Christmas crafts for kids are a great way to get into the festive spirit and encourage children to get creative. Our easy Christmas crafts are great for toddlers and younger children to do. Plus, if you scroll down, we've got some crafting ideas for older kids too, to keep them entertained.

What better way to pass some chilly winter days than getting the whole family immersed in festive decorating? Not only does it save you the hassle of spending too much on Christmas decorations, it's also a lovely way to proudly display your children's artwork around the home. What's not to love?

We have plenty of great ideas for Christmas crafts for kids for 2021, along with out guide to the best craft advent calendars, so if you need inspiration, scroll down for our full list of Christmas crafting ideas. That should keep them busy when you're stocking up on top Christmas toys for the big day!

Best Christmas crafts for kids

Hand painted Christmas art

This Christmas art is a great way for little ones to get hands on - literally! Kids will love creating their own handprint wreath and it'll look lovely on display over the festive season. All you'll need is paper or canvas, paints, a pencil, a ruler and a willing pair of hands. How to make hand painted Christmas art.

Toilet Roll Santa

Put your empty toilet rolls to good use this festive season, and make an adorable Santa Claus! All you need is a cardboard loo roll, pom poms, glue, felt, a pipe cleaner, googly eyes, and anything else you might want to decorate your little Santa with. How to make a toilet roll Santa.

Toilet roll three kings

It's not Christmas without the three kings! It's so easy to make them out of empty toilet rolls, all you'll need is white, black and orange paper, skin-colour paint or pens, googly eyes, glue, patterned paper, glitter or gold card and scissors. How to make toilet roll three kings.

Handprint Rudolph

Kids as young as 3 can get involved making this fun reindeer craft, as it's super easy and all they need to do is draw around their hand. Adult supervision is required to carefully cut out the handprint, but other than that, kids will love getting involved in making this fun and simple Christmas craft, which can be used as a Christmas tree decoration. How to make handprint Rudolph

Handprint Christmas tree card

Handmade Christmas cards are a lovely way for little ones to spread some festive joy this season, and these make a lovely gift for family members! You can decorate it however you'd like, but we've gone for the classic sparkles and sequins. How to make handprint Christmas tree card

Snowman pencil topper

This pencil topper is a great way to add some festive fun to your child's stationary. It's very simple to make too, as all you need to do is wrap a white pipe cleaner around the top of a pencil and decorate it with a pom pom head, a ribbon scarf, glittering eyes, or whatever else takes their fancy! How to make snowman pencil topper

Snowmen tin can bowling pins

This fun craft doubles up as a Christmas game, and it's a fun way to make use of used tin cans and encourage your kids to get creative. To make these cute snowman bowling pins, you'll need paint, felt, glue, scissors, white paint, and any other decorations you might want. You could even challenge little ones to make the funniest face! How to make snowmen tin can bowling pins

Christmas tree pinecones

We recommend these cute pinecone trees for children age 5 and up, and once you've collected your pine cones, all you need to decorate them is green paint, some paint brushes, green glitter and air drying clay. They're a great way to decorate small spaces in the home, or they could even be a festive centrepiece for your table. How to make Christmas tree pinecones

Wooden spoon angel

Angels are a popular symbol of Christmas, and your children can make their very own angel by simply repurposing a wooden spoon. To bring this angel to life, alongside the spoon you'll need 2 silver pipe cleaners, 1 gold pipe cleaner, 2 white felt A4 sheets, 1 pink felt A4 sheet, 1 white paper plate and a pink ribbon. How to make wooden spoon angel

Christmas paper chains

With just three equipment, this paper chains craft couldn't be easier! With paper, scissors and glue, you and your little ones can get crafty and made your own festive bunting that make perfect decorations this festive season. You could even use leftover wrapping paper to make it super festive. How to make Christmas paper chains.

Stamped Christmas wrapping paper

If you don't fancy buying wrapping paper this year, you could always make your own! It's so easy to do and little ones will love adding a personal touch to gifting. Children will need adult supervision with this one - at least in the setting up stage so you can use the craft knife to create the potato stamp. All you'll need is brown paper, a festive cookie cutter, potato, craft knife, paint and a paper plate. Pop on some Christmas tunes and have fun! How to make stamped Christmas wrapping paper.

Best Christmas crafts for older kids

Cardboard reindeer head

Suitable for children age 9 and up, this cardboard reindeer head is an adorable and easy craft to make this Christmas. All you need is our free craft templates, some cardboard, a craft knife, a pencil, some scissors and decorations. You could even make several if you want all of Santa's reindeer! How to make cardboard reindeer head

Cardboard snowflake wreath

This clever craft transforms paper towels and toilet roll tubes into a pretty hanging cardboard snowflake wreath, which is a great way to use household supplies you'd otherwise throw away. All you need is some spray paint, a ribbon, and anything else you want to decorate it with. It's a great craft to make for all ages. How to make cardboard snowflake wreath

Christmas wreath cushion

Great for older children, this Christmas wreath cushion is inspired by The White Company and is a great activity to work on together this festive season. To make one, you'll need a sewing machine, cushion pad, felt, scissors and a pompom trim. It'll look lovely on your sofa over the Christmas period. How to make Christmas wreath cushion

Handmade Christmas card

Add a personal touch to your Christmas gifting with handmade Christmas cards. This is a great way to let your imagination run wild, and family are sure to appreciate all the hard work your children put in! Suitable for all ages, it's so easy to decorate your very own card. How to make a handmade Christmas card

Personalised clay decorations

Great for older kids, these easy-to-make hanging alphabet decorations will look lovely on your tree or other festive display this year. You could spell out a Christmas themed word, or the names of your children, or just initials. Time to get creative! How to make personalised clay decorations

Christmas star decorations

Another craft for older children, these star decorations can be sewn together to create festive bunting that you can put up around the house. You'll need a basic sewing kit, our star template, some felt, and you're ready to go! How to make Christmas star decorations

Origami Christmas trees

One of the most popular paper crafting techniques is origami, and these little Christmas trees will look lovely in your home this festive season. You'll only need three equipment too; A4 sheet of green stiff paper or card, scissors and a ruler or paper creasing tool! How to make origami Christmas trees

Toilet roll Christmas decorations

Stars are a popular choice for Christmas decorations, and there's a super simple way you and your little ones can make them out of toilet roll. These require scissors so they're best for older children, and they can be hung on the tree or other places in your home. How to make toilet roll Christmas decorations

Christmas patchwork decorations

Teach older children how to sew with these Christmas tree decorations. These are easily customisable as you can use scraps of any fabric, and they'll look lovely hanging on the tree this festive season. If you're short on time, there's even a quick sew tutorial. How to make Christmas patchwork decorations

Give your home a glow with these pretty metallic projects, including copper leaf pillar candles and cookie cutter tealights

Learn how to make your very own candles with a copper twist. Choose from making tealights from scratch by upcyling some copper cookie cutters or adding copper leaf to a set of pillar candles.

More into sparkles than metallics? Have a go at making these glittery Christmas candles instead. Or how about these terrazzo candle holders and candle jar crafts for some stylish upcycling projects.

How to make copper leaf candles

Create this simple centrepiece of copper candles to add instant wow to your table.

To make copper leaf candles you will need:

• Pillar candles in shades of red and pink
• Copperleaf sheets
• Soft paintbrushes
• Masking tape
• Gilding adhesive

How to make copper leaf candles:

1. Remove any labels or wrappers from the pillar candles and brush with the soft paintbrush to remove any loose wax.

2. Apply the masking tape at an angle to the top of the candle to create a geometric shape left at the base.

3. Using one of the paintbrushes, apply some gilding adhesive to the base and allow to dry for as long as the manufacturer suggests.

4. Once tacky, delicately place a sheet of the copperleaf on top of the glue and gently lift away the paper backing. Continue, working around the candle until it’s been completely coated in copper foil. Allow to dry.

5. With a dry paintbrush, buff away at the copper to remove any loose pieces. Collect and store any loose flakes for future projects.

6. Remove the masking tape, place on a candle holder or stand, and light.

How to make cookie cutter copper candles

Create your own copper candle tealights in seasonal shapes and scents.

To make cookie cutter copper candles you will need:

• Soy wax flakes
• Wax candle dye or old coloured crayons
• Copper biscuit cutters
• Pre-waxed wicks with metal bases
• Saucepan
• Baking tray
• Greaseproof paper
• Heatproof bowl
• Essential oils
• Thermometer
• Wooden skewer

For some craft supplies, check out Wilko.

How to make cookie cutter copper candles:

1. Fill the saucepan with water and bring to the boil, before turning down to a gentle simmer.

2. Place the heatproof bowl on top and pour in some wax flakes. Allow to melt and monitor the temperature with the thermometer.

3. Once the melted wax has reached 60 degrees C, add a couple of drops of essential oil and your wax dye or coloured crayons. Stir until combined.

4. Remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool until it reaches 40 degrees C. At this point, it’s ready to pour.

5. While cooling, place a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the baking sheet and place the biscuit cutters on top. Position a wick in the centre of each one.

6. Carefully pour the wax into each mould, making sure to press down on the mould to create a seal around the base. Hold firmly down until the wax begins to harden. Prop up the wick in the centre with a wooden skewer rested across the top of the cutter.

7. Once set, remove the candles from the baking sheet and trim the wicks. You can now pop the candles out of the mould or keep the copper frames in place. Place on a heatproof dish or in a candle holder when burning.

Create your very own homemade nativity, including these festive three kings from toilet rolls, some patterned paper and googly eyes.

This is a great project for entertaining little ones. Once they’ve made the three kings from toilet roll, they’ll be ready to create all sorts of Christmas characters. Why not have a go at this toilet roll Santa?

Or take a look at our favourite things to make with toilet roll tubes, there’s sure to be something to spark your little one’s creativity. For something a little more festive, check out our best Christmas crafts for kids, they’ll be great entertainment over the holidays.

To make the three kings from toilet rolls you will need:

• White, black and orange paper
• Skin-colour paint or pens
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Patterned paper
• Glitter or gold card
• Scissors

For similar craft supplies, check out Wilko

How to make the three kings from toilet roll:

1. Begin by painting or colouring in the top third of the toilet roll in the skin-colour paints or pens. Allow to dry completely. If you don’t have any paints or pens to hand, you can leave the toilet roll as-is for a simpler and speedier make.

2. Cover the bottom two-thirds of the toilet roll with a piece of patterned paper. Glue in place and then allow to dry.

3. From the orange, white and black paper cut two 5-8cm strips. Cut along the bottom of one of the long edges, making sure to leave a 2cm strip uncut at the top. Use a pair of scissors to curl the ends of the strips.

4. Then glue one of the strips along the top of the patterned paper to make the beard and the other around the top for the hair, making sure to leave a gap for the face. Repeat for each of the toilet roll three kings.

5. From the same papers, cut a 2x5cm rectangle. Fold the paper in half and then draw on half a moustache shape. Use a pair of scissors to cut out and unfold to reveal a full moustache. Glue on the top of the beard paper.

6. Then add a pair of googly eyes to the top of the face.

7. Finally, cut a 3cm strip from the glitter or gold card and then cut a zigzag along one of the long sides. Secure around the top of the toilet roll, and repeat for each of the three kings. Line up your row of three kings made from toilet roll, ready to display at Christmas time.

If you're wondering how to make an origami Christmas tree then you've come to the right place! Follow our simple step-by-step guide below.

It’s hard to find crafts to keep older kids entertained, but these origami Christmas trees are sure to get them in the Christmas spirit. Once they’ve mastered the simple origami technique, your house will be full of these Christmas tree decorations.

Have a go at changing the size of paper to create huge or tiny variations. Small origami Christmas trees make great place settings for a Christmas table. Change up the colour of the paper too for each guest.

Looking for more Christmas crafts for kids to get them creating and keep them busy over the holidays? Take a look at these Christmas tree cards, stitched Christmas tree decorations, or wooden Christmas ornaments.

To make an origami Christmas tree you will need:

• A4 sheet of green stiff paper or card
• Scissors
• Ruler or paper creasing tool

For craft supplies, check out Wilko

How to make an origami Christmas tree:

1. Fold the paper along the diagonal and cut away the excess.

2. Open out the square of paper and fold in the opposite direction.

3. Then, open out the square of paper and fold again, not along the diagonal this time.

4. Tuck two of the opposite diagonal creases in on themselves and flatten the paper to form a square shape. Fold the edges in on themselves to form a triangle. Repeat on both sides. Use a ruler or creasing tool to help make your folds accurate and sharp.

5. Snip off the bottom of the origami Christmas tree.

6. Open out the centre folds and then tuck the creased edge in on itself so the front of the Christmas tree is flat.

7. Then use a pair of scissors to make two cuts along the folded sides of the origami Christmas tree.

8. Fold the top of the cuts back on themselves to form a traditional Christmas tree shape. Remember to use a ruler or paper creasing tool to help you.

9. Once all the cuts have been folded, spread out the paper folds to form a 3D Christmas tree decoration.

If you're wondering how to make toilet roll Christmas decorations that don't look like, well, toilet roll, then we've got the perfect craft for you. 

Probably not the first place you’d look for festive inspiration but, if you’re on a budget or an eco-warrior, you'll love making these toilet roll Christmas decorations. Turning your unwanted toilet roll tubes into these colourful Christmas decorations is a great way to combat waste whilst decorating your home. Plus, they make wonderfully fun Christmas crafts for kids to keep them busy.

Paint these star-shaped hangers in your favourite Christmas colours, we’ve done ours in a folk-style red, mustard and teal. But they’d look great painted in metallic gold and silver or a traditional red and green.

There’s plenty of other things you can make with your leftover toilet roll tubes, like this fun and festive toilet roll Santa. Haven’t been saving your old toilet rolls? Learn how to make paper chains or a snowmen bowling set from tin cans instead.

To make Christmas decorations from toilet roll tubes you will need:

• Old toilet roll tubes
• Paint
• Paintbrush
• Pencil and ruler
• Scissors
• Ribbon

For craft supplies, check out Wilko

How to make Christmas decorations from toilet roll tubes:

1. Begin by painting your toilet roll tubes on the inside and outside. Make sure to choose contrasting colours so your Christmas decorations really stand out. Allow to dry completely.

2. Then using the pencil and ruler, measure the length of the toilet roll tube and mark two lines 1cm wide at the centre. Draw the lines all the way around the toilet roll tubes.

3. With the scissors, snip from one of the bottom edges right up to the closest centre line, continue cutting around the base at 1.5cm intervals. Repeat for the top section.

4. Then cut the strips into pointed triangles, it will begin to resemble a crown. Make sure to keep the off-cuts of the painted card - it makes great confetti to decorate your Christmas table with.

5. Fold the triangle pieces back on themselves, making sure to crease the cardboard so they stay in a star shape.

6. Add some ribbon around the centre of your Christmas decoration and tie in a knot ready to hang from your Christmas tree, wreath or garland.

There’s nothing like receiving a handmade Christmas card, especially one that’s made by your kids or grandkids. Make their Christmas day even more special with this handprint Christmas tree card version, a simple craft that will keep the kids entertained during the holidays.

It’s quick to make and doesn’t involve too much mess, just some sparkly sequin fun, and a little PVA glue.

We’ve stuck to traditional gold and silver sequins for our handprint Christmas tree card, but use whatever craft bits you already have lying around the house for an inexpensive way to keep the kids occupied for an afternoon. Run out of crafting supplies? Try out this simple stamped Christmas wrapping paper instead.

Want to get even more hands-on? Swap the sequins for finger-prints, simply press thumbs and fingers into paint before dabbing all over the handprint Christmas tree card cutout like baubles. Check out our other festive handprint craft ideas, like these Christmas canvases and reindeer card.

To make a hand-print Christmas tree you will need:

• A4 sheet of green card
• Pen
• Scissors
• Sequins
• Glue
• Glue brush
• Gold glitter card or star sequin

For craft supplies, check out Wilko

How to make a hand-print Christmas tree:

1. Fold the A4 sheet of green card in half. Ask your child to place their hand, palm down, onto the green card with their thumb lined up with the folded edge of the card.

2. Draw around the outside of their hand with a pen. Then draw a point at the top where their wrist was.

3. Cut out the hand shape, making sure to keep the folded edge of the card intact as this is what forms the Christmas card.

4. Dollop some glue onto the Christmas tree using a glue brush and place the sequins on top to look like baubles. Make sure you’ve popped an apron or overalls on your kids and protected your surfaces because this is probably going to get messy!

5. Glue a star sequin at the top or cut a star shape from some gold glitter paper instead. Open the card and write your Christmas message inside.

Give guests a festive greeting with a fresh flower Christmas wreath hung on your front door

Making your own floral Christmas wreath is easy with our step-by-step photo guide. Forage around your garden for foliage and berries to keep costs down. Or replace the roses with flowers growing in your garden to save a trip to the florist. How about adding pinecones to create your homemade Christmas wreath.

For a longer lasting arrangement, swap the florals for these paper flowers instead.

While you're wreath-making, give the kids some extra pinecones to create their own Christmas tree decorations.

To make a floral Christmas wreath you will need:

• Oasis wreath ring (31cm)
• Five large red roses
• Spray roses
• Spruce and pine
• Eucalyptus parvifolia
• Myrtle or pistache foliage
• Ivy or holly or ruscus
• Red berries
• Mini gold baubles
• Green florist’s wire
• Florist’s scissors
• Wire cutters
• Buckets
• Cut-flower food (Optional)
• Craft knife

For similar craft supplies, check out Wilko.

How to condition the flowers and foliage for your Christmas wreath:

Remove all the packaging and ties from the foliage and flowers, then snip away the bottom of the stems by about 5cm and remove any outer petals from the roses that are looking lacklustre. Next, fill the buckets with some water and a little cut-flower food if needed. Strip any leaves from the bottom half of the stems, so no foliage or flowers sit in the water. Then place the foliage and flowers in the water and leave to acclimatise. So long as the pine and spruce are kept cool and dry, you don’t need to put them into the water buckets.

How to make a floral Christmas wreath:

Step 1

Fill a large bucket with water and place the Oasis ring on top, allowing it to soak up the water for two minutes. Then remove from water and, using a craft knife, cut away the edge of the inner and outer ring. This will help soften the arrangement. If hanging the wreath, knot florist’s wire in a loop at the top.

Step 2

Begin with the spruce and pine cuttings. Snip them down to 15cm length pieces and remove any leaves from the bottom 5cm. Then push the pine and spruce into the foam, spacing them out so that there’s plenty of gaps in between each of the pieces.

Step 3

Working with small pieces of leafy foliage, like the eucalyptus, ivy or myrtle, fill the gaps in between the pine and spruce. Vary the size of the leaves to add some interest, making sure to cover the outer sides and inner ring, too.

Step 4

With five large roses, arrange where you’d like the big blooms to go by placing them evenly around the wreath. Once happy with the position, cut the stems right down to about 8cm and push into the foam.

Step 5

Cut the spray roses to a similar length and push clusters of one, two or three buds into the foam in between each of the larger roses. Make sure to use a mixture of fully bloomed and closed rose heads for variety.

Step 6

Arrange a mixture of large and small berries all the way round the wreath, keep the larger berries in the centre of the ring and dot the smaller berries around the edges to add colour to the foliage.

Step 7

Thread some florist’s wire through the hanging loops of the gold baubles and twist to secure. Position the baubles among the spray roses, pushing the wires into the Oasis foam to secure. Then attach the hanging wire to your front doorknocker or add a piece of ribbon to the top for a traditional look.

Sew up a set of stylish patchwork decorations for your tree this Christmas

Give your Christmas tree a homemade touch with these patchwork decorations. Pop on some Christmas tunes and spend an afternoon stitching away. If you're short on time, have a go at our quick-sew version listed below instead.

While your sewing machine is out of storage, take a look at our other Christmas stitching ideas to give your home a festive feel. Have a go at making a quick-sew stocking, a Christmas cushion or a Christmas sack ready for Christmas Eve.

How to make patchwork decorations

To make Christmas patchwork decorations you will need:

• Patterned fabric scraps
• Silver cotton fabric
• Twine
• Velvet ribbon
• Stuffing
• Cutting mat
• Quilter’s ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Scissors
• Matching thread
• Hand sewing needle

For sewing supplies, check out John Lewis & Partners.

How to make Christmas patchwork decorations:

NOTE: Use 1/4in seam allowances throughout and always sew with fabrics right sides together.

1. Using the cutting mat, quilter’s ruler, and rotary cutter, trim the patterned fabric scraps into 1¾ x 5in rectangles. For one tree, you need two rectangles. Cut diagonally across the rectangles. Remember to cut in opposite directions on each colour so the triangles pair up.

2. Cut the silver fabric into 1in strips. Then cut into four 6in strips for the sides and two 4in strips for the bottom of the tree.

3. Pin one 6in strip to the diagonal edge of one of the triangles and sew together. Press seams open. Return to the cutting mat and rotary cut to neaten the edges. Repeat until you have four pieces.

4. Place two triangles together along the straight edge and sew. Press seams open and then neaten up the bottom edge.

5. Sew the last 4in strip onto the bottom edge and, again, neaten on the cutting mat.

6. Take a 6cm piece of ribbon and fold in half. Cut a 12cm piece of twine. Pin the two Christmas trees together, sandwiching the twine inside at the top and the folded ribbon at the bottom.

7. Sew all the way around, making sure to leave a small gap on one of the diagonal sides for turning through. Turn right sides out and press.

8. Fill the decoration with stuffing. Turn the raw edges of the gap under by 1/4in and slipstitch closed.

How to make quick-sew Christmas decorations

If you’re short on time, these Christmas trees are a simple and speedy alternative.

To make quick-sew Christmas decorations you will need:

• Patterned fabric scraps
• Thin wadding
• Twine
• Velvet ribbon
• Matching sewing thread
• Paper and pencil
• Scissors

How to make quick-sew Christmas decorations:

1. On a folded piece of paper, draw out a Christmas tree shape and cut out. Open out to reveal the pattern template.

2. Fold the patterned fabrics wrong sides together. Pin the template on top and cut out. Once all the fabric has been cut out, trim down the templates by 5mm and use to cut out the wadding.

3. Sandwich a piece of wadding in between the fabric layers, slip a folded 10cm piece of twine in the top and pin. Fold a 5cm piece of velvet ribbon in half and pin in between the layers at the base.

4. Stitch all the way around the tree decoration, about 5mm from the edge. You can use a zigzag stitch if you have a little more time. Tie off the thread ends and trim the fabric edges to neaten.

Make your own wooden decorations this Christmas with foraged twigs from your garden

These natural wooden Christmas decorations are so quick to make and you can even find some of the materials in your own back garden. Have a hunt around your garden for wooden twigs and sticks you can use for this project. Just make sure it’s all completely dried out before you begin.

Looking for more craft projects to get you in the festive flow? Take a look at these simple Christmas paper chains or gingerbread tree decorations. Or for an extra special decoration or personalised gift, have a go at making these air-dry clay alphabet Christmas decorations.

Wooden twig tree decorations

To make wooden twig tree decorations you will need:

• Wooden star decorations
• Hot glue gun
• Drill and 5mm drill bit
• 30cm 4mm thick wooden dowel
• 8cm wide log slice
• 1.5cm thick wooden twigs
• Small coping saw
• Sandpaper
• Ruler

For craft supplies, check out Wilko.

How to make wooden twig tree decorations:

1. Drill a 5mm hole into the base of the log slice. Slip the 4mm thick wooden dowel into the hole.

2. Fill the hole with glue from a hot glue gun and allow to dry. Make sure to hold the dowel upright as the glue sets.

3. Taking the thick wooden twigs and coping saw, chop off a 5cm length piece. Drill a 5mm hole through the very centre lengthways, sand down the ends and slip onto the dowel. Push the twig all the way down to the bottom of the base to create the trunk of the tree.

4. For the horizontal twigs, use the coping saw to cut the thick twigs into smaller and smaller pieces. Start at 15cm and graduate down to 4cm. Sand down the rough edges.

5. Once cut, drill a 5mm hole through the centre widthways. Slip onto the central dowel, stacking up the pieces in size order.

6. At the top, hot glue gun a small wooden star to either side of the empty dowel to hide the raw dowel end.

7. Repeat to create the smaller tree too, cutting the central dowel down to 18cm before gluing to the base.

Wooden star decoration

To make the wooden star decoration you will need:

• Five 1.5cm thick wooden twigs cut to 25cm long
• Hot glue gun
• Red twine
• Bodkin or large tapestry needle
• Jingle bells
• Scissors

How to make a wooden star decoration:

1. Using our photograph as a guide, position the five branches into a star shape.

2. Heat up the glue gun and stick the ends together with a small amount of glue. Allow to dry completely.

3. Wrap the twine over the top of the glue to secure the joins. Thread the bodkin or needle with the twine and slip in between the wrappings to secure the ends. Trim off the excess.

4. Cut three short lengths of twine and thread the jingle bells onto the ends. Knot to secure. Use the bodkin or needle again to slip the twine through the wrapped joint and hold the bells in place.

5. Wrap a short length of twine around the top and knot to create a hanging loop.

Wooden beaded garland decoration

To make a wooden beaded garland decoration you will need:

• Red twine
• Two sizes of wooden beads
• Wooden star decorations with hanging hole in top
• Bodkin or large tapestry needle
• Scissors

How to make a wooden beaded garland decoration:

1. Cut the red twine to your chosen garland length. Knot one end to create a hanging loop.

2. Thread the other end through the bodkin or needle and begin pushing the beads onto the twine.

3. Once you’ve threaded on three beads, continue with a star, then another three beads, then another star, and then six beads. Continue in this pattern until you reach the last 15cm of the twine.

4. Knot the end to form a hanging loop and spread out the beads and stars evenly along the garland.

All you need is a potato, a cookie cutter and some paint to create your own unique Christmas wrapping paper

Don't stop at decorating the tree, make the presents underneath just as stylish as the rest. Stamped Christmas wrap is so easy to make, so get the kids involved with this one in the run-up to the big day. Pop on some classic Christmas tunes and get crafting. Finish off your presents with these Christmas gift tags too.

For the eco-conscious or those seeking a budget-friendly alternative to the expensive foiled wrapping paper that floods the market at this time of year, this craft is sure to suit your needs. Want more inspiration? Check out our other Christmas gift wrapping ideas.

Short on time but still want your gifts wrapped up in something stylish? Take a look at the best Christmas wrapping paper you can buy.

How to make stamped Christmas wrap:

It's super simple to make your own star-print Christmas wrap.

To make stamped Christmas wrap you will need:

• Brown paper
• Festive cookie cutter
• Potato
• Sharp knife
• Paint
• Paper plate

For similar craft supplies, check out Wilko.

How to make stamped Christmas wrap:

1. Begin by cutting the potato in half, you'll need to use quite a large potato that fits the size of your cookie cutter.

2. Position your festive cookier cutter on the cut side of the potato. Press the cookie cutter into the potato by about 1cm. Using the knife, cut away at the potato around the cookie cutter. This should be done by an adult.

3. Remove the cookier cutter to reveal the potato stamp left behind. Repeat on the other potato half with a different cookie cutter shape. We've made our Christmas wrap with star cookie cutters but there are lots of festive shapes to try, how about a Christmas tree, a bell, a candy cane, an angel or a snowflake?

4. Pour some paint onto a paper plate and place the potato stamps into the paint. Unroll the brown paper and begin stamping with your Christmas shapes. Allow to dry completely before using the Christmas wrap to cover your presents.

How to make a stamped Christmas sack:

If you love the stamped Christmas wrap idea, why not make a stamped Christmas sack to match? You can use an old pillowcase for this upcylcing idea too!

To make a stamped Christmas sack you will need:

• Housewife pillowcase
• Seam ripper
• Matching sewing thread
• Pins
• Bobble trim
• Ribbon
• Festive stencil
• Chalk paint
• Potato
• Cookie cutter
• Cardboard
• Knife
• Paper plate

How to make a stamped Christmas sack:

1. Begin by turning a housewife pillowcase inside out. Open up a side hem by about 4cm from the top. Fold both raw edges back in on themselves and stitch in place.

2. To create a drawstring channel, fold down the top of the pillowcase all the way around, pin in place and stitch all around. Turn right sides out.

3. Pin the bobble trim around the top, with the braid on the top of the newly formed channel, bobbles facing upwards. Sew in place, then fold down the channel to hide the braid and allow the bobbles to dangle below.

4. Thread a ribbon through the channel – or do as we did and make a braid from fabric from another pillowcase with a bobble sewn at each end.

5. Use a cookie cutter to create a stamp in the potato (follow the instructions above). Pour some chalk paint onto the paper plate and dip your stamp into it. Slot some cardboard in between the fabric layers and then begin stamping with your festive design.

The stitched 3D effect of the trees give this homemade Christmas card the wow factor.

Get ahead on your Christmas crafting with this handmade card.

Decorated with a trio of paper Christmas trees and surrounded by flecks of white paint for the falling snow, it's the picture of a white Christmas.

Stretch your papercrafting skills by incorporating some sewing into the design. Stitched down the centre, these trees are given a cool 3D look.

This simple design is easy to repeat, mixing up the colours and shapes with each Christmas card you create. Try cutting out silver snowflake shapes as an alternative design to the Christmas trees, or how about some golden stars twinkling in the night sky on black paper?

Sending out a personalised card is such a touching gesture and one the recipient is sure to treasure. So gather your materials and start crafting these cards now, you don't want to miss the last post!

To make your Christmas card you will need:

• Star punch
• White card
• Green patterned paper
• Hot glue gun
• White sewing thread
• Sewing machine
• White watercolour paint
• Paintbrush
• Kraft card blanks

How to make your Christmas card

1. Water down the white watercolour paint to a runny consistency. Working on a protected surface, splatter the paint on to the card blank by tapping the end of the paintbrush. Allow to dry completely.

2. Cut three triangles from patterned green paper – these can be a variety of sizes. If you don't have any green patterned paper, design your own with plain green paper painted and stamped with white and black inks.

3. Position the three triangles on a card blank and stitch each one down the centre to secure in paint.

4. Using the star punch, cut three identical star shapes out of the white card.

5. With the hot glue gun, stick the stars to the tops of the trees and allow the glue to cool.

Make these personalised Christmas decorations from air-drying clay to hang on your Christmas tree.

Add a homemade touch to your Christmas tree with these easy-to-make hanging alphabet decorations.

Spell out a festive word like joy, or decorate your tree with your loved ones initials or your family names? .

Worked your way through the entire alphabet? Try making decorations in different festive shapes instead. A gingerbread man or star cookie cutter work really well too.

READ MORE: See all of our easy Christmas crafts ideas

To make your personalised Christmas decorations you will need:

• Alphabet cutters
• White air-drying clay
• Watercolour or acrylic paint
• Small paintbrush
• Wooden skewer
• Craft knife
• Thin ribbon or twine
• Rolling pin
• Rolling pin guide rings (to get an even thickness when rolling)
• Cutting mat
• Paper
• Old newspaper

How to make your personalised Christmas decorations:

1. Take a small piece of clay from the block and begin rolling it out on a clean surface. Use the rolling pin guide rings to get an even thickness of approximately 8mm depending on how thick you want your decorations to be.

2. Pick out the alphabet cutters you’d like to use, we chose to spell the word JOY with our decorations. Push the alphabet cutters into the clay and carefully push the clay cutouts free of the moulds.

Alternatively, cut out the letters freehand using a craft knife or print out your chosen word on a computer, cut out, place over the clay and trace around using the craft knife.

3. Gently smooth out any markings on the surface with your fingertips and use a craft knife to neaten up the edges. Use the skewer to pierce a hole through the top of the letters for hanging. Allow the clay to dry for at least 24 hours.

4. Once dry, use the paintbrush and either watercolour or acrylic paint to colour and detail your letters. Place old newspaper down to protect your surfaces and get creative!

We’ve chosen to paint ours with festive greenery like mistletoe, pine cones and holly in a mixture of blues, greens and reds. Use our images as a guide to trace your design on the clay decorations using a pencil. Apply a small amount of paint and allow to dry.

5. Thread thin ribbon or twine through the hole, trim and tie into a loop. Now your decorations are ready to hang.

While you're busy cutting strips from pretty paper, your little helpers can simply stick them together and you'll have the perfect Christmas paper chain production line!

There's no doubt that homemade decorations add a cool and classy touch to any Christmas party, but have no fear if you (like us... every year) have overspent on the pressies, since you probably have everything you need for this cheery chain in your house already.

Making a paper chain is the perfect way to use-up those awkward leftovers of wrapping paper when you just don't have enough for another present, and if you're a serial scrounger who saves old wrapping then this might just be the time to put it to use. We can't wait to deck our halls with these Christmassy creations. Glue, scissors, action!

To make your paper chains you will need

• Paper
• Scissors
• Glue

How to make your paper chain

• Step 1 Cut the paper into equal strips, the size depends on how large you want the loops on your paper chain. I used 2cm x 15cm strips.
• Step 2 Bend the first price of paper into a circle, overlapping the ends slightly and fasten together using glue or tape.
• Step 3 Repeat folding each piece of paper through the last to create a linked chain.

Tips for making your paper chains extra special

You can even do your bit to help good old planet Earth this Christmas by recycling your old newspapers, music sheets and brown-paper bags to add to your decoration, giving it a chic, vintage feel that wouldn't look out of place on Pinterest. ‘Waste not, want not,' our mother used to preach, and we can't wait to impress her with our resourcefulness when she pops over for Christmas lunch.

Even if you're a keen creator, don't be fooled into thinking the paper chain is old news. You can give it an original touch by using decorative craft scissors to create unusual patterns on the edges on the paper strips, creating a paper bow, or even incorporate some glittery wrapping paper into your chain to give it that extra-festive feel.

Craft editor Esme Cleo explains how to make these stunning Christmas candle displays and holders, with twine, beads, glitter and some pine cones.

Transform your Christmas table with one of this twinkling candle centrepieces, or dot them around your home for a festive feel in every corner.

Buy fragranced candles too, to fill your home with Christmas scents as they burn.

Remember, never leave a lit candle unattended.

READ MORE:Where to buy the best cheap candles

To make a twine-tied candle holder you will need:

• Three glass candle holders
• Three candles
• Twine
• Pearl bead garlands
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun

How to make twine-tied candle holder:

1. Wash the glass candle holders with warm soapy water to remove any dust or sticky labels. Allow to dry completely.

2. For the design in the centre, wrap a length of twine around the middle of the candle holder about 15 times. Secure the twine at the back by knotting the ends. Trim off the excess and use a hot glue gun to dab a little glue on the knot to reinforce it. Over the top of the twine, wrap some ivory and silver pearl bead garlands. Tie at the back and glue to secure. Add the candle to the holder, and finish by trimming some beads from the garland and positioning around the base.

3. For the design on the left, wrap twine five times around the candle holder, about three-quarters of the way up, and repeat with a small space in between the two sections. Fill the gap with some silver and ivory pearl bead garlands. Glue to secure and add the candle.

4. For the design on the right, take a length of twine and a matching length of silver beaded garland, and twist the pieces together. Tie at the back and secure with a hot glue gun. Repeat twice with the ivory beads. Complete the look with some silver beads, cut from the garland, in the bottom of the candle holder.

To make glittering icicle candle display you will need:

• Two glass candle holders
• Four candles
• White glitter
• Glue
• Paintbrushes
• Newspaper

How to make glittering icicle candle display:

1. Wash the glass candle holders with warm, soapy water to remove any dust or sticky labels. Allow to dry completely.

2. Put down some newspaper to collect excess glitter and protect your work surfaces. Using the paintbrush, apply glue in the shape of icicles around the rims of the candle holders.

3. Shake the glitter carefully over the tacky glue, then allow to dry completely.

4. Once dry, use a clean, dry paintbrush to gently brush away any glitter that hasn’t stuck to the glass. Fill with the candles.

To make a frosted pine cone candle display you will need:

• Small, thin wooden tray
• Small and large pine cones
• White, silver and glitter spray paint
• Silver beads
• Three candles
• Hot glue gun
• Large silver beads

How to make a frosted pine cone candle display:

1. In a well-ventilated room, and with the work surface protected, lightly spray paint a couple of pine cones. Coat some completely and only spray the tips of others, to create some variety. Allow to dry completely.

2. Position the candles on the base of the tray at equal distances apart. Use a hot glue gun to secure each one in place when you’re happy with their position.

3. Begin arranging the larger pine cones on the base of the tray, and glue in place once you’re happy with their position. Continue to layer the display, working through the medium-size pine cones and finishing with the smallest.

4. Complete the look with a few large silver beads glued onto the pine cones.

Add a purse-friendly personal touch to your gift-wrapping this year with these easy homemade gift tags.

Brown paper wrapping can seem a little plain on its own, so we've jazzed it up with some pretty string and easy homemade gift tags.

We've chosen to cut letters for our boxes, but you can create any shape or style of tag you like. You just need a few basic craft supplies that you've probably already got in your cupboards, and these cute Christmas cut-outs will transform the presents under your tree from boring and basic to miniature masterpieces.

They might look sophisticated, but this craft is totally kid-friendly - once the shapes are cut, they can get involved with the sticking, decorating and tying, so don't be afraid to let them get as creative as they like. Their creations will look fab on presents for their classmates or teachers, or perhaps even for mum and dad, if you're lucky enough!

From gifts for colleagues and neighbours to Christmas food gifts or wrapping up top Christmas toys, these homemade gift tags are the perfect personal touch on any parcel.

Time to get snipping...

You will need

- Card - Paper (we used brown card and Victoria Eggs 'Christmas Delights' gift wrap, but you can use any colour or combination you like!) - String - Glue - Scissors - Hole punch

Step 1

Cut the brown card into the desired shape and size. Try a simple square, or rectangle, or taper towards one end for a handmade luggage tag.

Step 2

Cut out shapes or images from your selected gift wrap or magazines. Stick the shapes on the card.

Step 3

Punch a hole in the top and thread through the string, and tie into a bow or a simple knot.

Attach to your present, write your message, and voila! Sit back and watch the recipient's delighted reaction.

Homemade gift tag ideas

If you're looking for some gift tag idea inspiration, look no further than these options here. They'll add a unique touch to any present, and are great fun when getting the kids involved!

If you've got some spare ink stencils laying around at home (or even if you don't, you can buy them for under £10 at Hobbycraft), they can be a lovely way of decorating your gift tags for all sorts of occasions. Although the ones above are centred around Christmas, you could use ones for birthdays, or just a generic, 'best wishes' message. They add a rustic, homemade feel to a gift tag that recipients are sure to love.

However, if you're after something a bit more simple, you and the kids could recreate this pretty and festive gift tag with a simple piece of red felt! Cut a heart shape in the felt (of course being careful with scissors around children), and simply glue it on to your gift tag, alongside a heartfelt (get it?) message.

If you're looking to make your present-giving a little bit more eco-friendly, this gift-wrapping idea is brilliant. Use brown paper, which can be recycled, to wrap, and tie your gift tag on with a simple piece of string. It looks traditional and homely, and won't do half as much damage to the environment as ribbon gift tags and plastic wrapping paper. Add a hand-written message, and you're all done!

Stash your little one’s presents in this handmade Christmas sack fit for Santa himself.

Make your child's Christmas with this simple craft project, ready to be filled with all their gifts on Chritmas Eve.

You can even personalise the Christmas sack with an applique of the child's name.

Our easy-to-follow project requires only basic sewing skills and is the perfect way to keep costs down this Christmas by using up leftover fabric.

You can also use the same pattern to create a toy storage sack or a drawstring laundry bag that can be used all year round.

What you'll need to make your own Christmas sack

• 70cm x 1m rectangle of Christmas fabric
• Measuring tape
• Fabric scissors
• Iron
• Pins
• Sewing machine
• Matching sewing thread
• Safety pin or bodkin
• 15mm-wide red grosgrain ribbon

How to make your own Christmas sack

1. Cut the Christmas fabric in half so that you have two pieces of fabric measuring 70cm long by 50cm wide.

2. Take the first piece and fold the two long sides over by 1cm. Press, fold again and press to hide the raw edges. Pin and stitch in place. Repeat for the other piece of fabric.

3. Fold one short edge in by 1cm and press. Then fold the same edge in by 4cm and press – this will be the casing for the ribbon. Pin and topstitch in place as close to the folded edge as possible. Repeat for the other piece of fabric.

4. Pin the two pieces of fabric together with right sides facing and, starting at the bottom of the casing, sew down one side, along the bottom and up the other side, making sure to stop at the bottom of the casing. Turn the sack right side out and press.

5. Attach the safety pin or bodkin to the end of the length of ribbon and thread through the drawstring casing at the top of the sack. Once you’ve gone all the way through to the other end, hold both ends of the ribbon and pull the sack closed.

6. Finally, tie the ribbon ends together in a knot to finish, and trim off any frayed strands.

Wreaths aren’t just for doors – create this grey-and-white Christmas wreath cushion to add a festive feel to your living room that’ll look stylish all year round

Inspired by The White Company, this elegant cushion is made with subtle grey and cream colours. Stitched felt leaves are sewn in a ring shape to mimic the look of a wreath.

For an even more Christmassy look, sew up the design in red fabric with green holly-shaped leaves and red berry pompoms.

To make your Christmas wreath cushion you will need:

• 45 x 108cm cream cotton fabric
• Three A4 sheets grey felt
• White pompom trim
• Matching sewing thread
• Hand-sewing needle
• Small side plate
• Cricut machine (optional)
• Sewing machine
• Scissors
• 43cm square cushion pad

How to make your Christmas wreath cushion

1. From the cream fabric, cut two 31.5cm x 45cm rectangles and one 45cm square. Turn one of the long edges on each rectangle under by 1cm and then another 1cm. Pin and top stitch in a matching thread to secure.

2. From the grey felt sheets, cut out 60 small leaf shapes using the Cricut Maker. If you don’t have one, cut the leaves out freehand instead.

3. With right sides up, place a side plate in the centre of the cream fabric square and begin positioning and pinning the leaves into your preferred pattern. Use our photograph as a guide.

4. In a grey or cream thread, top stitch the leaves into place and knot the loose ends on the reverse of the cushion front.

5. Cut the trim into clusters of one, two or three pompoms and arrange them on top of the leaves at random. With a hand-sewing needle and matching cream thread, sew the pompoms to the cushion front.

6. With right sides facing, pin the cushion backs to the cushion front with the raw edges matching. Sew all the way around the edge with a 1.5cm seam allowance. Turn the cushion right sides out and press.

Quick to make, but not short on style, this personalised quick sew Christmas stocking will complete your festive mantelpiece perfectly.

Hanging a Christmas stocking, ready to be filled with gifts and sweets, is a fun part of the festive season. Make your's extra special by personalising yours or loved ones - not only will they look lovely, but they'll make sure Father Christmas doesn't get confused when leaving presents!

To make your quick sew Christmas stocking, you will need:

• 50cm x 60cm hessian fabric
• 50cm x 60cm neutral cotton fabric
• 22cm x 22cm red stripe fabric
• 1m cream ricrac
• Red felt
• Red twine
• Matching sewing thread
• Hot glue gun
• Cricut maker (optional)

How to make your quick sew Christmas stocking:

Time to make: 2 hours

Note: Use 1.5cm seam allowances throughout

1. Download the stocking template. Using the template, cut out two stocking shapes from the hessian and two from the ivory lining fabric. For the cuff, cut out two from the red ticking fabric.
2. Stack the two hessian stockings with the lining fabric stockings on top. Pin all the way around the edge and stitch, making sure not to sew the opening. Sew the cuff pieces along the two short sides.
3. Turn the stocking with the lining on the outside and slip the cuff with wrong sides facing over the top of the stocking. Sandwich a piece of twine in between the cuff and stocking to make a hanging loop. Line up the top raw edges and the side seams, and sew along the top edge to secure.
4. Turn the stocking right sides out and fold the cuff fabric to the outside of the stocking. Turn the raw cuff edge under by 1cm and slipstitch or hot glue gun into place.
5. Using our image as a guide, hot glue gun the ricrac to the cuff edge, toe and heel.
6. To personalise the stocking, use a Cricut maker to cut out your chosen letter from red felt. If you don’t have a Cricut maker, simply cut out a letter freehand. Hot glue gun the letter in the centre and allow the glue to cool.

Click here to DOWNLOAD quick sew stocking template

Stockists: Ticking stripe cotton canvas in Cherry, £10.99 per m; plain ivory cotton, £11.99 per m; ricrac trim in natural, 79p per m; luxury hessian fabric, £5.99 per m, A4 acrylic felt sheet in Cherry Red, 69p each, all Minervacrafts Cricut maker smart cutting machine, £379.99, amazon.co.uk.

Homemade advent calendars are a treat for the whole family.

Get the family excited in the run up to the big day with this personalised paper homemade advent calendar!

With this homemade advent calendar, you can avoid the chocolatey offerings this Christmas and go for a fabulous paper crafted advent calendar instead!

If you're looking for a diet-friendly or sugar-free advent calendar alternative this festive season then look no further - you can make one of these for yourself, for your other half or your kids, the possibilities are endless.

In them you can really get creative, the goodies you put inside each one can be anything you fancy, include playing cards, sweets, hand written promises, tickets to their favourite concert, a travel game, personalised crosswords, or even a cute Christmas decoration to pop on the tree. You can have so much fun deciding!

And if it's a bit of a dreary day outside, get the kids involved in helping you - paper crafts are safe and easy to do and you only need half an hour to dedicate to these festive makes - it's time to get creative!

You will need:

-Gift wrap and tissue paper -Ribbon/string -Scissors -Sticky tape -24 fun gifts for the family

How to make a homemade advent calendar

Step 1

Take each gift and wrap in different wrapping papers, securing tightly with sticky tape - if you wanted to be up to date with current affairs, why not use newspaper.

Step 2

Next, number each gift with the date it should be opened - why not mix and match the colours for a super stylish edge.

Step 3

Tie with string, leaving a long piece on one side and hang them to a coat hook, banister, door, or branch ready for your loved one to start opening from 1st December!

Homemade advent calendar from high-street shops:

Of course, if you don't quick feel brave enough to make your own homemade advent calendar entirely from scratch, some of our favourite high-street retailers are there to give you a head start.

Hobbycraft

Delight the kids this year with this fun and affordable reindeer cup advent calendar! It comes complete with all the different things you'll need for building an decoration - all you need to do is put it together. Your little ones will have hours of fun sticking pom poms and googly eyes onto their cup reindeers. And when you're finished, simply pop in a treat for each day of December.

SHOP NOW: Buy the Hobbycraft reindeer advent calendar here, £5

The Book People

For a real homemade touch, this felt advent calendar is perfect, and may offer an ideal way for you to wind down at the end of the day! Simply sew together the 24 felt bags that come with this calendar from The Book People, attach them to a festive backing sheet, and watch as your kids bubble over with excitement every morning. The calendar comes with its own plastic needle too, so it's safe for the whole family.

SHOP NOW: Buy The Book People Make Your Own Advent Calendar, £7

Notonthehighstreet

This pick is an eco-friendly option, and means there won't be any plastic rubbish to throw away when Christmas is over. To make it, all you need to do is fill the stickered envelopes with whatever you fancy, and peg them up onto the attached twine. NOTHS recommend you fill them with fun Christmas messages, such as suggestions for festive activities with the kids, or chocolate treats, as per a traditional advent calendar. Whatever you decide, the kids are sure to be thrilled!

SHOP NOW: Buy Not on the High Street Personalised Advent Calendar, £15.95

Will you be giving a homemade advent calendar a go? Head over to our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts!

Craft: Victoria Eggs

Finish off your Christmas tree with these adorable decorations. Made from felt and candy canes, they're surprisingly easy and look great.

We think they look good as present tags, too, to add a special extra touch to gifts. Plus, who wouldn't want a candy cane attached to their present?

Children will love choosing the different colours to make their mice individual. The only problem could be making those candy cane tails last for the duration of the Christmas season... We have a sneaking suspicion that they might find their way into little mouths before long.

Age group: Children from about five and up should be comfortable making their own little mice. For younger ones you can just help cut out the templates while they have fun decorating the faces. Older children will enjoy the responsibility of being allowed to glue and cut independently. Just be sure to use PVA glue so it washes off clothes and surfaces and child-safe scissors to help avoid any accidents.

You will need

• Mouse templates
• Felt in different colours
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Wiggle eyes
• Small pom poms

Step 1 Use the templates to draw and cut out body and ear pieces in the felt.

Step 2 Stick contrasting colour felt inner ears to the larger ear pieces, then glue these to the body pieces.

Step 3 Add some wiggle eyes and a pom pom nose to each head.

Step 4 Ask an adult helper to cut 2 slits on the lower half of the body, then carefully slide a candy cane ‘tail’ through the hole.

Have you made some of these 'sugar mice'? We'd love to know how you and your team got on.

Let us know in the comments below, leaving your top tips for success for other families, or send us a picture on Facebook

Whether you're continuing a family tradition or introducing a brand new one, add an extra sprinkle of cheer to your Christmas this year, and make your little ones their very own elf!

This craft is perfect for five to seven year olds to get involved with, it's cheap and oh-so easy to make.

Have you heard of The Elf On the Shelf? We've got plenty of genius places to hide your new elf

You will need

• 50mm Polystyrene ball
• Skewer
• Pink and white paint
• Blue, black and red fine nib marker pens
• Brown felt
• Scissors
• Glue
• Red and white self adhesive felt
• Pencil
• Ruler
• 8cm Cardboard tube
• Red pipe cleaners
• Stapler

How to make your cardboard elf

1. Place the polystyrene ball on a skewer, and paint with a coat of pink paint. Leave to dry. Next, paint two white eyes on the pink ball and leave to dry.

Then draw in the middle of the eyes with blue and black pens, and add some eyelashes and eyebrows, plus a red nose and mouth.

2. Cut out some brown felt ‘hair' and stick to the top of the head with glue.

3. For the hat, draw and cut a semi-circle of red self adhesive felt. Peel off the backing paper, then roll into a cone and stick to top of head. Draw and cut a band of white self adhesive felt and stick around the base of the hat.

4. Measure and cut the red pipe cleaners into two 10cm long arms & two 20cm long legs. Cut out some white felt ‘mittens' and stick to the ends of each arm.

5. Take the cardboard tube and staple the arms to the top, and legs to the bottom. Measure and cut a piece of red self adhesive felt to stick around the tube, covering the staples.

6. Draw and cut a zig-zag strip of white felt and stick around the collar.

7. Glue the elf's head to his body, and leave to dry.

Craft: By Suzie Attaway

Turn paper towel and toilet roll tubes into a pretty hanging cardboard snowflake wreath with this easy Christmas craft.

Who needs to spend a fortune on a traditional wreath when you can make this stunning snowflake design from just a few leftover cardboard tubes?

This easy but incredibly effective cardboard snowflake wreath is a fun festive project for adults and kids alike. It takes a little bit of time, as you may need a few coats of paint to cover the cardboard, but all of the steps are simple, and the finished product is well worth the effort.

Once you’ve completed your snowflake wreath, you can thread a ribbon through the top and it’s ready to hang – it will look just as beautiful on the front door as it will over a fireplace, or as a centerpiece over your dining table. And it’s even more impressive when you reveal the secret of exactly what you made it from!

Here’s how to get started:

You will need - Cardboard tubes - Pencil - Ruler - Scissors - Glue - White spray paint - Ribbon

Step 1 Gently press the cardboard tubes flat and measure and mark at 4cm intervals along each. Cut into 4cm wide pieces.

Step 2 Take 5 tube pieces and arrange in a flower shape. Glue together side by side. Then add a piece between each ‘petal’, and stick in place. Continue adding more pieces, building up a large ‘snowflake’ shape.

Step 3 In a ventilated room protected with dust sheets, spray the cardboard snowflake with white paint and leave to dry. Add more coats until all the grey is completely covered.

Step 4 When dry, hang the snowflake up with some ribbon, and decorate with mini baubles.

Stockists Twist & Spray in Matt White, £7.49 for 400ml, PlastiKote (0844 736 2235 plastikote.com). Mini Baubles, £2.50 for 35, Wilko (0845 608 0807 wilko.com).

Sometimes it's good to have a handy repertoire of craft projects up your sleeve for those days when the kids come home with pockets full of foraged treasure.

Here we put plain pine cones to good use in a festive make, transforming them into glittering Christmas trees. And there are just three simple steps, too, so it can be quickly done in a morning or afternoon awhen you have the time.

Make lots and give them as gifts or turn them into your very own pine cone forest. Children will love using it as a backdrop for all their animal toys or plastic soldiers.

Age group: There's not much that can go wrong here so you can make these with children from around five years old. We think even older children would love this craft and it's an easy activity to do with a group if you're expecting lots of friends and family this holiday season. Gather everyone together, leave bowls of glue and glitter on the table and let everyone do their own. Just don't blame us for the mess!

You will need

• Pine cones
• Green paint
• Paint brush
• Green glitter
• Air drying clay
• Coloured beads
• Gold and silver wooden stars
• Glue

Step1 Paint the pine cones with green paint and sprinkle some green glitter all over, then leave to dry.

Step 2 Roll a small ball of air drying clay and flatten slightly. Press a pine cone into the clay, then repeat with the other pine cones.

Step 3 Glue some coloured beads to the pine cone trees, and add a star to the top of each. Leave to dry.

Have you made these or anything similar with your little ones these holidays? We'd love to see. Comment in the section below with your top tips for keeping the kids busy on cold, indoor days or post a picture to our Facebook page, here.

Craft: Victoria Eggs

Tartan, wood panelling and stag heads lining the walls: All essentials for regal highland homes, and now you can get a slice of the action too - with this fun kids' craft.>

If you're looking for ways to give your home a cosy feel this winter then these ingenious wall decorations could help. Plus, no animals will be harmed in the making of your reindeer head.

All it takes is some old scraps of cardboard and a steady hand. Age range: A craft knife is used in this Christmas craft so we woud advise making your stag's head with children of nine year's old and upwards.

You will need

• Reindeer head, antlers and oval plaque templates, which you can find in our selection of free craft templates
• Scissors
• Large cardboard box
• Pencil
• Craft knife
• Glue
• Large red pom pom
• Black marker pen

Step 1 Enlarge the reindeer head template to A3 size and print out on 2 sheets of paper. Stick them together, then cut around the template. Enlarge the antlers and oval plaque template to A4 size, print and cut out.

Step 2 Flatten the large cardboard box, and place the templates on top. Draw and cut out two heads, one large antler, four smaller antler pieces and one oval plaque.

Step 3 Ask an adult helper to cut slits in all pieces as shown on the templates. Apply a little glue to the slits in the large antler and slot the smaller pieces in place. When dry, attach the antlers to the two reindeer head pieces.

Step 4Draw an eye on each head piece with a black marker pen. Then glue the heads together at the nose and add a red pom pom.

Step 5 When dry, apply a little glue to the slits in the oval plaque, and slot the reindeer head in place.

Step 6 Mount the reindeer head securely on the wall or the back of a door with picture hanging strips.

Had a go? We'd love to see how your new friend turned out! Send us a picture on Facebook.

Craft by: Suzie Attaway

Provide hours of fun at a Christmas party with this quick craft, guaranteed to keep the kids (and probably adults, too!) entertained.

Instead of throwing out those tin cans next time they're headed for the recycling remember to keep a few back to transform into this novel game. And the only other things you'll need are some felt, and craft essentials like scissors and glue.

Little ones will love deciding what faces to give their 'bowling pin' and you'll love the few moments of calm you'll get while they discuss important decisions like the shape oh their snowman's nose.

Fancy buying some extra time? Challenge them to come up with the craziest faces they can, or ask them to design hats and scarves for the snowmen too.

Age group: All ages will have fun playing with the bowling set once you've made it but we think making these is best reserved for children from seven up, because of the potential sharp edges on the cans.

You will need

• 6 Empty tin cans
• Masking tape
• White paint
• Paint brush
• Black and red self adhesive felt
• Orange felt
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• 85mm Pom pom maker
• White wool

Step 1 Help your child to stick some masking tape around the sharp, inside rim of the tin cans. Then let them paint the outside and bottom with white paint and leave to dry. Apply a second coat to make sure they look crisp and white.

Step 2Draw and cut out some round black felt eyes, carrot-shaped orange felt noses and red and black felt mouths. Stick a face onto each painted tin can. Now's the time for a little creativity. See how individual you can make your snowmen's faces.

Step 3 Use the pom pom maker, to make some white wool ‘snowballs’ to knock the tin cans down with. You could also use a small ball if you don't have a pom pom maker.

Craft: Suzie Attaway

Learning how to make paper snowflakes is so easy, a couple of snips with your scissors and you’ll have your own unique set of decorations to hang around your home this Christmas.

It’s a great project to get kids crafting too, especially when you need an activity to keep them occupied during the holidays. Check out more Christmas craft ideas to keep your tots entertained in the run-up to the big day.

After you and your kids have cut out lots of lovely paper snowflakes, get them to hold their snowflake template up against the window and spray fake snow over the top. When you take the snowflake template away, you’ll be left with a pretty snowflake design on the window.

Follow our step-by-step picture tutorial and video to make paper snowflakes from plain white printer paper. Simply fold up the paper and start snipping to make the best budget-friendly Christmas decorations.

Don’t have any plain white paper? Don't worry! Our instructions can be applied to all sorts of craft papers, try it with tissue paper and old Christmas wrapping paper. And why not create a Christmas paper chain with whatever paper you have leftover?

For something extra special, brush glue onto your finished snowflakes and top with glitter to see them shimmer. If your little ones love all things sparkle, why not make a glitter jar to help them relax through the holidays when they need some downtime from all the festive excitement?

To make paper snowflakes you will need:

• A square piece of white paper
• Small scissors
• Hole punch
• Ribbon

For similar craft supplies, try Wilko.

How to make paper snowflakes:

1. Fold the piece of square white paper in half along the diagonal, and then fold again to form a triangle.

2. Divide the triangle into thirds, folding the left and right sides over the centre.

3. Then trim the point from the bottom so the folded paper resembles a triangle.

4. Now it’s time to get creative and cut out your snowflake. You can create whatever pattern you want but start with straight lines before trying out curves as they’re easier to master.

5. Once you’ve finished cutting out your snowflake, unfold the paper gently to reveal the pattern.

6. Then use a hole punch on the top of the paper snowflakes and then thread with red ribbon. Repeat to create a collection of snowflakes to hang on your windows or walls.

Need some inspiration for how to cut your snowflakes? Print off these templates before folding them up and snipping out the designs.

Make paper snowflakes with these template designs to print:

Print out our traditional snowflake template design

Try out our diamond snowflake template design

Or our star snowflake template design

This craft is all about hands on and getting involved with your creative little genius. Now, we're not going to lie this can get messy so maybe get some wipe-clean aprons out and cover your tables in old newspaper.

Whether you choose to make a Christmas wreath or a Christmas tree, all you need is a willing pair of hands - these will make fabulous gifts to family and friends. Make sure your little artist signs them!

You will need

• Square and rectangular stretched canvasses
• Dinner plate
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Light and dark green paint
• Red paint
• Paint brush
• Star stencil
• Silver glitter paper

How to make your hand painted Christmas wreath

Step 1 For the Christmas Wreath canvas, first lightly draw round a dinner plate in the middle of the square canvas with a pencil.

Step 2 Next, make hand prints around the circle, alternating light and dark green paints, to create a wreath shape.

Step 3 Then, add some red finger printed ‘berries', then stamp a greeting in the middle of the wreath in black ink. Or freehand write it.

Step 4 For your very own Christmas Tree canvas, lightly draw 4 lines on a rectangular canvas, then print alternate light and dark green hands along each line to form a tree shape.

Step 5 Add some red finger printed ‘berries', then use the template to cut out a silver glitter star and stick it to the top of the tree with glue.

Craft: Suzie Attaway

We used: 50 x 50cm Stretched Canvas, £8; 61 x 50.8cm Stretched Canvas, £9; Green and Red Ready Mixed Paint, £1 for 300ml; Art Acrylic Paint in Sap Green, £2 for 75ml; A5 Glitter Pad in Black & Silver, £2.50 for 10 sheets, all Hobbycraft (0330 026 1400 hobbycraft.co.uk). Musical Snow Globe, £15, The Contemporary Home (0870 1308229 tch.net). Stripe Giftwrap, £2 for 6m, Wilko (0845 608 0807 wilko.com). Silver Sparkle Ribbon, £5.95 for 3m, The Makery (01225 581888 the makery.co.uk).

Ho, ho, ho! It's Santa with a big round belly and a beard as white as, well, cotton wool. Our jolly-looking Santa craft is loads of fun to create with the kids and is made from a recycled loo roll tube decorated with coloured felt.

It's amazing what you can make with everyday household items like loo roll tubes, cotton wool and odd buttons, so get your kids hunting around for things they can turn into a merry Santa. Then give them some coloured felt sheets, googly eyes and sparkly pipe cleaners and leave them to it to dress up Santa in his red suit and hat.

Once your kids have brought Santa to life, they could create a whole family of festive loo roll characters with the leftover felt, including Mrs Claus with cotton wool hair, an elf with a green felt suit and even Rudolph the reindeer with a red pom pom or shiny bead for his nose.

Age group: Kids as young as five can get involved in making Santa - they will just need help cutting out felt shapes for Santa's red suit and hat.

What you will need

• 1 cardboard loo roll tube
• 1 red felt A4 sheet
• 1 black felt A4 sheet
• 1 white felt A4 sheet
• 1 pink felt A4 sheet
• 1 cotton wool ball
• 1 sparkly gold pipe cleaner
• 1 black button
• 2 medium googly eyes
• 2 white mini pom poms
• 1 white small pom poms
• 1 pink mini pom pom
• Glue stick
• Glue dots
• PVA glue
• Scissors

Step 1

Find a flat surface to work on and gather together all the craft materials you need to make Santa.

Step 2

How to make Santa...

• Take a loo roll tube and a sheet of pink felt.
• Using scissors, carefully cut out a rectangle shape from the pink felt, measuring approx 110mm x 185mm.
  
• Spread one side of the pink felt shape entirely with some glue stick and wrap it around the loo roll tube. It should fit perfectly.
  

Step 3

For Santa's red suit...

• Take a sheet of red felt and carefully cut out a rectangle shape, measuring approx 75mm x 185mm.
• Spread one side of the red felt shape entirely with some glue stick and wrap it around the bottom of the loo roll tube.
• Save the leftover red felt to make Santa's hat.

Step 4

Cut out 1 black and 2 white felt strips, measuring approx 10mm x 185mm each. Stick the white felt strips at the top and bottom of Santa's red suit, using some glue stick. Then stick the black felt strip in the middle for Santa's belt.

Top tip: When sticking on the felt shapes, make sure all of the overlaps are at the back, so Santa looks nice and neat from the front.

Step 5

Stick on a button between Santa's collar and belt.

Step 6

Make Santa's shiny belt buckle using a gold, sparkly pipe cleaner, by folding it 4 times to create a small square. Cut off the excess pipe cleaner and you're left with a little, sparkly buckle.

Step 7

Stick the buckle to Santa's belt, using PVA glue.

Step 8

How to make Santa's beard and nose...

• Unravel a cotton wool ball and shape it into a 'U' shape.
• Stick the cotton wool 'U' just above Santa's button and up around where you think his face should be. Don't worry that it doesn't cover the back of Santa's head as you won't see it when his hat is on.
• Stick on the pink pom pom just above Santa's beard, for his nose, using a dab of PVA glue and hold Santa's nose in place until it sticks.
  
• Then stick on the small white pom poms just underneath Santa's nose, for his white moustache.
  

Step 9

How to make Santa's hat...

• Take the leftover red felt and just trim off any stray bits, so it is more rectangle in shape. Then roll the red felt rectangle into a cone.

Step 10

Trim off the bottom overlapping corners of the red felt cone, so the bottom of Santa's hat is neat. Then cut out one white felt strip, measuring approx 10mm x 185m.

Step 11

Stick the felt strip to the bottom of Santa's hat, using PVA glue, trim off any white excess, then hold it in place until it sticks.

Step 12

Bend down the top of Santa hat and stick it down with a glue dot, to hold it in place immediately. Then stick on the small white pom pom to the point of Santa's hat, using another glue dot.

Step 13

How to put the finish touches to Santa...
Stick on Santa's googly eyes just either side of his nose using glue stick, then pop on his hat and that's it! Santa is ready to play with. When the kids aren't looking, you could even fill their Santa up with festive choccies as a delicious surprise on Christmas day.

Design created by Jennifer Shepherd for goodtoknow.co.uk.

For crafts materials such as felt, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and pom poms etc. visit Baker Ross, a family run craft business who are the leading suppliers of arts and crafts to schools and other organisations across the UK and abroad, based in Walthamstow, London.

Where to next?
- How to make a hand-print Rudolph the reindeer - fun and easy
- How to make a hand-print Christmas wreath
- How to make Patch the penguin gift tags

It's that time of year again! When the big guy in red makes his debut what better way to say welcome than his very own personal plate of goodies.

Capture the magic of Christmas and start a new tradition with this fabulous personalised treat plate for Father Christmas and his noble stead - Rudolph (though, we're pretty sure Prancer, Dancer, Dasher, Vixen, Cupid, Blitzen, Comet, Donner would want their own one too!)

Why not start a new Christmas tradition?

This easy-to-do craft is a great way to get 7-9 year olds involved and even more excited about Christmas than they already are, it's not all about lists!

All you need is a white plate you don't mind losing to the arts and a collection of felt pens - you can choose any colour you like but red and green are the best and most festive colours - like the uniform of Christmas.

You will need

• Stencils
• 
  
• Scissors
• 
  
• White dinner plate
• 
  
• Fine nib marker pens
• 
  
• Free Christmas stencil templates
• 
  

  How to make your personalised Santa plate

  1.Download, print and cut out the stencils. Or you can freehand draw them.
  2. Place the stencils in the middle of the plate, and draw around each with a coloured marker pen. Remove the stencils, then go around each shape with a dashed black line - as if you're going to cut out and keep.
  3. Write a greeting at the top and bottom of the plate, even include the name of your children to really personalise it, then add some red and green dots around the empty sides.
  4. If you're feeling really festive add some flamboyant glitter as a final flourish!
  Craft: Suzie Attaway Best places to buy: Coupe Dinner Plate, £2; Metal Mistletoe Decoration, £1.50, both Wilko (0845 608 0807 wilko.com). Sharpie Assorted Colour Permanent Markers, £12 for 12, Hobbycraft (0330 026 1400 hobbycraft.co.uk). Jingle Bells Garland, £11.95, Dotcomgiftshop (020 8746 2473 dotcomgiftshop.com).