Christmas Crafts

Nothing makes Christmas more magical than unique and personalised gifts and decorations - embrace the Christmas spirit by making your own DIY crafts. Children will jump at the chance to get creative and add some Christmas sparkle to the festive period.

Getting creative with your Christmas crafts is a great way to be more sustainable this holiday season. Why not recycle what you all already have at home? Use any bits and pieces you can find, the more unusual the better! We recommend oddments of wrapping paper, last year’s Christmas cards and even an assortment of cardboard toilet roll tubes can make great creations.

 

Easy handmade Christmas cards - download a free template

Grab the glitter and crayons and keep children entertained over the festive period with easy DIY Christmas cards. A great alternative to a store-bought card, add a personal touch to your holiday wishes. 
Just download one of our free templates for fun and creative DIY Christmas card designs and find some paper, or card, to use - you could even recycle your Christmas cards from last year.
For the decoration, experiment with pens, paint, and crayons. We love using glitter to make the designs sparkle! Making Christmas cards at home will provide hours of fun for your children.

 

Making a toilet roll advent calendar 

Toilet roll tubes are the perfect size for advent calendar pockets so it’s little wonder that so many people use them as the basis for their creation. You can create toilet tube pockets then thread a piece of string through each one to hang it off a long piece of strong ribbon or a decorated branch or broom handle. You can present your pockets in a gift box, or you can pile them up and glue them together in the shape of a Christmas tree or wreath.

Below we’ve compiled some step-by-step instructions for a simple toilet roll calendar that even young children or less confident crafters can make – and provided some inspiration for the gifts to go inside too!

 

 

Easy DIY advent calendar for young children to make

1. Gather 24 toilet roll tubes and cover them in festive paper, stickers or drawings.
2. Fold one end of the tube in to create a secure base for your pocket.
3. Fill it with a little goodie such as a sweet, chocolate or small toy.
4. Fold in the other end and secure (so they look like mini gift boxes).
5. Stick or mark numbers one-to-24 on each pocket to show which day in December it should be opened.
6. Take the lid or top off an old cardboard box and decorate it inside and out with wrapping paper, drawings or stickers. You can use a gift box if preferred and line it with coloured tissue paper.
7. Lay your decorated toilet roll advent parcels in the box in number order and keep it flat.
8. Present it to the lucky recipient before December 1st!

Gift ideas for a DIY Christmas calendar

Fill them with:
• festive sweets and chocolates 
• stationery items like little pencil toppers, fun rubbers, or crayons
• small Christmas ornaments and baubles
• a few puzzle pieces each day with instructions for the advent calendar recipient to build it up throughout December
• pieces of Lego
• stickers or stamps
• small party bag toys
• badges
• bouncy balls
• jewellery

Other DIY advent calendars

Traditional advent calendar

To make your own Christmas calendar with a more traditional feel, do away with the daily gifts and replace them with pictures or photos. Stick the pictures on one piece of paper and cover with another with little doors to open to reveal one each day. This is a nice alternative if a child is making a calendar for an adult.

Material advent calendar

A material advent calendar is a lovely thing to work on with your child or to give as a gift. Sew on pockets for the gifts to go in.

Remember it’s the thought that counts!

Whatever materials you use for your DIY Christmas advent calendar, remember that as with all family crafts, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Have fun and revel in the imperfections. They’re what make it unique.