Christmas Classroom Decor Ideas Teachers Will Love

Hello, fellow teachers!

The holiday season is such a magical time in the classroom, but let’s be honest—it’s also one of the busiest.

I’ll never forget the year my second graders made an entire garland of fingerprint lights that stretched all the way down the hall. The pride on their faces was the best decoration of all.

That’s why I’ve always believed that the best classroom decorations are the ones our students make themselves.

I’ve gathered my 12 favorite, super-easy decor ideas that use simple supplies you probably already have. This guide is packed with tips on classroom management, curriculum connections, and inclusive alternatives to make your holiday crafting session a joyful success.

Tips for a Smooth and Joyful Crafting Day

Before we dive into the crafts, here are a few hard-won tips for keeping the creative chaos manageable and fun:

• Set Up Stations: Instead of handing out all supplies at once, create stations: a “Cutting Corner,” a “Gluing Station,” and a “Glitter Zone” (preferably on a tray or inside a box lid!). Have small groups rotate through the stations.
• Plan for Early Finishers: Always have a simple, related activity ready. A stack of winter-themed coloring pages or a quiet corner with seasonal books works wonders.
• Embrace the “10-Minute Tidy”: Turn cleanup into a game. Put on a fun song and challenge the class to get everything put away before the music stops. Many hands make light work!

12 Easy Decor Ideas That Your Students Can Make

1. Jolly Paper Plate Santas

A classic craft that turns a simple paper plate into Santa’s cheerful face. They look fantastic displayed together on a bulletin board.

• Materials Needed: Paper plates (1 per student), red construction paper (1 sheet makes ~2-3 hats), cotton balls (~10-15 per student), white school glue, crayons or markers, scissors.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Cut a large triangle from the red construction paper for Santa’s hat.
  2. Glue the hat onto the top third of the paper plate.
  3. Use glue to stick cotton balls along the hat’s edge and around the bottom of the plate for the beard.
  4. Add one cotton ball to the tip of the hat.
  5. Draw on two eyes and a rosy nose and cheeks.
• Learning Connection: Fine Motor Skills (squeezing glue, placing cotton balls), Shapes (triangles, circles).
• Teacher’s Tip: For Grades 1-2, pre-cut the hats. For Grades 4-5, challenge students to add a body or write a letter to Santa on the back.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make a Paper Plate Snowman! Use black construction paper for a top hat, draw on a carrot nose, and use black paper circles for the eyes and mouth.

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2. Construction Paper Chains

This timeless activity is perfect for collaborative fun, creating long chains to drape across the classroom.

• Materials Needed: Red, green, and white construction paper (1-2 sheets per student), scissors, glue sticks or a stapler.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Cut the paper into strips about 1 inch wide.
  2. Form one strip into a circle and glue or staple the ends.
  3. Loop the next strip of a different color through the first circle and secure its ends.
  4. Continue adding loops in an alternating pattern.
• Learning Connection: Mathematical Patterning (AB, ABC patterns), Measurement (counting links, measuring the chain).
• Teacher’s Tip: For Grades 1-2, use pre-cut strips. For Grades 4-5, have them measure and cut their own strips, then calculate how many links it takes to reach a certain length.

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3. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes

Each snowflake is beautifully unique. They are sturdy enough to hang from the ceiling or decorate a window.

• Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks (3-4 per student), white school glue, optional decorations: glitter, sequins, white paint, yarn.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Place a dot of glue in the center of one popsicle stick.
  2. Cross a second stick on top to form a “+”.
  3. Add another dot of glue and place a third stick diagonally to form a six-pointed star.
  4. Let the glue dry, then decorate.
  5. Tie a loop of yarn to one end for hanging.
• Learning Connection: Geometry (symmetry, angles), Science (discussing how real snowflakes are six-sided).
• Teacher’s Tip: For Grades 1-2, focus on the gluing and decorating. For Grades 4-5, encourage them to create more complex geometric patterns by breaking some sticks in half to add smaller details.

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4. Fluffy Cotton Ball Snowmen

A wonderful sensory craft that creates a textured, 3D snowman, perfect for a winter bulletin board.

• Materials Needed: Blue construction paper (1 sheet per student), cotton balls (~15-20 per student), white school glue, markers, or small scraps of black/orange paper, scissors.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Draw three circles on the blue paper for the snowman’s body.
  2. Fill the circles with glue and press cotton balls on top.
  3. Use markers or paper scraps for eyes, a carrot nose, and buttons.
  4. Add snow on the ground with a white crayon or more cotton balls.
• Learning Connection: Sensory Exploration, Counting (buttons, eyes), Fine Motor Skills.
• Teacher’s Tip: For Grades 1-2, have them gently pull cotton balls apart to make them fluffier. For Grades 4-5, have them write a short story from the snowman’s perspective.

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5. Handprint Reindeer

A cherished keepsake craft that parents will absolutely love, using a child’s handprint as the antlers.

• Materials Needed: Brown and light-colored construction paper (1 sheet of each per student), googly eyes or a black marker, red pom-poms or red paper, glue stick, pencil, scissors.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Trace the student’s hand on the brown paper and cut it out.
  2. Glue the handprint, palm-side down, onto the light-colored paper.
  3. The fingers are the antlers and the palm is the face.
  4. Glue on two googly eyes and a red nose near the thumb.
• Learning Connection: Life Science (learning about animals), Self-Awareness (using their own handprint).
• Teacher’s Tip: Set up a tracing station with a volunteer to help little ones. For older students, have them draw a whole winter scene around their reindeer.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make a Handprint Snowy Owl! Use a white handprint on dark blue paper. Turn it upside down (fingers become tail feathers), and add eyes and a beak to the palm.

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6. Yarn-Wrapped Star Ornaments

This craft is fantastic for developing fine motor skills and concentration. The finished ornaments have a cozy, rustic look.

• Materials Needed: Cardboard (from old file folders or boxes), yarn (any color, ~3-4 feet per student), pencil, scissors, tape.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Draw and cut out a simple star shape from the cardboard.
  2. Tape the end of the yarn to the back of the star.
  3. Wrap the yarn around the star, crossing over, until the cardboard is covered.
  4. Snip the yarn and tuck the end securely under other strands.
  5. Add a yarn loop for hanging.
• Learning Connection: Fine Motor Dexterity, Hand-Eye Coordination, Art (texture, color).
• Teacher’s Tip: For Grades 1-2, use a larger, simpler shape (like a circle or triangle) and thicker yarn. For Grades 4-5, they can try more complex shapes or wrap with two colors at once.

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7. Paper Cone Christmas Trees

Simple 3D trees that can stand on their own, perfect for decorating a “winter village” scene.

• Materials Needed: Green construction paper (1 sheet per student), glue stick or staples, scissors, decorations (sequins, hole-punch circles, stickers).
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Cut a large half-circle out of the green paper.
  2. Roll it into a cone shape and secure the edge.
  3. Decorate with “ornaments” like sequins and stickers.
• Learning Connection: Geometry (cones, semi-circles), 3D construction.
• Teacher’s Tip: For younger kids, pre-cut the half-circles. For older students, challenge them to build a whole forest of varying heights.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make Snowy Pine Trees! Use green or white paper and encourage decorating with cotton balls for snow, or leave them plain for a simple winter forest look.

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8. Toilet Paper Roll Reindeer

A fun way to upcycle! These little reindeer are sturdy and can stand up on a desk or shelf.

• Materials Needed: Empty toilet paper rolls (1 per student), brown paint or paper, googly eyes, red pom-poms, brown or black pipe cleaners (1 per student), glue.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Cover the toilet paper roll in brown paint or paper.
  2. Glue on two googly eyes and a red nose.
  3. Bend a pipe cleaner in half and twist the ends to look like antlers.
  4. Insert the antlers into the top of the roll.
• Learning Connection: Recycling/Environmentalism, 3D Art.
• Teacher’s Tip: Pre-poke holes in the top for antlers to make it easier for students.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make a Toilet Paper Roll Penguin! Use black paper or paint, a white paper belly, and small orange paper triangles for the beak and feet.

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9. Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

One of the easiest crafts on the list, excellent for developing hand-eye coordination and patterning skills.

• Materials Needed: Red pipe cleaners (1 per student) and white pipe cleaners (1 per student), scissors.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Hold one red and one white pipe cleaner together.
  2. Twist them around each other to create a striped pattern.
  3. Bend the top over to create the candy cane hook.
• Learning Connection: Mathematical Patterning (AB patterns), Fine Motor Skills.
• Teacher’s Tip: This is a great “early finisher” activity. They are quick and require minimal supervision.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make sparkling Icicles! Twist one white and one silver or light blue pipe cleaner together, keeping them straight instead of bending the top.

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10. Fingerprint Lights Garland

A personal and colorful decoration where students’ fingerprints become the “bulbs” on a string of lights.

• Materials Needed: Washable tempera paint (various colors), white paper, a black marker, string or yarn, tape/glue.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Draw a long, loopy line with a black marker across the paper.
  2. Have students dip their fingertips in paint and press them along the line to create bulbs.
  3. Draw a small black square at the top of each fingerprint bulb.
  4. Once dry, tape the individual papers to a long string to create a class garland.
• Learning Connection: Color Theory (mixing colors), Personal Uniqueness (fingerprints).
• Teacher’s Tip: Keep wet wipes handy! Do this in small, supervised groups to manage the paint.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make a Fingerprint “Snowfall” or “Holly Berry” Garland. Use fingerprints to make blue and white snowflakes or red berries with green leaf thumbprints.

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11. Simple Pasta Wreaths

An inexpensive craft that transforms pantry staples into beautiful wreaths with interesting textures.

• Materials Needed: Sturdy paper plates (1 per student), scissors, green paint or markers, white school glue, various dry pasta shapes.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Cut out the center of a paper plate to create a wreath shape.
  2. Color or paint the paper plate ring green.
  3. Glue different pasta shapes around the ring to decorate.
• Learning Connection: Art (texture, collage), Sorting and Classifying (pasta shapes).
• Teacher’s Tip: For older students, they can paint the pasta different colors before gluing for more intricate designs.
• Inclusive Winter Alternative: Make a Pasta Snowflake! Instead of cutting the plate into a wreath, keep it whole. Paint it light blue and have students glue pasta in a symmetrical, radial pattern to create a large, unique snowflake.

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12. Coffee Filter Snowflakes

A science-meets-art project where students watch colors blend before cutting them into unique snowflakes to tape on a window.

• Materials Needed: Round coffee filters (1-2 per student), washable markers (blues/purples), a small cup of water, a paintbrush or a spray bottle, and scissors.
• Simple Instructions:
  1. Flatten a coffee filter and draw designs on it with markers.
  2. Fold the filter into a small wedge (in half 3-4 times).
  3. Lightly brush the folded filter with water and watch the colors bleed.
  4. Let it dry completely, then cut small shapes out of the sides.
  5. Unfold carefully to reveal a beautiful, one-of-a-kind snowflake.
• Learning Connection: Science (absorption, chromatography), Geometry (symmetry).
• Teacher’s Tip: This is a fantastic “wow factor” activity. Tape the finished, dry snowflakes to your classroom windows—the light shining through them is beautiful.

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I hope this list helps you bring some easy, student-made joy into your classroom. The goal is to have fun and make memories, not to create a perfect masterpiece.

Which craft are you most excited to try? Let me know in the comments below. I love seeing photos of your students’ creations, so feel free to tag our blog on social media.

Olivia Hartley

Olivia is a modern farmhouse enthusiast with a soft spot for coastal vibes and cozy spaces. She believes home should feel like a warm hug—and she’s always on the hunt for the perfect throw pillow. When she’s not styling rooms or lighting way too many candles, you’ll find her rearranging furniture “just to see how it feels.”