When I was a kid, one of my top favorite things about the holidays was getting to make crafts in school. Maybe the most fun holiday craft to make in class and at least as popular as the handprint turkey was the paper Christmas wreath! Making a paper Christmas wreath is your child’s crafting rite of passage. What are Christmas decorations without a paper wreath?!
The Paper Christmas Wreath Pt. 1
Scrapbook paper, green, maroon, gold
Cardboard cake circle
Buttons, red and white
Packet of glue sticks
Rubber gloves, optional
Step 1: Fold sheets of scrapbook paper into cones. Tape. For smaller cones, cut the paper in half using your scissors.
Step 2: Using the red buttons for the wreath’s berries, have your children superglue the buttons to the paper cones. If you’re worried about them super gluing their fingers and hands together, make them wear gloves!
Step 3: Hot glue the tips of the larger cones around the perimeter of the cake circle. This step will need to be completed by you, mom, so that the kiddies don’t burn their little fingers!
Step 4: Continue gluing the cones to the cake circle. Remember, the larger cones should be glued on the outside of the circle, with the medium to small cones glued towards the inside.
Step 5: Tie the ribbon at the top of the wreath. TA-DA! Your kids have made their own paper wreath! Let’s continue learning about more ways to spin the classic paper wreath design with more Christmas crafts for kids!
The Paper Christmas Wreath Pt. 2
Construction paper, dark green, light green and red
Glitter, red and green
Step 1: Have your child trace their hand 20 times on the construction paper — 10 times on the dark green paper, and 10 on the light green construction paper.
Step 2: Cut out the handprints. Using the Elmer’s Glue, draw squiggles on the handprints. Sprinkle with green glitter. Set aside and let dry.
Step 3: Draw small circles on the red construction paper. Cut out. Cover in glue and sprinkle with glitter. Set aside and let dry.
Step 4: Layer the hands at the palms in a circle and glue together. Glue the red circles on the hands in groups of three. Set aside and let dry.
Step 5: Tie a ribbon at the top of the wreath for hanging.
The Paper Christmas Wreath Pt. 3
Green acrylic paint
Step 1: Trace a circle in the middle of the paper plate with your pencil and cut it out with your scissors. Put aside. The part of the paper plate you will be using for this project is the waved edge of the plate.
Step 2: Paint the plate green. To create a more interesting composition, you can paint each indentation or rise in the plate a different shade of green. Set aside and let dry.
Step 3: Trace curlicues and tendrils along the dried plate with the glue. Sprinkle with green glitter. Upend on the plate on the pie plate to remove excess glitter. Set aside and let dry.
Step 4: Glue the red pom-pom in groups of three on the wreath to mimic holly berries. Set aside and dry.
Step 5: Tie the top of the paper wreath with a ribbon for hanging the wreath and hang on your door, above the fireplace or on your children’s doors!
There’s no better way to get in the Christmas spirit than by crafting with your kids!