The holiday season is a perfect time to engage in creative activities with children. Whether you’re staying at home or enjoying a restful getaway during your Christmas breaks UK, making Christmas decorations together adds a personal touch to your festive decor and helps create lasting memories — at home or a home away from home!
With this in mind, here are some fun, easy, and child-friendly DIY Christmas decoration ideas to try with your little ones:
1. Salt dough ornaments
To create salt dough ornaments, mix flour, salt, and water to create a pliable dough that you can roll out. Use cookie cutters to make festive shapes.
Let the children paint and decorate these ornaments once they’re baked and cooled. These can become cherished keepsakes or thoughtful gifts for family members.
2. Paper snowflakes
This is a classic, easy activity that never loses its charm. Teach children how to fold and cut paper to create unique snowflake designs. Hang these in windows or string them together to make a garland.
3. Pinecone Christmas trees
On your next nature walk, collect pinecones. Once you’re home and have washed them, you can paint them green.
Once dry, let the kids decorate them with tiny pom-poms, sequins, or glitter to create miniature pinecone Christmas trees.
4. Handprint wreaths
Trace your little one’s hands on green paper or a card. Cut out the shapes and arrange them in a circle to form a wreath. Decorate with a red ribbon bow and small ornaments to create a sentimental Christmas decoration!
5. Toilet roll advent calendar
This might sound a bit odd, but if you save toilet paper rolls and cover them with festive paper, you can create your very own advent calendar.
Arrange the rolls in the shape of a Christmas tree on a large piece of cardboard. Fill each roll with small treats and number them for a homemade advent calendar. You could even paint them or draw on them for added creativity!
6. Cinnamon stick candles
Help children tie cinnamon sticks around plain pillar candles using twine or ribbon. Not only do these look festive, but they also smell wonderful when the candle is lit – a win-win!
7. Painted mason jar luminaries
Let the kids paint the outside of mason jars with festive designs or patterns using frosted glass paint. Place battery-operated tea lights inside for a magical glow and a festive keepsake.
8. Popsicle stick snowflakes
For easy popsicle stick snowflakes, arrange and glue the sticks into snowflake shapes. Once they’re dry, the children can paint them and add glitter for extra sparkle.
9. Paper chain garland
Decorate your tree, stairs or doorways with a paper chain garland by cutting strips of coloured paper and showing the little ones how to loop and link them together. This simple activity can keep them occupied for hours!
10. Thumbprint string lights
Draw a curvy line on paper to represent a string of lights. Let the children use colourful ink pads to make thumbprint ‘bulbs’ along the line. Add any details with markers once dry and enjoy a beautiful homemade decoration.
11. Cardboard gingerbread house
Cut a simple house shape from a cardboard box and let your children decorate it with paint, markers, and stick-on gems to create a gingerbread-inspired house that will last all season.
12. Cotton ball snowman
Finally, glue cotton balls onto a piece of blue construction paper in the shape of a snowman. The children can add details like buttons, a scarf, and a carrot nose using coloured paper or markers to make a cotton ball snowman friend that will never melt!
These DIY decorations not only add a personal touch to your home but also help develop your little one’s fine motor skills, creativity, and sense of accomplishment. The time spent together creating these decorations will become treasured memories, even starting new family traditions. So, gather your supplies, put on some festive music, and enjoy crafting Christmas decorations with your little ones!