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18 Easy Christmas Crafts for Toddlers

Add a hefty dose of cheer this holiday season with these simple but super-cute Christmas craft ideas for toddlers.
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profile picture of Christin Perry
Updated December 14, 2020
mom helps her daughter with christmas crafts
Image: Getty Images

Think your toddler’s too little to get in on the Christmas crafting? Think again! Toddlers love a good craft project, and for the most part they’re willing helpers. And of course, they love Christmas too! Need some inspiration? We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Christmas crafts for toddlers here, along with links to step-by-step instructions to eliminate the guesswork. Whether you’re simply looking to have fun together or hoping to come away with some DIY Christmas gifts, we’ve got you covered. (While you may not end up with exactly what you were going for, your toddler—and gift recipients—will probably be super proud of their creation.) Happy holiday crafting!

Image: Party Wowzy

Santa’s Cookie Plate

Our favorite Christmas craft ideas for toddlers are the ones you just know you’ll still be using and displaying proudly long after your kiddos have left the nest. And this ceramic “cookies for Santa” plate takes the cake (or maybe the cookie?). Using handprints from all family members along with your toddler’s, this Santa plate from Party Wowzy is sure to impress.

Image: Pinkie for Pink

Painted Handprint Tree

Why opt for one handprint when you can make a Christmas craft featuring a whole bunch? This popular preschool craft from the Pinkie for Pink blog will totally work for toddlers too. Of course, you’ll have to help them make the handprints, but they’ll have a blast decorating the tree they made with their own hands—literally.

Image: A Dab of Glue Will Do

Christmas Tree Fingerprint Craft

Looking for easy Christmas crafts for toddlers—even the youngest ones in the bunch? We’ve got it right here. This sweet craft from the A Dab of Glue Will Do blog lets your little one get their hands dirty by dotting fingerprints all over a sheet of paper. Remove the construction paper tree to reveal a negative space Christmas tree, and a masterpiece your toddler accomplished all by themselves!

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Image: Crafts on Sea

Scrunched Paper Christmas Tree

Christmas tree crafts for toddlers are a great way to get your little ones psyched for the upcoming holiday. Here’s one they’re sure to love, since no toddler can resist playing with paper. Crafts on Sea makes one person’s trash another person’s treasure by transforming scrunched up tissue paper into beautiful ornaments on your construction paper trees.

Image: DIY Cuteness

Salt Dough Ornament

If you’re the parent of a little one, then creating salt dough Christmas crafts with your toddler are probably near the top of your to-do list this Christmas. There’s nothing better than immortalizing those tiny fingers on your tree for years to come. We love this sparkly one from the DIYCuteness site. It’s festive without being overdone—the perfect choice for your tree, and a great gift too!

Image: Fun Littles

Paper Plate Christmas Wreath

No list of Christmas crafts for toddlers is complete without a wreath, and we love this super-simple one from Fun Littles. A paper plate serves as the wreath; once you cut it out, you can let your toddler’s imagination run wild as they decorate it however they’d like.

Image: One Little Project

Popsicle Stick Christmas Trees

This iconic Christmas craft for toddlers has been around forever. Chances are, your parents still have a similar one you made in preschool! So grab those popsicle sticks and sit down with your tot to make this easy Christmas craft, courtesy of the One Little Project blog.

Image: Little Bit Funky

Thumbprint Reindeer Ornaments

Sometimes you want craft ideas that toddlers can do, without the final product looking like, well, a toddler made them. This beautiful reindeer fingerprint ornament from Little Bit Funky is for you. It still makes a fun Christmas craft for toddlers, since your little one can definitely help. But with a few simple finishing touches, you can create an elegant ornament that serves as a reminder of how little those fingers were. Bonus: This ornament makes an amazing gift!

Image: The Chriping Moms

Pom-Pom Joy Sign

If you’re in search of Christmas crafts for toddlers that are totally frame-worthy, this one, from The Chirping Moms, should be right up your alley. The word JOY is jubilantly written out with shiny Christmas-colored pom-poms affixed by your toddler. Your child learns about tracing, you end up with a beautiful sign to display—we’ll call that a Christmas miracle!

Image: Simply Today Life

Grinch Christmas Craft

The Grinch, with all his crazy antics, is completely captivating for most toddlers. So if your little one would get a real kick out of doing a Grinch Christmas craft, head over to the Simply Today Life blog for this simple but cute option. A paper plate and construction paper make the infamous face of the green crafty character.

Image: Creative Family Fun

Paper Plate Christmas Tree

What makes this one of the best Christmas crafts for toddlers? They can do most of the work themselves! Creative Family Fun shows you how to help your budding artist create a super-cute Christmas tree using a paper plate and some pom-poms. If you’re searching for Christmas tree crafts for toddlers, this is a perfect pick.

Image: Crafty Morning

Pom-Pom Hot Cocoa Mug

There’s nothing like a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day. If you and your little one have had enough Santa and Christmas tree crafts, it’s time to whip up this fun hot cocoa craft from the Crafty Morning blog. She incorporates red and green bows for a festive touch on this Christmas craft for toddlers.

Image: PreKinders

Jingle Bell Necklace

There’s a lot to be said for easy Christmas crafts for toddlers, and this one is deliciously simple. Kiddos with good fine motor skills can slip beads and a bell onto a cord to create this fun jingle bell necklace from the PreKinders site.They’ll be decking the halls all day long! Just be sure to use a bell large enough to avoid a choking hazard and remove it come naptime.

Image: Adventures of Mel

Pinecone Christmas Trees

What to do when your little one is bored but your craft bin is dangerously low? No worries—one of the great things about Christmas crafts for toddlers is that you can easily source your materials from the great outdoors! Mel at Adventures of Mel shows you how to make adorable Christmas trees with pinecones, and even has a toddler-friendly tip so your kiddo can do it all by themselves. If Christmas tree crafts are on your to-do list this holiday season, definitely give this one a try!

Image: The Best Ideas for Kids

Santa Craft

The best Christmas craft ideas for toddlers are the ones that keep things as simple as possible. That’s why we love this Santa craft from The Best Ideas for Kids blog. With a construction paper face and sparkly red cap, Santa is primed for your little one to glue on cotton balls to make his hair and big beard. It’s a fun introduction to the man in the red suit.

Image: Mum in the Madhouse

Salt Dough Christmas Tree

This sweet little Christmas tree is a fun spin on salt dough Christmas crafts for toddlers. Courtesy of Mum in the Madhouse, this tree is actually made of air-drying clay, and features your toddler’s multi-colored fingerprints as festive Christmas lights. Super simple, and super adorable too.

Image: Everyday Fun and Learning

Suncatcher Christmas Tree

This Christmas tree suncatcher craft from Everyday Fun and Learning is simple enough for your toddler to help with, but it’s totally display-worthy too! Once you’ve done the prep work, your little one will have a blast pasting on the colorful paper and shiny baubles. If you choose to use beads, be sure to supervise closely.

Image: 1-2-3 Homeschool 4 Me

Handprint Ornament

Christmas crafts for toddlers that double as gifts are a great way to check two things off your list at once. This sweet snowman handprint ornament from the 1-2-3 Homeschool 4 Me blog is one of our favorites. Here, your toddler’s handprint takes center stage as their fingerprints turn into five little snowmen.

Published November 2019

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