Homemade decorations are rarely perfect, and that is exactly what is lovely about them. A crooked star or a snowflake with a few too many holes comes out every year and tells a little story about the time your child was five. Here are 12 ideas for decorations you can make with children aged 3 to 9, and some good advice for you, so it does not end with more tears than glitter.
Before you start
Set aside time and cover the table. It sounds trivial, but half the frustration with creative projects comes from having to make decorations and rescue the table at the same time. Put down an old newspaper or a piece of cardboard, and get all the materials out before your child sits down.
Choose one thing at a time as well. Young children typically need short projects, while older children like to work longer on an idea. Let your child decide colours and shape, and hold back on correcting. It is your child's decoration, not yours.
12 ideas for decorations
- Woven Christmas hearts. A Danish classic. The youngest can get a pre-cut template and play with weaving, while the oldest can cut their own.
- Paper snowflakes. Fold a round piece of paper, cut small shapes along the edges and unfold it. Hang them in the window with a little tape.
- Paper chains. Cut strips and join them into rings. It is an easy task that several children can do together.
- Cardboard stars. Draw a star on cardboard, cut it out and let your child decorate it with pens or yarn.
- Paper cones. Make little paper cones from glossy paper and fill them with clementines or small things. Older children can manage the folding.
- Salt dough decorations. Roll out the dough, use cutters, make a hole for the string and let them dry. Your child can colour them afterwards. Salt dough is not for eating.
- Wooden slices and branches. If you have small slices of wood, the children can draw elves, stars or snowmen on them and hang them up with a string.
- Decorated stones. Find smooth stones on a walk and let the children draw little faces or patterns on them. They can sit on the Christmas table.
- Fingerprint reindeer. Use pen or ink pad to make a fingerprint for the body and draw antlers and eyes.
- Fuse beads. Your child lays out a pattern and an adult irons it. It suits children who like sorting and counting.
- Pine cones and fir twigs. Collect them together on a walk and decorate with small bows or paper stars.
- Christmas cards to hang on the tree. Cut the card into a small shape, so it can also hang as a decoration.
Use the markers for more than paper
Many people only think of markers for paper, but there are more options. Crateit's markers for wood were developed for Crateit's wooden toys, and according to Crateit the pigment sits well on paper, untreated wood, stone and unglazed ceramics. That means you can use them for the wooden slices and the stones from the list above. Also read our tips on how to colour wooden toys with markers.
If you have toys that can be coloured, they can also become part of Christmas. In Crateit Roomies every room can be coloured with Crateit markers, so the dolls' house can get Christmas colours and a few little paper stars in the window. After Christmas it can be recoloured, because the markers go on layer by layer.
Good advice for parents
- Make a trial one yourself first. Then you know whether an idea takes ten minutes or an hour.
- Share the task. Let one child cut, another draw and a third put on the tape. Then everyone is involved.
- Use music or an audio story. Calm moments with something to listen to make it easier to stay at the table.
- Keep more things in stock. Children finish quickly, so have an extra idea ready.
- Pack the decorations away with the children. Write the year and name on the back, so the decorations tell their own story.
Where should the decorations hang?
Put the decorations up where your child can see them. Hang them on the tree at child height, in the window or on a branch in a vase. Let your child choose the spot. If a decoration gets pulled down, let it happen and put it up again. Then it gets a real life in the home. You can also gather a little box for the decorations, so it is easy to find next year.
If you are looking for more activities for December, you can read our Christmas activities for children at home.
Adapt it for the youngest
Three year olds need different tasks from eight year olds. The youngest can pull tape, stick stickers on cardboard or colour a big star that you cut out afterwards. What matters is that your child takes part, not that the result looks like something from a magazine. Give them a short time frame, for instance ten minutes, and stop while it is still fun.
Older children can plan for themselves. Let them choose a colour theme, draw a sketch and make decorations for the whole tree. Some can also help younger siblings, and then they get an important role.
Make it a tradition
Many families make the decorations on the same day every year, for instance the first Sunday in Advent. Put on music, make hot chocolate and let the decorations have a fixed place in the Christmas box. When you take them out the following year, you can talk about who made what and how old the children were. It can become one of the things children remember best.
Frequently asked questions
Which decorations can young children make?
Paper chains, drawn stars and cardboard decorations where an adult cuts out the shape. Keep it simple and short, and let your child choose colours.
What do I need for homemade Christmas decorations?
Paper, cardboard, scissors, tape, string and pens go a long way. If you want to make decorations from wood or stone, you need markers that can stick to the surface.
What can older children make?
Woven hearts, paper cones and fuse beads need a little patience. Let them also make decorations for younger siblings or grandparents.
When should we make decorations?
When it suits you. Many people make decorations at the start of December, but it works just as well at the weekend or on a dark afternoon.
See Crateit markers for wood, paper and stone.
