Christmas artwork inspiration

Welcome to the Art Projects for Schools’ Christmas Card Project. We understand that it can be tricky to continuously think of new artwork ideas for your class to create. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of artwork ideas that will spark your children’s creativity and help increase your fundraising amount. Creating something new really does pay off, as each year we hear back from parents stating that they are more inclined to make a purchase if their child has produced something different than the year before.

Painting ideas

Thumbprints and Footprints

Create Snowmen from children’s footprints. The snowmen could also be created using children’s thumbprints or even by painting a potato white and using it as the body of the snowman.

A classic for a reason. A few white fingerprints stacked in a snowman shape, topped off with a dot for a hat and simple details drawn on in pen once dry, makes for a design that's instantly recognisable and full of personality. No two snowmen ever look the same, which is exactly what makes them special on a card.

Tip: Use white paint on coloured card or dark paper so the snowman stands out.

Handprint Reindeer

A handprint with the fingers spread makes a surprisingly convincing reindeer, palm as the face, thumb as the ear, and fingers as antlers. Add a red pom-pom or dot for the nose and you've got a design parents will recognise as "so their child" instantly, since every handprint is a little different.

Thumbprint Trees

Green thumbprints stacked in a triangle shape, small at the top and wider at the bottom, make an easy and effective Christmas tree. A dot of yellow at the top for a star and a few small coloured dots as baubles finishes it off nicely. This one works well even for the youngest children.

Material crafts

Cotton Wool for Snowmen or Snow Scenes

Use cotton wool pads to create a winter landscape. You can use two cotton pads for the snowy landscape and one for the moon, cutting it to make a crescent shape. Cotton wool pads also make great snowmen or falling snow when torn.

A handprint with the fingers spread makes a surprisingly convincing reindeer, palm as the face, thumb as the ear, and fingers as antlers. Add a red pom-pom or dot for the nose and you've got a design parents will recognise as "so their child" instantly, since every handprint is a little different.

Newspaper Art

Make Angels from folded paper

Create Christmas towns from strips of newspaper. Use Christmas-related articles, songs or magazines to emphasise the Christmas theme. Newspaper cut-outs can also be used to make Angel wings or Santa’s sleigh (rectangular boxes). Create desert scenes or more traditional Christmas scenes by using tea-stains to age the paper.

Coloured Felt

The robin in the picture above has been made from strips of coloured felt cut into circles, one brown and one red, with googly eyes. Please note that while the googly eyes look amazing, once transformed into a card, gift tag or wrapping paper, they won’t move.

Cupcake Cases

Make Angels from folded cupcake cases. Fold 3 coloured cupcake cases and place them one on top of the other to create a dress. Paint on the wings, face and halo. Cut out wings from newspaper and stick them onto the side of the dress; alternatively, use paint for the wings. Alternatively, fold paper into a fan and use it as a dress or wings.

Make baubles out of buttons

Baubles from Buttons

Buttons are great for making bright, eye-catching designs in an instant. They can be transformed into baubles on a Christmas tree, Christmas lights, used as eyes for your Christmas characters or even clothes for the snowman. Get a range of shapes and sizes to add even more character to the design.

Use buttons to make Christmas lights

Looking for non-Christmas Artwork Inspiration?

We also encourage non-Christmas themed cards, recognising that not all children celebrate Christmas. Every year we receive thank you cards, cards celebrating Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid, Winter Solstice, Family portraits, self-portraits and a whole lot more. The purpose of the Card Project is to allow children to create something important to them, whether that’s a snowman with googly eyes or a drawing of their family cat.

1) Drawing of the family pet using different coloured felt and ribbon for collars

2) Holiday locations – cotton wool mountains which can be painted, e.g. buttons for stars

3) Famous landscapes or holy landscapes made from newspaper

4) Thank you cards with cut out hearts

5) Cupcake holders can be stuck on and painted to look like celebration food

Create Diwali inspired flames from foam cut-outs

If you are looking for further ideas, we recommend visiting Art and Design, a website created by Dr Robert Watts from Roehampton University. The website is filled with over a hundred practical art-based projects for teachers to use in the classroom.

We would love to hear your ideas. If you have some ideas you’d like to share with the Christmas Card Project community, please get in touch.

Edited 22/09/26