Looking for easy Christmas crafts for kids to make? Try this simple wooden bead ornament!
What you’ll need:
- 30mm or larger natural wood craft beads, with 3/8″ hole. Mine are from Amazon, but you can find these at most craft stores and on Etsy. Make sure you look for ones with a large enough hole, so you will be able to easily thread your yarn through.
- Craft paints / crayons/ markers
- Super bulky yarn (#6 weight). I used leftover yarn that I had on hand. Little projects like these are great ways to use up your scraps
- Jumbo sized tapestry needle or paper clip for threading the yarn through the beads
Originally, my preschooler had picked paint colors he wanted to use, and then decided last minute he wanted to use crayons instead. He was so excited to make an ornament for the tree that he didn’t want to wait for anything to dry before hanging it up. A totally reasonable request when you are four.
The great thing about this project is it works with however your child wants to do it. They can make all the decisions, change it if they don’t like it. They could do mixed media, paint on some beads, crayon on others, and they can decide one bead is enough or string together a whole bunch. It’s really flexible. Let them make all the decisions and follow their lead.
Let’s get started!
Step 1: Decorate your beads. We went with two beads, and crayon flower drawings.
Step 2: Cut a length of yarn that you will double and thread through your beads. I didn’t have a jumbo needle on hand, so I bent open a paper clip as a sub.
Step 3: Thread your beads
Step 4: Pull the yarn through and decide how long you want your loop to be above the beads (again, let your child make this decision)
Step 5: make a big knot or two underneath the bottom bead, so the beads stay securely in place
Step 6: Trim any excess yarn on the bottom. My son wanted to keep it long and different lengths
Step 7: Hang up!
My son was so excited to hang up his ornament and show it off to his dad and brothers. Since we still have a bunch of beads left, I’m sure we will make a few more of these or some other bead craft this year. Stay tuned for more easy Christmas crafts for kids to make.
If you make one of these bead ornaments at home, drop a comment below and let us know! We would love if you’d share a photo with us.
Looking for more holiday activities? Check out our Holiday and Free Printables sections.
