Christmas Hats for Kids
Let’s learn how to make Christmas hats. Yay! You will see examples of three, and each of those have printable templates available. But you can make your hat any design that you want. The only limit is your imagination. These Christmas hats ideas start with some basic shapes, like a tree, a gingerbread guy and a snowman, but these are only a place to start. I cannot wait to see what you make!
Looking for an even quicker holiday activity? Our Printable Christmas Hats for Kids are a fun no-prep option that kids can color, decorate, and wear. Or, if you’re ready to get creative with craft supplies, keep reading to make your own DIY Christmas hat!
Skills This Craft Builds
- Pretend play
- Creativity
- Fine motor
- Hand-eye coordination
- Self-expression
Best Ages for These Christmas Hats
Preschool
These Christmas hats are a fun and simple holiday craft for preschoolers. Younger children can practice important fine motor skills while decorating, gluing, and assembling their festive hats with some adult assistance. They are also perfect for encouraging creativity, imagination, and holiday pretend play.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students can enjoy making their own Christmas hats while practicing cutting skills, following directions, and making creative choices. This craft works well for holiday classroom activities, Christmas parties, and seasonal art centers.
Elementary
Elementary-aged kids can personalize their Christmas hats with unique designs, patterns, and decorations. Older children can use this project for holiday celebrations, classroom performances, or imaginative play activities while creating a festive accessory they can wear.
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SUPPLIES FROM THE BAG
- Paper plate (9-inch coated)
- Scissors
- Paint (color of your choice)
- Newspaper
- Clothespin
- Medium pompom
- Craft items from your bag for decorating (eg-washi tape, mini pompoms, markers, tissue paper squares)
These Christmas crafts for kids use basic craft supplies that are on the master list of supplies that is used for every single creative project on this site. Once you fill up your bag using the list, you are ready to craft and craft and craft. You will be able to make hundreds of crafts without popping out to the store because you are missing a key “ingredient”. And you will be making memories with your family without all of the fuss.
Remember how to make Christmas hats. Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board…
Step 1: Cut the Christmas Design
- Draw or trace (from one of the printable templates) a Christmas design a paper plate.
- Fold the plate slightly and cut a small slit in the section that you will be cutting out.
- Finally cut out your Christmas design to make your hat.
*For little ones, precut the hat since this is a little advanced. But even toddlers can participate in the painting and decorating of these Christmas hats.
**Tip: You can adjust the size of the brim to fit your head. It is best to start out a little bigger so that you can remove more of the plate to make the hat fit. If the hat is too big, just fold over a section in the back and tape or staple it in place.
Step 2: Paint the Rim
- For the next step in making your DIY Christmas hats, lay out some newspaper on your work surface to keep things tidy
- Squeeze out a little bit of paint (color of your choice) onto the newspaper
- Pinch the pompom with the clothespin to form a “paint brush”
- Now paint the brim of your hat, the outside of the design with the plate turned upside down
- Give the paint a few minutes to dry. While you wait, get the items together to decorate your hat and begin to prepare the pieces.
Step 3: Decorate Your Christmas Hat
- Now it is time to decorate your Christmas hat.
- Somethings that you can use are more paints, markers, washi tape (that is what is covering the gingerbread cookie person pictured), scraps of construction paper, crayons, fluffy cotton snow, tissue paper squares (like on the Christmas tree hat pictured)…or whatever you have in your craft bag…you can make your homemade Christmas hats as simple or elaborate as you would like.
- It’s important that when you are deciding how to make your Christmas hats that you make them totally your own. The ideas here are only suggestions, a starting point. Your hat should be totally your own. For example, one of my young friends decided to make a hat that looked like her little elf waiting in her quarantine bubble. It was so cute! This is the time to use your imagination.
Christmas Hat Variations
- Santa Hat
- Elf Hat
- Reindeer Hat
- Snowman Hat
- Christmas Tree Hat
- Personalized Christmas Hat
Wouldn’t these be great Christmas party hats to make, whether that event is live or virtual? Or you can make them as a fun Christmas activity with the family. Get the cousins together or some friends (like I said, live or virtual works). Make some DIY Christmas hats and then share your creations with each other. Christmas memories made!
Classroom Uses for Christmas Hats
Christmas Classroom Parties
These handmade Christmas hats are a fun addition to classroom holiday celebrations. Kids can create their own festive hats and wear them during classroom parties, winter celebrations, or holiday events.
Holiday Art Centers
Set up a Christmas hat craft station where students can decorate and assemble their own creations. This is a great independent activity for December classroom centers and early finishers.
Holiday Pretend Play
Christmas hats encourage imaginative play as children pretend to be Santa, elves, reindeer helpers, or other holiday characters. They can be used for storytelling, dramatic play, and classroom performances.
Christmas Performances and Programs
These DIY Christmas hats make simple costume accessories for holiday plays, sing-alongs, classroom shows, or winter-themed performances.
Fine Motor Practice
Cutting, gluing, decorating, and assembling the hats helps children strengthen hand muscles and practice skills needed for writing and other daily tasks.
Save these easy Christmas hats for later. Pin them to your favorite Pinterest board…
FAQ???
Yes! Preschoolers can enjoy making these Christmas hats with simple assistance from an adult. Pre-cutting pieces when needed allows younger children to focus on decorating, gluing, and creating their own festive designs.
Absolutely. These DIY Christmas hats are perfect for preschool, kindergarten, elementary classrooms, homeschool groups, daycare settings, and holiday parties. They are easy to prepare and give each child a fun handmade accessory to enjoy.
Yes! These hats are designed to be a fun wearable craft. Kids can wear them during Christmas celebrations, classroom parties, pretend play, or holiday family gatherings.
Kids can personalize their hats with traditional Christmas colors, stickers, pom poms, drawings, glitter, cotton balls, or other craft supplies. Each child can create a unique Santa hat, elf hat, or festive holiday design.
Definitely! This Christmas hat craft makes a great group activity because children can decorate their own hats and immediately use them for a holiday celebration or photo opportunity.
