments

Basic craft supplies for homemade Christmas ornaments.

To start, push a skewer through the Styrofoam ball.  This gives you a way to hold it without decoupaging yourself to within an inch of your life.  You can also stick the bottom of the skewer into a foam wreath so your Christmas ornaments can dry and to hold them still when you decorate them.

This is where things get a little sticky.

Next, brush decoupage medium onto the foam ball.  Place fabric scraps onto the ball, brushing more medium over them.  Continue to do this, overlapping fabric wherever you need to, until the entire ball is covered.  Set it aside to dry for a couple of hours.

The Christmas ornament on the left is dry, and the one on the right is wet.

Once the ornament is dry, you can add a ribbon for a hanger.

I removed the skewer and then used it to push a very thin red ribbon through.  I then tied some small jingle bells to the end to keep it from pulling back out.

After that, you can embellish as you wish.

My preschooler directed me as I hot glued buttons and pom-poms all over her Christmas ornament.

A simple bow was enough for my handmade Christmas ornament.

What I Learned the Hard Way: I used fabric scraps that were left over from the scrap fabric Christmas wreath we made, thinking it would be great to have these ornaments match the wreath.  That worked out well, but I discovered that 2″ square pieces of fabric were too big.  I ended up cutting the squares into quarters so the cloth would lay better on the round ball.

It was ambitious. It pushed my creativity. And in the end, I’ll tell you now – it ROCKED!

Over the next two weeks, I’ll be posting 11 more gift crafts that you will LOVE. Promise. And YES, kids can make all of them! They may look hard, but they aren’t! Some may be more appropriate for tweens, but nearly all of them can be made by kids as young as five. I’m seriously so proud of this series – I can’t wait to post them!

I’ll be updating this page every time a new project goes up, so bookmark it now to come back and see what’s new!

Related Pages: Printable Christmas Decorations, Printable Gift Tags, Printable Box Templates

Day 1 - Kids Modern Art Wall Plates	Day 2 - Upcycled Photo Frame	Day 3 - Super-Easy Flower Brooch
Day 4 - Anthropologie Seashell Bottles	Day 5 - A Gift for the Pets	Day 6 - Dollar Store Gilded Cake Stand
Day 7 - Easy No Sew Scarf	Day 8 - Easy Yarn Wreath	Day 9 - Easy Beaded Ribbon Necklace
Day 10 - Ballard Designs Inspired Art	Day 11 - Easy Cell Phone Case Pattern	Day 12 - Homemade Hot Chocolate Jars

Check out all of the Woo! Jr. Christmas kids activities while you are here!

I silently said to myself, “Seriously? Nesting paper dolls? I’m drawing nested paper dolls?!”.

I thought I would want to draw pretty farm scenes, or cute illustrations trying to be a Helen Dardik wannabe. Nope, I drew out paper dolls, put my markers away, and haven’t felt like drawing since. I don’t think I’ll ever have myself figured out.

So today I broke out my ancient copy of Adobe Illustrator and put these Santa nesting dolls together. I thought they were cute in the drawing, but I have to say I think they are pretty dang adorable once you put them together!

Christmas Paper Craft Santas

How to Make These Christmas Paper Craft Santas

These couldn’t be easier to make – print out one of each of the following 4 nesting dolls, then cut out each of them.

Santa Nesting Doll - X Large	Santa Nesting Doll - Large
Santa Nesting Doll - Medium	Santa Nesting Doll - Small

Nesting Santa Doll Tower

Then I’m going to recommend a step that you will probably be inclined to skip. Trust me on this, don’t skip the following step – it makes it SO MUCH EASIER to assemble them. So what is this mystery step?

Score your folds

You don’t need a fancy bone folder, I just used a pen with no ink and a small ruler (though I’ve decided I’m sticking this bone folder into my own Christmas stocking this year!). When you score these folds, your fold lines are effortlessly crisp and exact. I never thought the extra step was worth it, until I tried it. Now I never fold paper crafts without scoring first! And actually, it makes the folding easier and faster, so it doesn’t really seem like an ‘extra step’ at all.

Next, make all of your folds before you add any glue. And using a glue stick is the best route for this project – instant stickiness with no mess. Then when you go back to add glue to the white glue tabs, the whole nesting doll almost naturally assembles itself.

Do this to all of the dolls and get playing with them!

More Printable Christmas Crafts

You might also want to check out these printable Christmas pinwheels or these Christmas mandala coloring pages (print them on Shrinky Dink ink jet plastic!).

Paper Cone Advent Calendar	Christmas Ornament Advent Calendar	Star Garland Advent Calendar	Magnetic Kids Advent Calendar
Recycled Christmas Card Advent Calendar	Paper Envelopes Advent Calendar	Embroidered Advent Calendar	Paper Craft Magnetic Advent Calendar
Christmas Origami Advent Calendar	Matchbox Advent Calendar	Scrapbook Tins Advent Calendar	Old Halloween Candy Advent Calendar

Be sure to also check out these snowflake crafts, Christmas handprint crafts, or this paper plate penguin craft!

Kids can make this adorable candy-cane reindeer craft.

These little candy cane reindeer are something I remember from my childhood, and it was so much fun introducing them to Dot. Every day since we first made them, she has asked if we can make more. We even invited friends over to join us on one round. While she’s really enjoyed putting them together, I think some of Dot’s enthusiasm has to do with getting to eat the candy canes!

Related Pages: Paper Plate Penguins, Christmas Finger Puppets, Christmas Handprint Crafts

For each reindeer, you will need:

• 1 candy cane
• 1 brown pipe cleaner
• 2 googley eyes
• 1 pom-pom
• narrow ribbon (optional)
• glue

All it takes are some basic craft supplies and a couple of candy canes.

Start by cutting the pipe cleaner in half and then cutting one of those pieces in half again.  Shape the large piece into a “V” and wrap the smaller pieces around to make the antlers.

Use pipe cleaners to create the antlers for your candy cane reindeer.

Place a dab of glue in the bottom of the "V" and twist the antlers around the top of the crook of the candy cane.

Glue on two googly eyes and one pom-pom nose.

The size of eyes gives the reindeer different expressions. We used red pom-poms for a Rudolph-looking reindeer, but other colors work, too. We’re going to try some with little jingle bell noses next!

Tie the ribbon around your reindeer’s neck, if you so desire.  Ours were so cute without them that we decided to skip this step.

Because my daughter is loving these so much, we have them hanging everywhere, including on a pine garland on our banister, and they look great!

What I Learned the Hard Way: I wanted this to be a toddler-friendly craft, so we used white glue; but we have had a little trouble keeping the noses attached.  I plan to go back while my little one is sleeping and reinforce them with hot glue.

Hot Cocoa Gift Jars

My not-quite-three-year-old and I made two of these hot cocoa jar gifts in about ten minutes this morning, which worked out perfectly, since a friend unexpectedly stopped by, and we had a ready-to-go, homemade Christmas present to send home with her!

Related Pages: Christmas Rice Krispie Treats, Christmas Sugar Cookies, Printable Christmas Gift Tags

You’ll want to pick up a few extra things to make this jar gift:

• canning jars (I got used ones from a thrift store, but you can find new ones at the grocery market)
• hot cocoa mix (you can make it from scratch, but I took the easy way out!)
• mint candies
• mini marshmallows
• wax paper
• ribbon
• embellishments
• hot glue

Find everything you need for this homemade gift right at the grocery store!

Start by cutting two wax paper circles that are the same size as the interior of the jar.  They don’t have to be perfect.  They’re going to help keep your ingredients separate in their layers.

Fill the bottom one-third to one-half of the jar with your cocoa mix and place one of the wax paper circles on top.  Layer the mint candies next, followed by another wax paper circle.

Mints are a great addition to hot cocoa, and they look gorgeous in this display.

The top layer is mini marshmallows to float in the hot cooca.

Fun, colorful, and easy homemade gift in about five minutes!

Finally, decorate the jar with ribbons and other embellishments.  I had some silk poinsettias around, so I hot-glued them to the top for a festive look.

Jar gifts are pretty and you know they'll actually get used.

What I Learned the Hard Way: Hm.  This kids’ craft really was as easy as it looks.  I guess the biggest lesson learned is that my husband is in trouble for teaching the little one that marshmallows are “snowman poop.”  I got to hear that term over and over again this morning!

Remember, this is Day 12 of Twleve Days of Gifts Kids Can Make! 12 down and NO more to go!

Happy Holidays, everyone! xo

Scrap Fabric Wreath Craft

This scrap fabric Christmas wreath has a lot going for it. For one, it was really, really easy to make. For another, it is really, really hard to mess up. The end product actually came out looking a lot more sophisticated than I expected from a simple kid’s craft.

Related Pages: Yarn Wreath, Printable Christmas Decorations, Rag Wreaths

To make this scrap wreath, you need:

• Styrofoam wreath (the one we used was 10″)
• a few scrap fabrics cut into 2″ squares
• glue
• a pencil

The best wreaths are from fabric scraps within one color scheme.

I thought I was being so clever by choosing some fun kid-friendly prints (snowmen, candy canes, presents), but in the final version, you can’t see any of  the pictures anyway.  I discovered it’s really all about the color scheme.

Since we used scraps, I don't have an accurate accounting of the amount needed, but this much was more than enough.

One at a time, wrap a square around the end of a pencil, dip it in glue, and stick it into the Styrofoam form.

Get the fabric squares fairly close together.

You want to get them fairly close together for a good effect, but it’s not necessary to measure them out or anything. You don’t really even need to be that concerned about which fabrics go where, as they all blend together to create the look. We chose to do the front, outside, and inside of our Christmas wreath, leaving the back plain. In the future, I would consider covering the back with felt for a more finished look.

To hang, I simply wrapped a ribbon around the wreath and pinned it in place on the back.

What I Learned the Hard Way: While this craft is easy, it’s also time consuming. It might be a good project for a couple of kids to work on together or to do during a movie or in a couple of sittings.

I’ve been wanting to make a yarn wreath for a while – and when I saw one on the Anthropologie website, I was inspired to finally do it! I chose this yarn specifically because it was similar to the one on their site, but you could make this in so many different colors (and multiple kinds of yarn) that would be suitable for any time of year. This would also be a great use of scrap yarn you have left over from other projects!

Related Pages: Rag Wreaths, Printable Christmas Gift Tags, Vintage Christmas Postcards

Yarn Wreath Craft

Here’s the original inspiration for a whopping $148 on Anthropologie. Yeah. Right.

Anthropologie Yarn Wreath

What You Need to Make This Yarn Wreath

Yarn – I used Bamboo Spun brand in Rose Camo found at Hobby Lobby.

A wreath form – I got mine at the dollar store.

That’s it!

How to Make This Yarn Wreath

It’s important to pull the yarn end from the inside of the skein, not the outside – trust me, it will make it much easier to wrap!

Simply tie the yarn around the wreath form and start wrapping!

Yarn Wrapped Wreath

It will work up faster if you wrap several loops at a time and then push them close together.

When you are done, tie off the yarn and trim the ends. Then wrap it up with a pretty bow to give it to grandma, mom, or it would make a great teacher gift, too!

Remember, this is Day 8 of Twleve Days of Gifts Kids Can Make! 8 down, 4 to go!

This craft is so stunningly pretty, even I had a hard time believing that kids could pull this off. Creating this faux mercury glass look is as easy as using glitter – though I must admit it is just as messy. (OK, it’s actually a little messier – but it’s worth it! Promise!)

I used a dollar store clear glass items and adapted this tutorial from Dollar Store Crafts on how to make an apothecary jar.

Related Pages: DIY Modern Art Plates, Family Keepsake Plates, Snowflake Crafts

Faux Mercury Glass Cake Stand - Gifts Kids Can Make

What You Need to Make This DIY Mercury Glass Cake Stand

Safety Note: Metal leaf is very light and will blow up into the air at the very slightest air movement. I doubt the stuff is unsafe, but if you have  a child with respiratory problems, this project probably isn’t suitable for them.

A clear glass serving plate – if you can find one with a molded texture on the back, it will make the final result look even prettier!

A clear glass candle stick holder

E6000 glass glue

A soft dry paintbrush

Metal leaf – this is the same kind used for gilding. I used silver, but gold is also available. You don’t need full sheets, just a package of scrap leaf.

Leaf sizing or ModPodge. I recommend the outdoor ModPodge for this project because you may need to wash the cake stand at some point. If you use the metal leaf sizing, you will also need metal leaf sealant for your topcoat.

*Note: The finished cake stand is NOT dishwasher safe! Not even close! Get it only wet enough to clean your surfaces.

How to Make This DIY Mercury Glass Cake Stand

Wash and dry your glass pieces, and be sure to remove any price tags or stickers (and any adhesive residue left behind).

Glass cake stand parts from the dollar store

Apply your metal leaf sizing or a very thin layer of ModPodge to the BACK of the plate. You don’t want to risk your food coming into contact with your craft materials. Follow the directions on the product – mine told me to wait 30 minutes for the sizing to become sticky.

When the plate is ready, carefully sprinkle the metal leaf flakes onto the area you glued with the ModPodge or sizing.

Applying metal leaf to the back of the plate

Now take your soft dry paintbrush and simple start pressing the metal leaf onto the glass surface. This part is so much fun! It’s almost like you are painting with silver!

Brushing the metal leaf onto the back of the plate

Don’t worry if there are tiny imperfections and holes, because it just makes it look more mercury glass-ish.

I’ll warn you now. When you are done with this part, you are probably going to need one of these:

This project kinda requires a Dustbuster or vacuum cleaner!

Moving along, then…

Repeat this same process on the outside of the candle stick holder.

Here’s what you’ll have when you are done:

Finished Gilded Cake Stand Parts

Let the project dry for a little while, and then use your E6000 glue to attach the candle stick holder to the very center of the bottom of the plate. Let the glue dry overnight.

Lastly, put on 1-2 coats of Outdoor ModPodge or metal leaf sealant over the bottom of cake plate and candle stick stem. Don’t put it on top of the plate – you want that to be just plain glass so that it’s safe to be in contact with food.

And you’re done! This is SO PRETTY when it is finished – really, it looks so totally store bought, your gift recipient will NEVER guess it’s dollar store origins!

Make a Cake Stand

Remember, this is Day 6 of Twleve Days of Gifts Kids Can Make! 6 down, 6 to go!