This easy Twig Tree Ornament is a great Christmas craft for preschoolers who are working on their fine motor skills. The toddlers can make these ornaments for the Christmas tree too with just a little assistance.
Here’s a cute and easy Christmas craft that starts out with a nature walk with the kids. Similar to our Twig Star Ornaments from last year, the toddlers and preschoolers are combining twigs and yarn, and using their wrapping and winding skills to make this adorable nature craft for Christmas.
You likely know how much we love crafting with sticks and other natural materials here in my home daycare! Using sticks and other found items for your crafts and activities is a great way to stretch your crafting budget, and also a lovely way for your kids to explore the natural world around them.
Even in winter, we like to get outside every day. Sometimes we play in the yard and sometimes we head into the forest behind the house. Where ever we are, there are always sticks to be found. We took a plastic bag along with us this morning and the toddlers and preschoolers searched for sticks as we walked.
Back home, we emptied our bag and placed our sticks by the fire for an hour or so to dry them out.
Then we sorted through our yarn collection and found this sparkly silver and blue eyelash yarn. It was perfect for a Christmas tree craft. It almost looks like tinsel.
To make our Twig Tree Ornaments, you’ll need:
- twigs (3 for the tree and 1 for the trunk)
- yarn
- hot glue gun
Pretty simple, right? I used Martha Stewart’s “Glitter Eyelash” yarn in a silvery blue, but don’t let yourself be limited by materials. You could use regular yarn in festive colours, rafia, strips of fabric scraps, ribbon, or even strips cut from colourful plastic bags. Get creative and use what you’ve got!
Instructions:
Using the hot glue gun, glue your twigs together to form a triangle and then glue a small trunk to the bottom.
Once your glue has set, secure the yarn with a knot to one of the twigs.
Your toddler or preschooler can now wrap and wind the yarn around the little twig Christmas tree.
This exercise is great for young children to strengthen their fine-motor skills and co-ordination.
Finish by tying the yarn off at the top of the tree and attach a ribbon for hanging your ornament.
You may also like:
10 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids
12 Fine Motor Christmas Ornaments
12 Tree Ornaments that look like Christmas Trees
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
Jeanie
I so enjoy all your ideas, photos, and most of all your adventures with the hooligans. Your Twiggy Trees are adorable and sweet! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
makeitgiveit
these are fantastic – I bet my boys would love making these!
Hannah @ Making Boys Men
These are great! I think I’d get the boys to go on a twig hunt for these and they currently think I’m an awesome mum as I own a glue gun, so this could be the perfect craft for us! I’ve pinned and hope you don’t mind if I share on Facebook later this week. Thanks
Vanessa Barraza Brady
An absolutely lovely project to do with my boys! Thanks for starting early, I need all the time I can get!
Maria
Precioso!! thanks so much for starting so early, I’ll do it with my kids this weekend!!
Clare geraghty
Wow just took a different path with my career now working in Pre school play group love it but needed art & craft inspiration my bosses will love these ideas can’t wait to get started thank you. Do you publish books? Thanks Clare geraghty
happyhooligans
Congratulations on your career move, Clare! You’ve certainly chosen a rewarding one! I’m so glad you’re finding my blog to be inspirational! As for being a published author. I’m afraid not. Not YET anyway. 😉
Sandy
I attempted the stars, and was quite confident everything was glued in place (used hot glue gun) and once I gave them to my 3 yo it lasted less than a minute until it was just twigs and yarn and the shape I can done was lost 🙁 any tips? or should I just leave it till next year?
happyhooligans
I would try using more glue next time. Be generous with it, and you should be good. It’s a High heat glue gun you’re using, right, Sandy? A low-temp glue gun probably wouldn’t hold the sticks together for long.
Cerys
These are so pretty I am going to have to go and collect some more twigs to create these.
happyhooligans
Thanks, Cerys. I know how much you love twig crafts!