December is the month of paper. Chains for the tree, snowflakes for the window, cards for grandparents, tags for presents, ornaments made by small hands that come out of the box every year for decades. It is also the month when children are home more, excited, and in need of something to do with the excitement.
Here are fourteen Christmas paper crafts for ages three to eight. Each needs only paper, card, scissors, glue and something to draw with, and each is chosen because a child can do it, not watch an adult do it. The skill each builds is noted, along with a version for younger and older children.
For the tree
1. Paper chain
Ages 3 and up. Skill: cutting on a line, gluing. Red, green and white strips looped and linked. Make it a countdown by removing a loop each morning. Our guide to paper chains and garlands has the full method.
2. Paper strip ornaments
Ages 5 and up. Skill: cutting equal strips, assembling. Four or five strips of equal length stapled or glued together at both ends and fanned into a ball. Hang with yarn.
3. Fringed paper bells
Ages 4 and up. Skill: snipping. A bell shape cut from card with the bottom edge snipped into a fringe, a paper clapper and a loop of yarn.
4. Salt dough or card ornaments
Ages 3 and up. Skill: cutting shapes, decorating. Card shapes (star, tree, heart) cut out and decorated with markers, sequins and glue, with a punched hole for a loop. Write the child’s name and the year on the back.
5. Accordion angel
Ages 5 and up. Skill: folding. Two accordion-folded pieces (a wider one for the body, a smaller one for the wings) pinched together at the top, with a paper circle head.
For the window
6. Cut paper snowflakes
Ages 4 and up. Skill: folding and cutting through layers. Fold a square in half, in half again and diagonally, cut notches, open. Younger children fold twice; older ones fold four times and cut fine shapes. Tape a whole flurry to the window.
7. Stained glass star
Ages 3 and up. Skill: pinching and placing. A card star frame with the middle cut out, tissue paper squares glued across the back. Light comes through in color.
8. Paper wreath
Ages 3 and up. Skill: tearing or cutting, gluing. A paper plate with the middle cut out, covered in torn or cut green paper leaves, with a red paper bow and berries. Hang on a door.
For giving
9. Cards
Ages 3 and up. Skill: cutting, gluing, writing. Folded card with a cut paper tree, star or snowman on the front and a message inside. Younger children sign their name; older ones write the whole message. Our guide to name writing shows why the signature matters.
10. Gift tags
Ages 4 and up. Skill: cutting small shapes, writing. Small card tags in tree, star or mitten shapes with a punched hole and a “To / From” written by the child. Every present gets one.
11. Woven paper bookmarks
Ages 5 and up. Skill: weaving, bilateral coordination. A narrow woven mat in red and green, covered with clear tape. A gift for a teacher or grandparent.
12. Decorated gift bags
Ages 3 and up. Skill: stamping, gluing, drawing. Plain paper bags decorated with cut paper shapes, stamps or drawings, to carry handmade gifts.
Just for fun
13. Paper plate reindeer
Ages 3 and up. Skill: tracing, cutting, gluing. A brown plate face, two traced hand shapes for antlers, a red circle nose, paper eyes. Trace and cut the hands for younger children; older ones do it themselves.
14. Cardboard tube characters
Ages 3 and up. Skill: wrapping, gluing. Tubes wrapped in paper to make a snowman, an elf, a reindeer or a gingerbread figure. Line them up on the mantel.
Crafts by age, at a glance
A three-year-old will enjoy the chain (with strips you cut), the stained glass star, the wreath with torn leaves, tube characters and decorated gift bags. A four- or five-year-old adds snowflakes with two folds, fringed bells, gift tags, cards with a cut shape on the front and the reindeer with help tracing. A six- to eight-year-old can manage snowflakes with four folds, strip ornaments, the accordion angel, woven bookmarks and cards with a full written message. If cutting is still hard at any age, our guide to scissor skills by age shows what to expect and how to help, and the tearing and gluing crafts on the list need no scissors at all.
Setting up for a month of crafts
Keep everything in one box: a stack of red, green, white and brown paper, a few plates, bags and tubes, tissue paper, yarn, a hole punch, scissors, glue and markers. Add a tray for the work area and a bin for scraps, and put the box where your child can reach it. A craft that can start without an adult finding supplies happens three times as often. Our guide to teaching kids to use glue will save your table.
Crafts with siblings and cousins
December brings children of different ages together. Pick crafts with two levels on the same table: the snowflake (two folds or four), the chain (one child cuts, one links), the wreath (torn leaves or cut ones), the cards (a signature or a message). Shared projects such as the chain and the wreath avoid comparison and give everyone a part.
A December craft plan
One or two crafts a week is plenty. Early December: the chain (as a countdown), the wreath for the door and the first snowflakes. Mid-December: ornaments and window stars, and the bookmarks if you are giving them. The week before Christmas: cards and gift tags, which have a deadline, and the gift bags. Christmas week itself: the reindeer and tube characters, which are pure fun for the long days at home. Our rainy day paper crafts has more for the days between Christmas and New Year.
Why December crafts matter for school
The month of chains, snowflakes and cards is also a month of daily cutting, folding and writing, at exactly the point in the school year when kindergarten handwriting gets serious. A child who cuts twenty snowflakes and writes fifteen gift tags over the holidays goes back in January with noticeably better scissor control and a more confident signature. Our guide to fine motor skills by age shows how those skills fit the bigger picture, and our coloring skills by age article covers the other big holiday activity.
Frequently asked questions
What Christmas crafts can a 3-year-old do?
Paper chains with pre-cut strips, stained glass stars, torn paper wreaths, decorated gift bags, tube characters and cards with a signed name.
What Christmas crafts are good for scissor practice?
Snowflakes (cutting through folded layers), fringed bells (snipping), paper strip ornaments (equal strips), gift tags (small shapes) and the reindeer antlers (cutting around a hand).
How do I make handmade Christmas ornaments last?
Use card rather than paper, cover with clear tape or contact paper, write the name and year on the back, and store flat in a box with tissue between them.
What supplies do I need for Christmas paper crafts?
Red, green, white and brown paper and card, tissue paper, paper plates and lunch bags, cardboard tubes, yarn, a hole punch, child scissors, a glue stick and markers.
