Children use their own handprint for some of the best tried-and-true Christmas crafts. Children make Rudolph with a brown construction paper handprint as the head. The thumb gets a red pompom as his nose, and the fingers become antlers. Children make Santa Claus with a white handprint facing down, and the fingers become the beard. Add a Santa hat, a face and decorate. An angel with handprint wings is another way to utilize hand cutouts in crafts, or make a wreath from an entire circle of cut out hands.
Candy canes are classic Christmas symbols that are fun to use in ornament crafts. For cute and edible ornaments, make candy sleds that use mini canes as runners, or a wreath made of candy canes laid out in a circle with the wrappers glued together. Create a treat and a tree ornament with a candy cane reindeer made from a full-sized candy cane, pipe cleaner antlers and googly eyes. Have preschool children make candy canes with red and white construction paper, then decorate for a bulletin board project. Another favorite is red and white pipe cleaners twisted together, and children add green pom poms or other decorations.
Popsicle sticks give children some classic choices for crafts such as a triangle reindeer made from three sticks and a pompom nose. Have children create a star from five sticks, then decorate with glitter or paint. Popsicle stick picture frames use from four to eight sticks glued together in a square. Children add a holiday photo taken by the teacher for a special keepsake ornament. Have children make a three-dimensional Christmas tree by gluing the sticks in a tepee form then painting and decorating.
Make a pine cone Christmas tree as a favorite ornament to decorate the mantel year after year. A large pine cone decorated with brightly colored beads glued on, and set into a decorated pot looks like a miniature Christmas tree. Have children make a wreath out of several pine cones glued together and decorated with glitter or paints. Seasonal characters such as Rudolph, Santa Claus or snowmen made from the pine cones are good choices. A simple pine cone hung with gold thread and decorated by hand with paints, glitter or other adornments is a good option for a tree ornament.