Super Simple Holiday Crafts That Every Mom Will Be Thankful For | Union County Moms

As a mom of three small children, I am always thinking of ways to keep the kids occupied. I myself love crafting, so it is always my preferred activity for the kids. And they absolutely love it! It’s a win-win, screen free way to keep us all happy. My craft closet is stocked with all of the essentials – Pom poms, glitter glue, googley eyes, buttons, tissue paper, pipe cleaner, felt, foam, fake snow, the list goes on. Some times I like to have them do open ended crafts, where I just hand them a box of simple supplies and let their imaginations go wild. A mixed-media creation! Other times, we have some elaborate craft where I am cutting up contact paper and am involved in the process. But there is no greater gift to a mom of small children, than an easy craft project that kids, of any age, can do on their own, with minimal supplies needed. We’ve crafted our way through much of 2020 and if this year has taught me nothing else, it’s that I can really appreciate the simple things in life. Simple crafts included. So in keeping it simple, I brought back the age-old classic: the paper plate. I don’t even mean the extra durable kind, I’m talking about the 1-ply, uncoated, ridged edge, Dixie plate. I’m going to share below some of the easiest, most no-frills crafts that are applicable for kids of all ages and skill levels, and can be done with little to no supplies. So without further adieu, I present you with the first unofficial Paper-Plate-Create series, Holiday Edition:

PAPER PLATE CHRISTMAS TREES:

MATERIALS:
– a paper plate
– green paint
– glue
– any decorative touches, Pom poms/tissue paper/dot markers/regular markers or even just a dot of glue and some glitter on top

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cut 3 paper plates into even triangles.
2) Have your child paint each triangle green, and set to dry.
3) Once fully dried, glue each triangle onto one another, with the wide side of the plate (the ridged side) at the bottom, you will see it forms a perfectly shaped Christmas tree!
4) Have your child add “decorations” – seriously, just use what you have! Dot some glue and sprinkle glitter, use tissue paper, Pom poms, or if you don’t have any of these, just use another color paint for ornaments/lights!

PAPER PLATE WREATHS:

MATERIALS:
– a paper plate
– tissue paper
– glue

DIRECTIONS:
1) Cut the center of the plate out, so that you are left with only the border, an “O” shape
2) Have your child crinkle up some green tissue paper and glue it onto the ridge, until it is fully covered.
3) That’s it, you’re done! For extra detail, you can have your child apply a red Pom Pom to signify a holly berry, or add a red bow to the top or bottom. The red bow can be made by tracing their hands on red construction paper and placing them in opposing ways, where the palms touch and fingers face outward, to create the perfect handprint bow

PAPER PLATE RUDOLF:

MATERIALS:
– Paper plate
– Brown paint
– Red Pom Pom
– Googley Eyes
– Popsicle sticks
– Glue

DIRECTIONS:
1) Have the child paint the back of the paper plate, and two popsicle sticks brown.
2) Once dried, have child place eyes and nose onto the back of the plate to create the face.
3) Have the child glue the popsicle sticks onto the top of the paper plate to signify Rudolf’s horns.
4) For added detail, have your child trace and cut out two ovals and place on the top/side of his face, to represent his ears.

PAPER PLATE SNOWMAN FACE:

MATERIALS:
– Paper Plate
– Glue
– Black and Orange Construction Paper
– Googley Eyes
– Cotton Balls (Optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Have the child trace and cut the shape of a hat, and carrot nose and glue onto the paper plate.
2) Have child place googley eyes above the carrot nose to assemble the snowman’s face
3) Optional: have child glue cotton balls around the perimeter of the paper plate for “snow” effect – or have child add a scarf, and any “extra” details that their imagination thinks up

HANDPRINT PAPER PLATE WREATH:

MATERIALS:
-Paper Plate
-Green construction paper
-Glue
-Red Pom Poms or Red Dot Stickers
-Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

1) Cut the center of the plate out, so that you are left with only the border, an “O” shape. Discard the center, we will be using the “O” shape for this craft.
2) Trace your child’s handprints onto green construction paper. You will need about 10-twelve “hands,” depending on the size of your child’s hands.
3) Have your child cut them out and glue them around the O-plate, so that they each overlap with one another. There should be minimal to zero white area showing.
4) Have your child place red pom poms or red dot stickers or simply use red dot markers, randomly about the wreath to represent holly berries.

Join The Union County Moms Community

Stay up-to-date with what is happening in-and-around the Union County community with local events, community highlights, and exclusive deals.