The Joy of Making: A Christmas Art Activity for Kids

Image shown is an AI-generated example to inspire creativity. Every child’s artwork will be wonderfully unique.

The holiday season has a way of pulling us in a hundred different directions. Between schedules, celebrations, and to-do lists, it’s easy to forget how meaningful the simplest moments can be.

Some of my favorite holiday memories don’t involve perfectly wrapped gifts or elaborate decorations — they happen around a table. Board games, cookie making, art activities.

This week’s Sketchbook Story is a simple Christmas-inspired art activity for kids that invites creativity without pressure and encourages kids to tell their own stories through making. This DIY uses on hand supplies like paper scraps, glue sticks, a little mess, and a lot of imagination.

A Simple Holiday Art Activity: Create-Your-Own Christmas Tree

This activity is perfect for:

• Holiday break afternoons

• Classroom or homeschool art time

• Family craft nights

• Quiet creative moments between celebrations

It’s intentionally open-ended, easy to adapt, and uses materials you likely already have at home.

What You’ll Need

• Green construction paper (or white paper kids can color)

• Scrap paper, wrapping paper, or magazine pages

• Safety scissors

• Glue stick

• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils

• Optional extras: stickers, buttons, tissue paper, foil, or glitter

How to Make It

Step 1: Create the Tree Shape
Have children cut a large triangle from green paper to form their Christmas tree. Younger kids can trace a triangle first, or you can pre-cut the shape to make it easier.

Step 2: Decorate with Collage Pieces
Cut or tear small shapes from scrap paper and glue them onto the tree as ornaments, garland, or lights. Encourage kids to mix colors, textures, and sizes.

Step 3: Add Drawn Details
Use markers or crayons to draw strings of lights, a tree trunk, or a star on top. This is where their personality really starts to shine.

Step 4: Make It Personal
Have kids write their name, the year, or a short holiday message at the bottom of the page. These little details turn the artwork into a keepsake.

Creative Prompts to Spark Imagination

As kids create, try asking open-ended questions:

• What kind of ornaments would your tree have?

• Is your tree magical, cozy, silly, or fancy?

• Who would you give this artwork to as a gift?

There are no right answers — just stories waiting to be told!

Why Simple Art Matters

Art isn’t just about the finished piece.

Simple creative activities help children:

• Build fine motor skills

• Practice decision-making

• Express emotions and ideas visually

• Slow down and focus during a busy season

More than anything, these moments create connection — with materials, with imagination, and with the people sharing the table.

A Little Holiday Reminder

This season doesn’t need more perfection. It needs more presence. A table, a few supplies, and space to create is more than enough.

Keep the Inspiration Coming

If you loved this, you'll love Sketchbook Stories—my free weekly email where creativity shows up every Wednesday with ideas, art, behind-the-scenes peeks, and more. Join Sketchbook Stories below!

Know someone who could use a spark of creativity? Share this with them and help bring a little more inspiration into their week.

Sketchbook Stories

Where creativity appears in your inbox every Wednesday!

Plus, subscribers get:

• Exclusive art drops + early access to new products

• Invites to special events and workshops

• Behind-the-scenes studio peeks

It will be bursting with creativit, imagination, original art, and thoughtful reflections