Looking for baby Christmas crafts that a tiny person can join in with? When my twins hit their first Christmas, most “easy” ideas assumed a child who could hold a glue stick – without eating it!
So I went hunting for Christmas crafts and activities for babies that work with what tiny tots do best: squishing, grabbing, kicking and staring at anything that sparkles.
The result is this list of infant Christmas crafts and festive play ideas. There are salt dough ornaments and simple handprint craft. Those squidgy little hands grow so fast, it’s worth capturing them while you can.
They make great keepsakes or gifts for the grandparents and other special people in their lives.
Plus a whole section of mess-free sensory play for when you’d rather skip the craft supplies altogether, and set-up a fun Christmas activity for your baby that you can come back to time and time again.
Got older siblings to entertain too? Try one of these toddler Christmas crafts, festive activities for little ones or one of these cute homemade ornaments for the tree.
Christmas Cards & Christmas Art for Babies
First up, adorable Christmas art for babies that’s perfect for framing, sticking on the fridge or posting to family. A mix of handprint and footprint ideas plus a few mess-free painting projects.
Footprint Christmas Tree Card
A green footprint, turned upside down, makes a surprisingly convincing Christmas tree.
The clever bit? You cut the footprint out to finish the card, so any smudged attempts go straight in the bin. Add a few gems for baubles and it’s done.
Idea from Messy Little Monster
Baby’s First Christmas Tree Craft
Let baby loose with a little green paint, then cut their masterpiece into a Christmas tree shape using a template.
Add a photo and a gold message and it’s a sweet baby’s first Christmas craft to send to loved ones.
Idea from Messy Little Monster
Painted Handprint Santa
Turn your baby’s handprint into Santa with the help of red and white paint: the heel of the hand becomes Santa’s hat, fingers for the beard.
Allow to dry, cut out, then add eyes and nose. Not forgetting your baby’s name and the date.
Baby wipes at the ready!
Idea from A Little Pinch of Perfect
Mistletoes Footprint Craft
Two little green footprints plus a red ribbon or two equals “mistle-toes”. A well-known footprint craft for babies and for very good reason.
A lovely first Christmas craft for baby that works as a card, a gift tag or even an ornament.
Idea from Mimosas & Motherhood
FREE Printable Christmas Handprint & Footprint Templates
If you’d like a head start, our own free printable pack has 12 festive designs ready to go. Think handprint wreaths, a red robin, cheeky elves, a footprint snowman and more.
Just print, add baby’s prints and you’ve got an instant baby Christmas craft for grandparents.
Grab the free Christmas handprint & footprint templates here
Mess-Free Christmas Shape Painting
Pop a cardstock tree or stocking shape inside a ziplock bag with some paint, then let your baby smoosh away. Take the shape out after a minute or two and you’re left with a colorful piece of Christmas art to keep. Or not!
Santa Handprint Craft (Free Template)
Here’s a baby Christmas art project to do with older siblings as well – your baby is simply donating their handprint! Cut this out and turn it Santa’s fluffy white beard.
Click the link below for the free template.
Salt Dough & Clay Ornaments for Baby’s First Christmas
These first Christmas crafts for baby are the ones you’ll unwrap every December and go “awww”. Tiny hands and feet, pressed into salt dough or clay and hung on the tree for years to come.
Want even more ideas? We have a whole round up of salt dough Christmas ornaments to try.
Thumbprint Rudolf Ornament
All baby needs to supply is one thumbprint. You draw on the antlers, eyes and mouth.
Less potential mess with just a thumb to paint!
Clay Fingerprint Ornaments
Cut shapes from clay with cookie cutters, press in a fingerprint or two, then stamp on baby’s name and the year.
Simple, but such a lovely DIY baby Christmas craft to hang on the tree or give to family as gifts.
Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments
The classic. Roll out salt dough, press in baby’s handprint, then bake and paint.
Best for the little hands, since the whole handprint has to fit neatly on one ornament.
Idea from The Best Ideas for Kids
Handprint Christmas Tree Ornament
Baby’s handprint, painted green and turned upside down, becomes a little tree on a clear plastic bauble.
Stuff cotton wool inside when dry, then add your baby’s name and date on the back and you have a simple decoration to hang on the tree every year.
Idea from A Little Pinch of Perfect
Santa Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments
Salt dough handprints painted as Santa, with the fingers making his beard. A cheerful Christmas craft that’ll look great hung with other Santa handprint ornaments from other kids in the family.
Idea from Messy Little Monster
Footprint Reindeer Salt Dough Keepsake
Turn your baby’s footprint into a reindeer, with salt dough, paint and pine needles for antlers! It may be a bit big and heavy to hang, but it’ll makes a lovely mantelpiece decoration instead.
Salt Dough Footprint Mistletoe
The mistletoe idea again, this time in salt dough. A gorgeous little keepsake for the tree, especially for a first Christmas.
Baby’s First Christmas Handprint Ornament
Here’s another gorgeous keepsake and craft perfect for baby’s first Christmas. A handprint or footprint plus your baby’s name, and you’ve got an ornament grandparents will cherish forever.
Reindeer Handprint Ornament
A brown handprint turned into a reindeer, fingers as antlers and a pom pom nose. Easy to do in a batch, so you why not get your Christmas gifts done early and make enough for every relative!
Idea from A Little Pinch of Perfect
Photo Crafts & Baby Christmas Crafts for Grandparents & Loved Ones
Struggling with what to give family this year? These baby Christmas crafts for grandparents double as gifts. Some include a photo, others are everyday items personalized with baby’s prints.
Cardboard Tube Photo Christmas Tree
A little cardboard tube tree, with baby’s photo sitting on top as the star. Older siblings can help decorate while baby supervises. That’s the dream!
Handprint Apron for Mom
A plain apron plus baby’s handprints makes a gift that’ll get used all year long.
Turn the prints into reindeer or holly leaves for a festive twist.
Fingerprint Daddy & Me Mug
Tiny fingerprints on a mug, ready for Dad’s Christmas morning coffee.
If you want to make a personalised mug with your baby with a seasonal touch, why not try the Rudolf thumbprint idea above or one of the others.
Fingerprint Reindeer Coaster
Little fingerprint reindeer on a coaster: practical, festive and used year after year.
Make a set and you’ve sorted gifts for several people in one go.
Handprint Grill Apron
Another apron idea, this time for whoever’s in charge of the Christmas dinner (or the barbecue).
Christmas Activities and Sensory Play for Babies
Last but definitely not least, infant sensory play. These baby Christmas activities are mostly mess-free and baby-safe, and my twins have enjoyed these time and time again.
There are plenty more ideas in our round up of Christmas sensory bins once baby is a little older.
Mess-Free Christmas Tree Painting
Draw a tree on a large freezer bag, add blobs of green, red and white paint, then seal it and tape it down. It’s one of the easiest Christmas activities for infants on this list—and a great way to let little hands get busy without the mess getting everywhere.
Idea from Happy Toddler Playtime
Washi Tape Christmas Fridge Tree
This one is suitable for older babies that have started walking or bum shuffling! Good pincer grip practice to grab a magnet and place it on the fridge, hopefully within the outline of the Christmas tree you’ve taped on.
Melted Snowman Sensory Bag
Buttons, a felt carrot nose and some white gel in a sealed bag make a melted snowman for baby to squish and play with.
Or keep it even simpler: just fill a ziplock with shaving cream for a fake snow sensory bag.
Grinch Heart Sensory Bag
Green gel and red foam hearts in a bag, inspired by the Grinch’s heart that grew three sizes.
Babies will simply enjoy pushing the hearts around as will any older siblings!
Christmas Squishy Bags
Aloe vera or clear hair gel plus small Christmas bits, like jingle bells and sequins, in a ziplock bag. Seal well with tape and it’s a portable Christmas sensory activity for babies and toddlers you can take anywhere.
Christmas Water Sensory Bin
Large plastic baubles floating in a tray of water with a liberal sprinkle of glitter. Let your baby splash and grab. Or take it to bathtime and save yourself the mopping!
Idea from Little Bins for Little Hands
Red & Green Textures Sensory Bin
Pompoms, shredded paper, feathers, ribbons and foam shapes, all in red and green.
My little girl twin, just over one, spent ages pulling everything out and stuffing it back in. Mostly back onto the floor, but it was easy to tidy up.
Giant Christmas Lights Sensory Bottle
Battery-operated fairy lights on a slow glow setting, sealed inside a large plastic tub. Baby can get as close as they like, roll it and rattle it, all perfectly safely.
Christmas Sensory Bottle for Babies
Jingle bells, pompoms, pipe cleaners and colored rice in an empty plastic bottle. Don’t overfill it, so everything can tumble and jingle as baby rolls it around.
Christmas Sensory Bottles
Here are some more festive sensory bottles for baby to explore—choose from colorful beads, jingle bells, or green glitter. Remember to seal the bottle tightly, then let baby shake, roll, and listen to the different sounds and watch the materials move.
Idea from Fireflies and Mud Pies
Christmas Present Sensory Tray
Fill a tray with wrapping paper, gift bows, ribbons and boxes of different sizes. Let’s be honest, babies love the wrapping more than the presents anyway!
Have Fun With These Baby Christmas Crafts & Activities!
Whether you’re after baby holiday crafts to keep forever or just something to fill a December afternoon, I hope you found a few favorites here.
Don’t stress about perfect prints. The smudged ones are often the ones you treasure most.
Looking for more festive ideas? Take a look at these:
