Below is a little information about Christmas Card Day on December 9th.
The fun part about this craft lesson is that there is plenty of time for students to be creative in the coming days. One opportunity would be the Handprint Christmas Tree craft project.
Educators will find full instructions and a downloadable PDF below. Have fun!
🎄 Christmas Card Day
- Date: Christmas Card Day is officially celebrated on December 9th every year.
- Significance: It serves as a fun reminder to gather your supplies and get your cards ready to mail so they arrive before Christmas!
- History Nugget: The very first commercially produced Christmas card was created and sold in London in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole and designed by artist John Callcott Horsley. Cole wanted a quick way to send holiday greetings without having to write long letters to his many friends.
🎨 Classroom Christmas Card Craft Ideas
There are so many fun, age-appropriate ways to make handmade cards. Here are a few ideas that often work well in a classroom setting:
- Fingerprint Reindeer: Students use brown ink or paint to make a fingerprint “body” for a reindeer. Once dry, they can add small antlers, eyes, and a red nose (a small red fingerprint or painted dot).
- Handprint Christmas Tree or Santa: Use green paint to make a handprint in a triangle shape (tree) or white paint for a snowman/Santa beard. These are great keepsakes for parents or grandparents!
- Potato Print Snowmen or Ornaments: Cut a potato in half to make a simple stamp. Students can dip it in white paint to make snowmen bodies or in bright colors for ornaments.
- Washi Tape Trees: Provide strips of holiday-themed washi tape. Students can layer the strips on a card to create a simple, modern Christmas tree shape. This is less messy than paint!
- Button Baubles: Students can glue small, colorful buttons onto the card to create the look of Christmas ornaments hanging from a branch or filling a shape.
Handprint Christmas Tree Card Instructions
This craft is quick, uses simple materials, and is easy to do in groups. Download the PDF Instructions Here!
Materials You Will Need
- Cardstock or Construction Paper: Green for the main card, or a base color (like white, blue, or red) for the card, and green paint.
- Green Washable Paint: Tempera or craft paint works best.
- Shallow Dish/Paper Plate: For dipping hands.
- Brown Marker or Construction Paper: To make the tree trunk.
- Small Decorations (Optional):
- Glitter or glitter glue (if you are brave!)
- Small pom-poms or rhinestones for “ornaments”
- Markers or paint for “lights”
- A yellow star sticker or cutout for the top.
- Wet Wipes or Sink Access: For quick clean-up.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Prepare the Card: Fold a piece of white or colored cardstock in half to form the base of the card.
- Prepare the Paint: Pour a shallow layer of green paint onto the paper plate or dish.
- The Handprint: Have the student dip their hand into the green paint, ensuring the entire palm and fingers are covered evenly.
- Create the “Tree”:
- Carefully have the student press their painted hand onto the front of the folded card, near the center and a little lower than the top.
- They can then make a second and possibly third handprint slightly overlapping the first and at a different angle to create a fuller, triangular Christmas tree shape. The palm of the handprint forms the base of the branch, and the fingers look like the pine needles.
- Clean Up: Immediately help the student wash their hands with water and soap or use a wet wipe.
- Add the Trunk (After Drying): Once the green paint is dry, the student can use a brown marker or a small brown piece of paper to create a trunk at the bottom center of the tree.
- Decorate! This is the fun part!
- Use the small decorations (pom-poms, stickers) to act as ornaments on the tree.
- Use markers to draw colorful lights or garland.
- Place a star sticker or a drawn yellow star at the very top.
- Personalize: Open the card and have the student write or dictate a message to their grandparents, like “Merry Christmas, Love…” and their name.