Egg Carton Christmas Craft for Kids: Make a 3D Santa and Winter Frames

Make this holiday season extra magical with a Christmas craft that’s fun, creative, and good for the planet! This recycled egg carton Christmas craft for kids transforms simple materials into adorable 3D holiday frames featuring Santa, snowmen, woodland animals, and cozy winter scenes.

Each frame is full of festive charm, think a cheerful Santa, a cuddly bear beside a Christmas tree, a jolly snowman, or a sweet woodland deer. Perfect for kindergarten through 4th grade, this project combines holiday art, imaginative play, and hands-on learning.

To make crafting even easier, we’ve created a Christmas Craft Printable Bundle with templates and step-by-step guides, so you can skip the prep and jump right into the fun. Whether you’re a teacher planning a classroom art center or a parent looking for a cozy weekend activity, this Christmas craft for kids is a joyful way to celebrate creativity and sustainability this season.

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Why This Egg Carton Christmas Craft Is Perfect for Kids

This project is so much more than a pretty decoration; it’s packed with learning and skill-building opportunities disguised as holiday fun.

Fine Motor Skills:
Cutting, painting, gluing, and assembling small details help strengthen hand muscles and improve coordination. Each step, from trimming egg carton shapes to adding tiny beads or pom-poms, provides kids with precise, purposeful finger practice.

Eco-Friendly Creativity:
By repurposing egg cartons, kids learn about recycling and sustainability in a hands-on way. It’s a wonderful opportunity to talk about caring for the environment while creating something beautiful.

Imagination and Design:
Kids love the open-ended nature of this craft. They can follow the printable templates or design their own characters, experimenting with color, texture, and layout, a great boost for creative confidence.

Festive Joy and Confidence:
There’s nothing quite like seeing your child’s handmade artwork hanging proudly during the holidays. These frames make perfect keepsakes or classroom displays.

Perfect For

• Christmas crafts for kindergarten through 4th grade
• DIY Christmas cards and gifts
• Holiday classroom art centers
• Homeschool Christmas projects
• December bulletin board crafts
• Christmas parties or playdate fun

You’ll Need

• Recycled egg carton box
• Cardboard
• Colored paper or cardstock
• Cotton pad
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paint, washable or acrylic paint
• Small beads (optional)
• Googly eyes (optional)
• Tiny pom poms (optional)
• Sticks, twigs, or popsicle sticks (optional)

 

Step-by-Step Craft: Make Santa’s 3D Christmas Frame

You can make your own frame from scratch or use one of our ready-to-go printables for a smoother start (available in color and coloring-page versions on Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers).

Here’s how to make the Santa frame featured in our printable bundle.

Step 1: Gather your supplies

Prepare your materials and pick your base. We recommend a cardboard piece around 16 × 19 cm (6 × 7.5 in) as you can see in picture D below.

Step 2: Create egg carton shapes

Cut two triangular pieces from the egg carton (grown-ups should handle this part). Paint one red for Santa’s hat and one green for the Christmas tree. We used acrylic paint for good coverage, but washable kids’ paint works fine as well. Let the paint dry, then proceed to the next step. See pictures A, B, and C above for reference.

 

Step 3: Build Santa’s body

Cut a half circle from red paper or paint one directly onto your cardboard. Glue it to the bottom right corner, this will be Santa’s body. See image D above.

Step 4: Add Santa’s fluffy beard

Separate a cotton pad into two fluffy halves and glue one just above Santa’s body to form his beard. See image E for reference.

Step 5: Make Santa’s face

Cut a small circle from beige or peach-colored paper for Santa’s face. Add googly eyes and a pink pom pom for the nose. See image F for inspiration.

Step 6: Add Santa’s hat

Glue the red egg carton triangle on top of Santa’s face. Add a white pom pom to the tip for that classic Santa look. See image G above.

Step 7: Create the Christmas tree

Use the green egg carton triangle for the tree and a small egg cup piece for the pot. Paint the pot white and glue it under the tree. Use a twig as the trunk for a natural touch. See images H and I above for reference.

Step 8: Frame and decorate

Glue two straight sticks, one on the top and one on the bottom, to make your art look like a hanging scroll. Decorate your tree with colorful small colored beads or tiny pom-poms and top it with a star or a button. See images K and L above for inspiration.

Step 9: Add snowy details

Use white paint or a paint marker to add snowflakes to the background. It’s the little touches that make it magical. See images M and N below for reference.

Step 10: Add a hanger

Attach twine, yarn, or ribbon at the top. Thread a few wooden beads for an extra festive flair, and your 3D Santa Frame is ready to display or gift. See picture N above for a way to hang your upcycled Santa frame! Picture O above shows you two of our printable templates.

Printable Craft Bundle: Ready-to-Go Fun

Want even more festive fun without the prep? Our Printable Christmas Craft Bundle includes four adorable 3D winter frame designs. Just print, cut, and create, perfect for home, school, or art centers.

The Bundle Includes

1. Bear with Christmas Tree:  cozy and cute

2. Santa with Tree:  classic and cheerful

3. Snowman with Christmas Tree:  snowy and bright

4. Woodland Bear and Deer:  rustic winter wonderland

Each printable comes in color and black-and-white versions, so kids can either color their own or jump straight into crafting. The set also includesstep-by-step instructions and blank frames for kids to design their own creations. You can get the egg carton templates in our printable Etsy shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.

For the printable bundle, you´ll need

• Scissors, glue, and paint
• Recycled egg carton pieces
• Crayons or colored pencils (for the coloring-page versions)

 

Why You’ll Love It

This craft isn’t just cute, it’s meaningful. Kids practice cutting, painting, gluing, and sequencing skills, all while learning about recycling and sustainability. The result is a beautiful, personal keepsake that makes the season extra special.

It’s also a great project for teachers who want a low-prep, high-impact holiday craft or parents who want screen-free, creative fun during December.

So grab your egg cartons, glue, and a sprinkle of holiday magic, and let’s make art that’s good for the planet and full of Christmas cheer.

Find the full Printable Bundle on Etsy or Teachers Pay Teachers to get started today.

More Christmas Craft Fun

Looking for more inspiration? Try these festive favorites next:

• Easy Pipe Cleaner Christmas Tree Ornament: colorful and quick!
• Paper Angel Craft for Kids: They make a perfect handmade gift!
• 29 Easy Christmas Crafts for Kids: the ultimate list of creative holiday fun for kids.

 

BIG Christmas Craft Printable Bundle

BIG Christmas Craft Printable Bundle: packed with fun Christmas and winter crafts, each craft comes in color and coloring page templates. This bundle of low-prep projects is perfect for both the classroom and home, helping spark imagination and joyful learning all season long. Find it now on Teachers Pay Teachers or in our Etsy craft printables shop. See graphic below for included printables!

 

 

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