Christmas Coloring Crafts: Pages That Become Gifts and Decorations

Christmas coloring pages become more than coloring pages when they end as something — an ornament on the tree, a card in the mail, a gift tag on a present, or an advent calendar on the wall. Here are seven crafts that extend a printed page into a lasting seasonal project, organized from simplest to most involved.

Best Christmas themes by age and use

Theme	Ages	Best craft use
Simple Santa, round ornament	2–5	Refrigerator display, simple card
Christmas tree, reindeer	4–7	Gift tags, cards, garlands
Gingerbread house, nativity	6–10	Detailed coloring, wall display
Snowflake mandala, geometric ornaments	8 and up	Ornaments, adult coloring
Intricate winter botanicals	Adult	Framed art, gift wrap

Browse Christmas pages on ColorNest’s Christmas theme page and seasonal collection.

Craft 1: Coloring page ornaments (ages 5 and up, with adult help for laminating)

1. Print a round or classic ornament shape on 65 lb cardstock.
2. Color with bright, saturated colors — markers work well here for vivid results.
3. Cut out the shape carefully along the outline.
4. Optional: apply one coat of Mod Podge or clear craft sealer over the colored surface to protect it. Let dry 30 minutes.
5. Punch a hole at the top, thread a ribbon or ornament hook through, and hang.

Variation: cut out two identical ornament shapes, color both sides, and glue together back-to-back for a two-sided ornament that looks good from any angle on the tree.

Craft 2: Advent calendar coloring set (ages 4 and up)

Print 24 small Christmas images, one per day. Fold each into an envelope and label 1–24. Each morning in December, a child opens that day’s envelope and colors the image. By December 24, they have a completed set.

Display options for the finished set:

• String them on a ribbon as a garland
• Tape in order across a window
• Slip into a small photo album
• Assemble into a mini booklet (see how to make a coloring book at home)

This activity builds anticipation, establishes a daily creative ritual, and produces a keepsake collection. For families with multiple children, print multiple copies of each daily image.

Craft 3: Christmas cards (ages 4 and up)

Print any Christmas coloring page at 50% scale (set scale to 50% in print dialog). Color, fold in half, and write a message inside. For a more polished result:

• Use 24 lb bond paper for a quality feel
• Color with fine-tip markers for crisp, vivid results
• Write the recipient’s name on the front alongside the image

For a classroom card exchange, each student creates one card per classmate, personalizing the color scheme for each recipient. This is a meaningful holiday project that takes 2–3 class sessions.

Craft 4: Gift tags (ages 4 and up)

Print Christmas coloring pages at 25% scale (very small). Color, cut out, punch a hole, and thread with ribbon. These custom colored gift tags cost almost nothing and are more personal than store-bought tags.

For young children who cannot write, they draw or color the tag themselves — the act of making the tag is part of the gift-giving ritual, which developmental researchers associate with pro-social behavior development.

Craft 5: Coloring page gift wrap (ages 6 and up)

Print 4–6 large Christmas coloring pages (or tape smaller pages together). Color with bright markers. Use the finished pages to wrap small gifts — books, toys, candy boxes.

This works best with flat, lightweight gifts. For oddly shaped gifts, use the pages as tissue paper inserts or as a decorative topper (tape a colored page around a gift bag’s exterior).

Tip: use only copy paper (20 lb), not cardstock — heavier paper does not fold and crease neatly around corners.

Craft 6: Christmas window display (ages 6 and up)

Color a set of Christmas images (tree, star, snowflakes, Santa) with vivid washable markers on standard copy paper. Apply a layer of undiluted white school glue (PVA) over the entire surface. Spread evenly with a foam brush. Let dry completely — at least 6 hours, or overnight.

Once dry, the colored image peels off the paper as a flexible film. Press the film against a glass window — it adheres without adhesive and removes cleanly. Arrange a gallery of colored images across a window for a festive display.

This craft requires adult preparation and patience with drying time, but the results delight children and are fully reusable year after year if stored flat between sheets of wax paper.

Craft 7: Framed Christmas art (ages 6 and up)

Choose a highly detailed Christmas coloring page. Color with artist-grade colored pencils or fine-tip markers, taking more time than usual. Once finished, mount the page in a simple frame (8.5 × 11 in frames are available at dollar stores for under $5).

This craft elevates the coloring page into a genuine seasonal decoration. For adult colorers, a mandala or botanical winter design on quality paper, colored carefully and framed, makes a meaningful handmade gift.

Classroom Christmas coloring activity

For K–5 classrooms, use Christmas coloring alongside curriculum:

• Grades K–2: color a Christmas scene and identify 5 things in the image by name (writing practice).
• Grades 3–4: write 3 sentences describing what is happening in the scene.
• Grades 5: write a short story (1 paragraph) set in the scene depicted.

See classroom coloring activities for more structured ideas. Print classroom sets from ColorNest’s Christmas theme — free for classroom use, terms on the license page.

Supplies checklist

Craft	Paper	Tools	Extras
Ornaments	65 lb cardstock	Markers	Ribbon, hole punch, Mod Podge optional
Advent calendar	20 lb bond	Crayons	24 small envelopes, string
Cards	24 lb bond	Fine-tip markers	Envelopes
Gift tags	20 lb bond	Markers or pencils	Hole punch, ribbon
Gift wrap	20 lb bond	Washable markers	Tape
Window display	20 lb bond	Washable broad-tip markers	PVA glue, foam brush
Framed art	24–28 lb bond	Colored pencils	Frame (8.5 × 11 in)