Deck the Halls With These Festive Holiday Crafts For the Whole Family

Nothing brings holiday spirit to your home quite like putting up that first festive decoration of the season. This year, why not add a few pieces of decor handmade by your family to the mix? Even the most polished store-bought ornaments can't compete with the sentimental appeal of holiday crafts made by your little ones.

Not to mention, holiday crafting is a perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with your family. Read on for four kid-friendly projects that result in some truly special holiday decorations, then make your supply shopping list and head to the store. Once you've assembled all the bits and pieces you need, spend a few minutes disinfecting the area where you'll be crafting. Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes kill 99.9 percent of germs and viruses*, including the COVID-19 virus**, when used as directed on hard non-porous surfaces. Once you’ve rinsed with water after disinfecting, you'll have peace of mind that you have a clean, safe space to start crafting.

Whether you want to wrap them around the tree or drape them over the mantle, homemade garlands add a rustic, traditional touch to any holiday decorations. Plus, they're easy to work on in multiple sittings, so they're a perfect craft for little helpers with short attention spans.

The first step is assembling your materials. You'll need sewing thread, tapestry needles, stale popcorn, and fresh cranberries. Tapestry needles have a large eye and blunt tip, so they're easier for kids to use. For a three-foot garland, cut about six feet of thread. Thread the needle, pull it to the center of the string, then tie a strong knot at the other end. Poke the needle through popcorn pieces and cranberries one at a time, then push them down the string. You can alternate materials each time for a festive pattern, or thread six popcorn pieces followed by six cranberries for longer stripes.

Nothing says winter wonderland quite like glittering icicles. Even if it never snows where you live, you can still channel icy vibes with a DIY foil version.

First, grown-ups should cut foil into five-inch wide strips, then let kids roll each piece into a long, slightly curved icicle. Transfer the foil icicles to a paper towel-lined surface, then use paintbrushes to spread silver and blue glitter glue all over them. Once they dry, grown-ups can use thread to turn them into ornaments or hang them on a windowsill.

Want to keep your snowman buddy indoors all winter long? Pick up a mason jar, an LED votive, white paint, and markers for this adorable craft.

Start by covering the outside of the mason jar with a thin layer of white paint. Take a hot cocoa break while you wait for the paint to dry, then have kids draw a snowman face, scarf, and buttons onto one side of the jar. If you have a glue gun, parents can even help kids attach googly eyes, real buttons, and a ribbon scarf onto the snowman for a three-dimensional look. Drop an LED votive inside the jar, screw the lid on, and check out your snowman's subtle glow.

Grown-ups will need to be a bit more hands-on for the beginning of this craft, but the supercute result is well worth it. The first step is tracing your kiddo's hand on 12 pieces of green construction paper. Older children can then use kid's scissors to cut out their handprints, but parents might have to take over this part for little ones. Cut the center out of a paper plate as well.

Then, glue all of the handprints onto the ring-shaped paper plate to form a wreath. You can decorate each wreath with ribbon bows, stickers, glitter glue, or whatever their little hearts desire. Finish the project by taping a loop of ribbon onto the back of the wreath, so it's ready to be hung on the front door.

Once craft time ends, clean-up begins — and parents know that any project involving kids is going to create a bit of a mess. After kids leave the table, wipe up any remaining messes with Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. Your space will be clean and disinfected in no time — leaving you free to get back to holiday fun.

Design: Rebecca Hoskins

*Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pseudomonas), Salmonella enterica tested as Salmonella choleraesuis (Salmonella), and rotavirus

**Kills SARS CoV-2 on hard, non-porous surfaces. Use as directed.