Creative Holiday Crafts for Kids

It's easy to turn plastic toys into Jurassic jewels. For each, twist a 1/4-inch screw eye into a small plastic dinosaur. Brush the dino with tacky glue, sprinkle with fine glitter to cover, then set it on waxed paper to dry. Add a length of string for hanging.

Add a bit of sweetness to your holiday with this tiny version of a childhood favorite. Roll a 3/4- by 5-inch strip of card stock into a 1 1/4-inch-diameter tube and secure it with tacky glue (clamp it with a clothespin until the glue dries). Glue one end of a small rectangle of silver glitter card stock to the tube. Fill a 1 1/2-inch-diameter clear glass ball ornament with small beads. For the base, glue the tube to a large button (ours has a 1 1/2-inch diameter), then glue the ornament in place.

Cleverly woven from cardboard and twine, these pretty disks look like holiday treats. Use pinking shears to cut a circle from thin white cardboard (ours are 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches across). Wrap a length of baker's twine around the circle and knot it in back. Continue wrapping the twine around the cardboard, using the notches to hold it in place, then tie the end in back. Add a self-adhesive gem to the center of the ornament. Make a hanger by threading a length of twine through a loop on the disk.

Small tannenbaums with bold colors and lots of sparkle have a big impact on a tree. Form a small loop at one end of a 4-inch length of metallic pipe cleaner. This will be the top of the tree. Make branches by wrapping six to eight 2-inch lengths of pipe cleaner around the trunk, then trim them so that the branches at the top are narrower. Adhere a glass bead to the end of each branch with a dab of tacky glue. Use a utility knife to cut a cork to the width of washi tape (an adult's job) and wrap the tape around the cork. Make a hole in the cork with a pushpin, then glue the tree trunk in the hole and allow it to dry. Add a length of string for hanging the trees.

Put a gaggle of these guys on your tree for sure smiles. To make one, adhere a mini pinecone to a wooden bead with tacky glue. Once dry, glue an acorn cap to the top of the bead. Add a velvet ribbon scarf and secure it with glue. Use fine-point permanent markers to add eyes and a mouth, then tie on a length of string for hanging.

A drift of Epsom salts helps set the scene in this winter wonderland. Trace the opening of a clear plastic shot glass (we got ours at a dollar store) on card stock. Use pinking shears to cut a circle slightly larger than the traced line, then use a glue dot to adhere a small plastic figure to the center. Add 1 tablespoon Epsom salts to the plastic cup, then line the rim of the cup with tacky glue and adhere the card stock base. When the seam is dry, glue a piece of metallic pipe cleaner around the bottom of the globe. Thread string through a button for a hanger, then glue the button in place.

Cork birdhouses bring a touch of whimsy to your tree. Roll a 3- to 5-inch-wide paper semicircle into a cone. Secure it with tacky glue, clamping it with a clothespin until the glue dries. Push a toothpick into a cork and trim the pick with utility scissors (an adult's job). Glue a small button above the toothpick and a piece of metallic pipe cleaner around the cork's base. Bend one end of a 5-inch piece of 20-gauge craft wire into a small loop (this will be hidden underneath the roof) and thread on one bead. Push the other end of the wire through the center of the roof, then thread additional beads onto the wire and curl it as shown to create a hanger. Glue the roof to the cork.

These stars are so simple, kids can create a galaxy of original designs. Cut shapes from disposable foil pans, place them on a piece of cardboard or a stack of newspaper, and use a pushpin to create punched patterns. Add a length of string for hanging.

A bowlful of these DIY treats make a cute and festive way for kids to count down to Christmas.

1. Cut scrapbook paper into 24 4- by 7-inch rectangles.

2. Roll each rectangle into a cylinder as shown and seal the seam with washi tape.

3. Flatten one end of the cylinder and seal it with washi tape.

4. Fill the paper packet with a small toy, candy, or a handwritten ticket for something fun to do (such as "go out for hot chocolate" or "watch Elf in your PJs").

5. Turn the top of the filled packet 90 degrees, flatten the end, and seal it with tape.

6. Punch or cut 24 paper circles. Write the numbers 1 to 24 on them and adhere them to the packets with glue or a glue stick. Display the pile of packages in a basket or bowl.

Add a dose of color and whimsy to your Christmas countdown with this punch-out Advent calendar.

1. For the base, cut a 10- by 15-inch piece of corrugated cardboard.

2. Cut 12 toilet paper tubes in half, then paint the tubes and the base white.

3. Dip the bottoms of the tubes in tacky glue and place them on the base in a grid, leaving about a half inch of space between them. Let the glue dry.

4. Cut tissue paper into 48 (3 1/2-inch) circles. Inside each tube, place a treat, then lay two tissue paper circles over the top of the tube. Stretch a small rubber hair band over the tissue paper and the tube so that the paper is taut.

5. Add vinyl number stickers to the tissue paper.

6. To hang your calendar, cut slits near the top of the cardboard and insert a loop of string into them.

Cotton swabs form the flames for this playfully patterned menorah. For the base, cover a 3- by 12-inch piece of corrugated cardboard with scrapbook paper. Roll and tape 8 (4- by 5-inch) paper rectangles, and one that's 4 by 7 inches, to form tubes. Dip one end of each tube in tacky glue and place the tubes on the base as shown. For each flame, cut a teardrop shape from orange card stock and a slightly larger teardrop from yellow tissue paper. Cover the orange piece with glue, then place a cotton swab on top. Smooth the tissue paper over the orange paper and swab, and let dry. To make your flames sit taller in their holders, pack crumpled tissue paper inside the tubes.

With its 24 openings, a mini-muffin pan makes a perfect base for a treat-filled Advent calendar. Because the numbered coverings are held on by magnets, you'll be able to bake with the pan again after Christmas.

1. Cut 24 circles 2 1/4 inches wide from a 12- by 24-inch adhesive magnetic sheet. Adhere them to patterned paper, then cut them out.

2. With a 1-inch circular punch, make 24 paper circles. Number them and use a glue stick to attach them to the magnetic circles.

3. If you'd like to hang the muffin pan with a ribbon, make two holes (see tip below).

4. Fill the muffin wells with tiny toys, stickers, bite-size candies, notes, and activity suggestions.

Crafter's Tip: To hang the pan on a wall, set one rim on a block of wood and use a hammer and a nail to make two holes. Loop a ribbon through them and tie.

Even little kids will be able to "light" this flameless menorah—after they help craft it, of course.

1. Tape an empty spaghetti box shut and paint it. You may need two coats for full coverage.

2. Paint nine peg-style clothespins. (Crafter's Tip: To paint the pins with less mess, clip them onto the top edge of a cardboard box.) Paint one darker than the others for the shammash.

3. With a craft knife (adults only), cut nine x's in the box to hold the clothespins.

4. Loosely wrap each pin with a 1- by 6-inch piece of aluminum foil and secure it with tape. Put the pins into the box so that the foil sits on the box's surface.

5. For each flame, wrap half a yellow pipe cleaner around a pin.

Create a plush, 3-D mosaic with colorful pom-poms. To make it, insert a straight pin into a small pom pom, then press the pin into a 2-inch styrofoam ball. Repeat until the ball is covered. Pin a loop of ribbon to the ball for hanging.

Reader Idea:

"My kids and I like to recycle cardboard oatmeal canisters by giving them a Christmas makeover. First, we glue white paper around the containers. Then we use odds and ends—felt, bells, buttons, googly eyes—from our craft closet to make hats, scarves, and faces for our snowmen. We fill them with homemade holiday goodies and give them to neighbors, friends, and teachers." —Robin McKee Wichita, KS

This sweet angel is so easy to make, you can create a whole choir's worth in no time. Use acrylic paint and markers to add hair and a face to a 3-inch wood bead. Glue a skinny triangle of stiff white felt into the bottom of the bead. Glue the ends of two feathers to the top of the triangle. Twist part of a gold pipe cleaner into a loop for a halo, and glue the twisted ends inside the top of the bead.