Holiday Crafts for Kids - Christmas, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving

Let the children help with holiday entertaining by making fun invitations with pop-up inserts (figure A). Use two sheets of colored construction paper for the body of the card. Fold the inner sheet in half and cut two slits about an inch apart in the center of the card (figure B). Attach a character suitable to the occasion, such as a turkey in a Thanksgiving card (figure C).

Other great ideas include a Hanukkah card decorated with a menorah on the front (figure D) and a dreidel inside (figure E), or a Christmas card with a wreath on the front and a Christmas tree inside (figure F).

Another way to have fun before the party even starts is by making puzzle invitations. Design and make a puzzle with construction paper, then put information on the pieces and include a piece with each invitation (figure G). When guests arrive, have them assemble the puzzle with their invitations (figure H).

Make neat place markers out of walnut shells that are reminiscent of the Pilgrim ships (figure I). Make the sails of each ship by writing each guest's name on a small piece of colored paper and inserting toothpicks through the sails. Place a small bit of clay in each shell and stick the toothpicks in the clay. As a bonus, have each guest write something their thankful for on slips of white paper and place the slips on each ship.

Children will have a blast making faux stained-glass ornaments, and this simple project requires only white household glue, wax paper, food coloring and pipe cleaners. Have them bend the pipe cleaners into fun holiday shapes, such as leaves for Thanksgiving or stars for Christmas (figure J).

Glue the pipe-cleaner shape to a piece of wax paper with ordinary white glue. Mix food coloring with remaining household glue and pour the colored glue into the form on the wax paper (figure K). When the glue dries, just pull off the wax paper and you have a sparkling holiday suncatcher (figure L).