TOP TEN KIDS FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS DIY IDEAS

As we enter the season of goodwill, our thoughts turn from more permanent interior design to seasonal décor. It’s time to get your craft on and deck the halls, and every other room in the house, with festive cheer.

While you might be reticent to let the kids loose on your next big-budget lounge revamp or bedroom makeover, the stakes and commitment are much lower when it comes to Christmas decorations. In fact, this is the perfect chance to get the whole family immersed in the spirit of Christmas, spending quality time together and making precious memories.

The outlay is relatively minimal, and the odds are high that you’ll already have a good deal of the supplies within easy reach. For some of our ideas, you can even include an educational forage in woodlands and encourage recycling and the use of odds and ends.

Round up the troops, grab a glue gun and a cup of hot cocoa, command Alexa to pop Michael Bublé on and go all-out boho-chic without breaking the bank. It’s time to take on ten of our favourite, family-friendly Christmas DIY crafting projects. Fa la la la la la la la la.

Ribbon Christmas Tree Decoration

We love this particular project because it’s big on sustainability, especially if you use ribbon remnants, so there’s a lovely educational eco message. It’s also a great way of prepping your children for shoelace tying.

Opt for ribbon in shades of green and brown if you wish to emulate a festive spruce, but other palettes and combos would work just as well.

One of the real pluses of this crafting project is that you need very little in the way of supplies. For your tree trunk, you simply need a straight twig or stick from the garden. Alternatively, you can use a cinnamon stick which will infuse your decoration with the spicy scent of Christmas.

Wrap the ribbon around your stick and tie in a loose knot. Repeat the process along your tree trunk until you have covered its length, save for a centimetre or two at the bottom. Trim the ribbon lengths to form your tree shape and tie some twine around the top to hang it. Voila! You have a tree for your tree.

Wooden Rudolph Tree Decs

Christmas just wouldn’t be complete without our familiar red-nosed friend Rudolph, and these wooden reindeer creations are a delight to make with the kids.

All you will need is some wooden slices (you can buy them predrilled for ease), a stash of glitter card, a marker pen and some decorative string for hanging. You can even use a touch of brown paint on the front of your slice if you want to intensify the colour of Rudolph’s face. Just make sure it’s completely dry before you start to add your embellishments.

Cut out a circle for Rudolph’s nose and glue centrally, adding a couple of dots above with the marker pen for his eyes and a vertical line beneath for his mouth. Draw and cut out a set of antlers for each decoration, glueing them to the reverse of the slice so that they sit to the right and left of the hole. Add your twine or ribbon.

Don’t be afraid to freestyle if you want to create a quirkier look. Perhaps you’ll add a Mrs Rudolf with eyelashes and a beaming smile. You could even order an assortment of wooden slices and build a tribe of mini Rudolf’s. However you choose to style your Rudolf decs, they’re sure to go down in history!

Diy Toilet Paper Roll Christmas Trees

Enter a childhood crafting staple – the humble toilet paper roll! Who knew something so easily discarded could be transformed into a thing of such beauty?

This particular DIY hack is about as easy as it gets, but you might need to help younger children with the scissors both from a safety and precision point of view.

Simply flatten your cylinder slightly to enable you to draw the outline of a tree. Cut your template, being sure to leave your tree branches connected at the sides. This will give lend stability and help when it comes to painting and decorating. Gently squeeze your cylinder back into shape so the base stands up and get creative with paint, glitter, and marker pens.

Use paper towel rolls as well as toilet rolls to create a forest of different scales and dimensions. For a final touch of glamour, pop battery operated tealights inside the base of your trees or use micro copper wire lights to illuminate your festive forest.

Wooden Snowflake Bead Ornament

There’s a touch of Scandi spirit in these snowflake decorations that we just can’t resist, and we love the texture and finish of the natural wooden beads. These decs would work well in room schemes full of rattan and wicker or boho-inspired spaces, and they’d even extend outside of the festive period. Leave them neutral for a look that’s au naturel, or spray and paint with metallics for maximum holiday vibes.

To make them, you’ll need a supply of natural wooden beads and some craft wire plus scissors and a little ribbon. The technique is simple and won’t take long to master. You can follow the steps to stylish snowflakes here

Antler Wood Slice Ornaments

Rustic decorations add character and texture to the Christmas tree and can even double up as eye-catching gift tags or present toppers.

This design concept takes the same wooden slices we used for Rudolph but replaces the glue gun with a wood-burning tool. You’ll need to start with a design template for the antlers, which is easy to find online, but you might need to toggle the print size to suit your wooden slice. Tape your template firmly to the piece and carefully use a crafting knife to trace through, etching the rough outline into your wood. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Now take your wood-burning tool and go over the indentations, perfecting your piece as you go.

Popsicle Twig and Stick Christmas Trees

The simplicity of these beautiful creations means even the littlest family members can get involved, and the presence of the familiar popsicle stick is a bonus. You can skip the instructions for this one and head straight to stick and twig gathering. You’ll need an assortment of lengths to create your tree shape. Liberally cover your popsicle stick with white PVA glue and arrange your twigs from shortest at the top to longest at the bottom. Leave to dry and decorate your trees with sequins, pom poms, mini Christmas bells or anything else that takes your fancy.

Painted Pinecones

 

Modern minimalism is the order of the day with these paired-back pinecones. The brilliant white positively pops against the vibrant spruce. Sometimes it’s the most straightforward ideas that have the most impact, and these couldn’t be easier to make.

Whether they’re shop-bought or forest foraged, simply give your cones a lick or spray of paint and add a matching white ribbon to hang. If you’re feeling adventurous, add a touch of sparkle at the pinecone frond ends to create an icy finish.

Rustic Twig Ornaments

Though rustic doesn’t always equal inexpensive, it does mean going back to basics and using nature as an inspiration. Armed with little more than a bundle of twigs, jute twine, hot glue and branch cutters, you too can lay claim to a festive collection of natural snowflakes and sustainable stars like these. Keep them nude or dip in clear glue and glitter for added sparkle at the extremities. Full instructions can be found here

Scandinavian Star

Twinkle Twinkle Scandi star, how I wonder what you are. The simple answer is five nearly identical sticks tied together with neutral string or twine and a string of warm winter white lights. The size is limited only by your choice of stick length and ambition!

Twinkle Twinkle Scandi star, how I wonder what you are. The simple answer is five nearly identical sticks tied together with neutral string or twine and a string of warm winter white lights. The size is limited only by your choice of stick length and ambition!

Tassel Tree Elegance

There are so many ways to bring the emblematic symbol of Christmas into the home, and what could be cuter than this inexpensive tassel tree sign? Accomplished tassel makers will need no instruction, but the uninitiated can get up to speed quickly here

Still looking for Christmas gift ideas for the kids? Check out our selections: under 50€ and over 50€

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