When the Christmas decorations come out, it’s normal to want to spruce up the tree with a few brand-new baubles. While there are plenty of options available in shops, it can be extra fun and magical to craft some custom Christmas decorations of your own.
Christmas ornaments make great crafts for kids and adults alike. Whether you’re designing colourful ornaments to match your decor or looking for a unique way to create treasured festive memories with the kids, these Christmas tree crafts provide a fun project that helps everyone get into the Christmas spirit. Plus, they’re the perfect winter activity for kids to help pass a cold, grey winter’s day.
Here, you’ll find 19 DIY Christmas decorations for kids to make that are just as fun for the adults. Plus, they still look cute and classy enough for almost any Christmas tree. Grab some ribbons, glitter and glue (with adult supervision!), and get started on these easy Christmas bauble ideas to make the festive season merry and bright.
1. DIY gnome Christmas ornament
Christmas craft ideas don’t get cuter (or easier) than these simple DIY gnome ornaments from One Little Project. All you need is some yarn, glue, wooden beads and miniature terracotta pots. For an extra burst of creativity, let the kids choose how to paint or decorate each little gnome hat.
2. Salt shaker Christmas ornaments2. Salt shaker Christmas ornaments
Who knew simple glass containers and bottle brush trees could make such stunning festive decor? The folks behind the blog Mason Jar Crafts sure did! These salt shaker ornaments are easy for all ages, and they add a bit of sophistication to any Christmas tree. Plus, you can dye the tiny Christmas trees any colour to match your decor.
3. DIY reindeer Christmas decorations
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose… and adorable felt antlers. Kids will love helping with these cute custom Christmas reindeer ornaments from Studio DIY. They can pick out the colours for the ornaments and antlers and help put everything together. Then, all they need is a grown-up to handle the hot glue gun.
4. Easy felt wreath decoration for Christmas
Put those felt scraps to good use and start felting Christmas ornaments like these simple and adorable DIY felt wreath ornaments from During Quiet Time. The felt scraps can be cut into small squares or other shapes for texture, and you can choose whether to keep the wreaths green or make them multi-coloured. You can also invest in a soft plastic felt needle to make it easier for the kids to string the pieces together as they make their felt Christmas ornaments.
5. Salt playdough ornaments with handprint
These aren’t just personalised Christmas tree ornaments — they’re precious memories. A Beautiful Mess provides the recipe and the inspiration for beautiful, unique homemade playdough ornaments. Use the kids’ handprints to make Santa’s face or cut out other shapes using cookie cutters. The final step is paint, after which they can be cherished for many a Christmas to come.
6. Gumball machine ornaments
Christmas crafts and colourful sweets come together in this DIY gumball machine ornament tutorial from Aww Sam. Kids will love filling the plastic ornaments with gumballs (or rainbow pom-poms, if you prefer), and these simple handmade Christmas tree decorations will add a delightful pop of colour to any tree.
7. Cinnamon stick Christmas tree ornaments
For a DIY Christmas ornament that smells as good as it looks, check out these easy-to-make cinnamon stick Christmas trees from See Vanessa Craft. This Christmas craft uses budget-friendly supplies and is easy enough for kids of many ages to participate — just make sure a grown-up supervises to avoid any choking hazards.
8. DIY Christmas diorama ornaments
Build your own cosy winter scene inspired by these Christmas diorama ornaments from Clumsy Crafter. The diorama ornaments can be purchased at a craft shop, and kids can easily customise the interior using whatever characters or decorations they like to make their very own personalised Christmas baubles. These would make a great, easy activity for a Christmas party or to keep kids busy when the weather is bad.
9. DIY ugly Christmas sweater ornaments
If the kids want to sew some Christmas tree decorations, make ugly Christmas sweaters in miniature form using this tutorial from Crafts By Amanda. These ugly Christmas sweater ornaments are made using felt, beads, glitter and any other craft supplies you have on hand. Even though they’re sewn together, the stitch is a simple one that almost anyone can pull off. This could be a great way to introduce big kids to using a needle and thread, or you can use a dab of glue instead.
10. Melted peppermint sweet ornaments
Peppermint sweets and cookie cutters can be used to make a simple, cheap and totally adorable DIY Christmas ornament. To make these melted peppermint sweet ornaments, the blogger behind I Heart Arts and Crafts lined a baking tray with aluminium foil and then arranged the sweets inside each cookie cutter. The result is visually stunning — and probably smells delicious, too.
11. Colourful no-sew doughnut ornaments
For those who love colourful Christmas decor, check out these easy no-sew doughnut ornaments from A Piece of Rainbow. Held together by glue, these festive DIY ornaments are easy to make and endlessly customisable. Kids will have a blast designing their favourite doughnut. You could even incorporate construction paper or fabric scraps for more options.
12. Crystal candy cane Christmas decorations
If you’ve ever wanted to grow crystals at home, take it to the next level by growing your own crystal candy cane ornaments. As the tutorial at Little Bins For Little Hands explains, these elegant ornaments double as a fun science experiment for all ages. All you need is some pipe cleaners, mason jars, ribbon and a few other simple ingredients — plus help from a grown-up.
13. Pressed flower Christmas ornaments
After a nature walk, you can use the plants and flowers you’ve found to make beautiful pressed flower ornaments from Little Pine Learners. The ornaments themselves are made from recycled cardboard and clear contact paper, then filled with local flora. It’s an inexpensive way to keep kids engaged, learning and working on something lovely for the Christmas tree.
14. DIY Grinch Christmas decorations
The Grinch may be a mean one, but we’d be willing to bet these DIY Grinch ornaments from Happiness Is Homemade would make his heart grow three sizes. All you need are some empty glass or plastic Christmas baubles. Then you can fill them with green beads, feathers or glitter, and add a simple heart sticker.
15. Lolly stick Xmas decorations
Yes, these Christmas tree ornaments are made of lolly sticks. But they’re so whimsical and cute, you can’t even tell. Following the tutorial from Easy Peasy Fun, these trees are dressed up with rustic twigs and charming gold stars. They’re an easy DIY Christmas craft for tree decorations, even for young kids, and they’ll add a bit of warmth to the tree.
16. DIY hessian reindeer ornaments
It doesn’t get easier (or cuter) than these DIY hessian reindeer ornaments from Resourceful Mama. Using scraps of hessian, miniature clothes pins and some red pom-poms, kids will love putting together these curious reindeer. Put on a Christmas movie and make some hot chocolate while you craft, and you’ve got the perfect December afternoon.
17. Canning lid wreath ornaments
If you have some extra mason jars lying around, grab the lids and make these charming DIY wreaths from Sadie Seasongoods. Using different types of string, sequins and even paint, each wreath is unique and customisable for any age level. They’d also make adorable gift tags.
18. DIY painted Santa ornaments
Keep it classic with some easy painted Santa ornaments. This tutorial from Skip To My Lou shows how to achieve a quaint, adorable painted Santa face, even if you think your crafting skills are limited at best. Learning together with the kids will be the most fun part of this craft, and the Santa baubles can be treasured for years to come.
19. DIY cookie cutter Christmas ornaments
Cookie cutters aren’t just for Christmas baking. It turns out they can also be used to make unique children’s Christmas tree decorations. DIY Candy shows how to make these cookie cutter ornaments from scrapbook paper and festive shapes. The main work of this craft is cutting and gluing, so it’s kid-friendly and might even help the youngest crafters get some extra preschool prep.