Holiday Crafts for Kids

It’s the holiday season and the kids will soon be on a break from school. A great way to spend quality time with them is doing some craft activities together. Here are a few festive arts and crafts ideas to get the whole family in the holiday spirit.

Note: all activities are suitable for kids ages four and up. Parental supervision required.

Styrofoam Snowman

What you’ll need:
2” styrofoam ball
2 ½” styrofoam ball
3” styrofoam ball
Four toothpicks
Mini black pom poms
Orange pipe cleaner
Wire cutters
Tacky glue
Piece of ribbon or felt
Butter knife

Instructions:
Using the butter knife, even off the bottom of the largest styrofoam ball (so your snowman will stand up on its own when complete). Insert a toothpick halfway into the top of the largest styrofoam ball. Push the medium-sized styrofoam ball onto the toothpick. Insert another toothpick slightly more than halfway into the top of the medium-sized styrofoam ball. Push the smallest styrofoam ball onto the top of the toothpick. This is the head. Make a nose for your snowman by cutting a short piece of orange pipe cleaner and pushing it into the smallest styrofoam ball. Glue the pom poms on your snowman to give him eyes, mouth and buttons. Make a scarf for your snowman by cutting a strip of felt or ribbon and gluing it around his “neck”. Stick the last two toothpicks in the medium-sized styrofoam ball to make arms. You now have your very own snowman—and he’ll be around even after the snow melts!

 
Paper Chain Garland

What you’ll need:
Waxed paper
Red, green and white construction paper
Crayons
White craft glue
Glitter
Scissors

Instructions:
Before starting, protect your table by spreading waxed paper across your work surface. Use crayons to draw or scribble on the construction paper. Squirt glue in swirled patterns all over the construction paper. Sprinkle on glitter so that you cover all of the glue. Let dry for a few hours or overnight. Shake the excess glitter onto the waxed paper. Cut the construction paper into strips along its length. Glue a strip into a circle. Put another strip through the circle and glue that strip into a circle. Continue in this way to make a chain as long as you’d like. Once you’re done, you’ll have a sparkly homemade garland for your tree!

What you’ll need:
Burned-out light bulb
Acrylic paints
Wire or ribbon

Instructions:
Paint shapes or designs on your light bulb using as many colours as you’d like. Let the paint dry. Wrap wire or ribbon around the coiled end of the light bulb. Make several of these to hang on your tree.

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Pine Cone Tree Ornament

What you’ll need:
Pine cone
Regular washable craft paint
Glitter
Sequins, beads, small buttons, yarn
6” length of wire
Glue

Instructions:
Tie the wire around the tip of the pine cone creating a loop so you can later hang your decoration. Paint the pine cone green while holding it by the wired loop. Sprinkle glitter on your pine cone while the paint is still wet. When the paint has dried, decorate your pine cone with sequins, beads and other items. You now have an adorable mini Christmas tree decoration!

Milk Carton Dreidel

What you'll need:
1 small, empty milk carton (thoroughly rinsed)
Masking tape
Kitchen knife
Acrylic paint (any colour)
1 popsicle stick
Glitter pen

Instructions:
Close the spout of the milk carton and use a piece of masking tape to seal it shut. Using a kitchen knife make a small slit into the bottom centre of your container. Insert the popsicle stick through the slit. Paint the entire milk carton. Add a second coat of paint if necessary. Let paint dry completely. Use a glitter pen to write the letters Nun, Hay, Gimel and Shin, one letter on each side of the carton (see diagram). Your dreidel is ready to play with!