Santa Claus Christmas Crafts Ideas

While eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, get ready with these fun Christmas crafts featuring Jolly Old Saint Nick.


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Watch: How to Fold a Santa Hat Napkin
Santa Mini Pillows

A few wool scraps, yarn, and floss make for oh-so-cute Santa (and friends) decorations. We've got the patterns to make it easy!

Santa Votive Candles

Quick as a wink, Santa bedecks basic glass votive holders to cast a holiday glow across your tabletop. Purchase puffy Santa stickers from your local crafts or scapbooking store. Dot clear glass votive candleholders with the Santa stickers and other Christmas-motif stickers, such as stars, snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer, or packages, to create a pleasing holiday scene.

Editor's Tip: Create a tabletop vignette by arranging three or more Santa-embellished votive holders on a clear-glass plate or shallow dish. Surround the votives with golden jingle bells, tiny ornaments, decorative Christmas candies, or colorful lightbulbs.

Santa Book Ornament

Trim your tree with the classic Santa image depicted in The Night Before ChristmasTo make the tiny book ornament, print and cut out the book-front image, available below. Glue to the right side of a 6x4-inch piece of solid-color cardstock; fold cardstock in half to make a 3x4-inch card. Fold four pieces of 6x4-inch parchment paper in half. Glue crease of each piece to inside center of folded cardstock to resemble pages. Glue a narrow ribbon loop to inside crease for hanger.

Editor's Tip: Replicate this look with your favorite holiday image. Choose a vintage image or copyright-free graphic, and follow the ornament instructions. Images with the appearance of a book cover work best. 

Santa Tart-Tin Wall Display

Tiny tart tins make the leap from cookware to cheery Santa-theme wall decor. Painted, glittered, and joined with metal jump rings, the three tins earn festive status with holiday chipboard buttons as their centerpiece.

Santa Claus Banner

Wave a flag for Santa's favorite season. Reuse Christmas cards featuring the Jolly Old Elf's image in a festive banner. Choose a single Santa style or string different depictions for an eclectic view of the season's familiar gift giver. Add printed or handwritten sentiments between ribbon-hung Santas for a banner that expresses your personal holiday perspective.

Santa Hat Place Cards

Welcome Christmas guests to your table with Santa hat place cards. The glittery fur-trim hats also make great party favors.

Watch: How to Fold a Santa Hat Napkin

Make a jolly Santa hat napkin for your Christmas table with this easy napkin-folding technique.

Santa Claus Snack Container

Store your holiday snacks in a festive Santa Claus container. Cut scrapbooking paper into the following shapes: a mustache, a hatband, and a Santa hat. Adhere the cutouts to the top of a large flat plastic container using a glue stick. Using crafts glue, attach a cotton ball at the tip of the hat and a group of cotton balls underneath the mustache to create a beard. Fill the container with cheese puffs or another favorite Christmas snack.

Santa-Inspired Christmas Cards

Make Christmas cards inspired by Santa's suit using red and white construction paper, black ribbon, and glitter. Fold red construction paper into 4x6-inch cards. Glue a black ribbon across the center of one card for Santa's belt, and add a frame-shape buckle made from black construction paper and gold glitter. Make a Santa-hat card by gluing a 2-inch strip of white construction paper to the bottom of a red card. Run a glue stick over the white section and sprinkle with white glitter. Adhere a red right-angle triangle as shown to create the look of a folded-over hat. Attach a round piece of white paper covered in glitter to the bottom tip of the triangle.

Santa and Rudolph Finger Puppets

These darling Santa Claus and Rudolph finger puppets are sure to please a young audience this Christmas. To make Santa, wrap a rectangular piece of red felt around a dime coin wrapper; glue in place. Add shorter layer of red felt for Santa's coat, gluing at the top and making a slit in the front as shown. Cut small pieces of white and black felt for his collar, coat trim, belt and button; adhere the pieces using crafts glue. Glue a wooden bead (available at crafts stores) to the top of the coin wrapper; let dry. Attach a piece of white pipe cleaner for Santa's beard and a cut out for his mustache. Draw Santa's eyes onto the wooden bead. Sew a hat using red and white felt and a white pom-pom, and glue the hat to the top of Santa's head.

Editor's Tip: Follow similar steps to create Santa's favorite reindeer, referring to the photo for felt colors and embellishments.

Old-World Santa Pillow

A throw pillow featuring Santa Claus is a fun and easy Christmas craft. With soft fabrics and fancy trims, this old-world Santa applique will add classic charm to your Christmas decor.

Santa Claus Paper Ornament

Top a Christmas gift with this fun Santa Claus paper ornament. Using the patterns, cut a chimney and hat from red construction paper; the chimney top, beard, mustache, and hat trim from white; face from cream; and mittens from green. Draw bricks on the red chimney with gold glitter glue; let dry. Layer pieces to make Santa's hat and face, and use marking pens to draw his facial features. Spread glue on Santa's hat trim, beard, and mustache, then sprinkle with white glitter. Add glue to the mittens and sprinkle with green glitter; let dry. Glue the pieces in place as shown. Glue a jingle bell to the top of the hat, and place a holly sticker on the chimney. Punch a hole in the top of the hat and thread a ribbon through for hanging.

Santa Claus Mouse Ornament

Create an ornament featuring an adorable mouse dressed as Santa Claus. Made from fabric, wire, and a spoon, this fun Christmas craft will add Christmas cheer to any room.

Santa Claus Belted Throw Pillow

Giving your home Santa-inspired flair can be as easy as adding a black ribbon and an O-ring belt buckle to a pillow to create the look of Santa's belt. We used this holiday pillow, but a plain red pillow would work well, too. Thread the ribbon through the buckle and sew the ends into the seams of the pillow. Sew white fluffy trim (available at fabric stores) around the edges for a festive Santa Claus craft.

Santa & Rudolph

Use a window sill to capture this scene straight from the North Pole -- Santa hanging out with his reindeer pal on a snowy landscape. The twig-and-felt figurines are held together with hot glue, but with this easy-to-make project, you can sub in crafts glue and make it with kids.

Jolly Holiday Pillow

This Santa has all the requisite characteristics: fluffy beard, twinkling eyes, and a red hat with jingle bell tassels. The only thing missing is his sleigh loaded with presents.

Saint Nick Figurine

The patina of this Santa gives him an aged look, but painted polka dots and stripes give the sculpture modern appeal. Follow our step-by-step instructions for molding, sculpting, and painting this keepsake trinket box.

Chipboard Star Santa Decoration

This shimmering chipboard star will add a vintage look to your Christmas decor. Start with a small chipboard star and trace the shape onto old sheet music. Cut out the music and glue to the glossy white side of the star. Use an ink blending tool to spread raised felt dye ink onto the star, blending it into the center. Secure a Santa face to the star using two adhesive dots. Cut a small strip from ecru scrapbook paper (making inverted V cuts into each end), accordion-fold ends to match the picture, and glue across Santa's beard. Print Merry Christmas on a separate strip of ecru paper and glue to banner.

Cover a large chipboard star with double-sided adhesive tape, trimming the excess. Adhere the smaller star to the larger one with two adhesive dots. Sprinkle ultrafine German glass glitter over the large star, shaking off the excess. To hang, punch a hole in the large star and add a wire hook.

Needle Punch Santa Portrait

Use our free pattern and a purchased needle punching kit (from a crafts store) to create this classic portrait of Father Christmas.

Santa Stocking

Get ready for Santa's big appearance with a stocking featuring none other than the big guy himself. Sew a pretty stocking from silk (with our free pattern) and embellish it with pleated paper medallions and Santa scrapbooking stickers.

Plush Santa Ornament

Plush fur trimmings and a brocade hat and body make this Santa an exquisite Christmas tree ornament.

Santa Card

Send warm holiday wishes with a card handcrafted from paper and antique-inspired scrapbooking supplies. Or for the real deal, scout out vintage cards from flea markets and antiques shops, and use in place of the scrapbooking materials.

Santa & Pal Pillow

Santa doesn't seem to mind the blue bird perched on his head. The duo makes for a cheery holiday pillow with whimsical appeal.

Santa Applique Stockings

Lots of little pieces come together to make this stunning stocking, and we have patterns for all of them. Download the free patterns and start by working one area at a time. Cut out the pieces for one section, applique, and embellish, then move on to the next area. That way, you won't have to keep track of lots of small pieces.

Cozy Santa Christmas Blanket

New to applique? Try this easy project. It starts with a premade blanket and involves bigger pieces -- which are easier to work with. Machine stitching means you can whip it up in no time.

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