Recycled Standing Christmas Trees Craft

I saw this idea on another crafty blog using markers and stickers. We decided to make cardboard trees using paint and all sorts of beads and buttons. This is a really simple and relatively quick craft to make, and with all of the Christmas packages arriving in the mail, there is a steady supply of available cardboard.

First cut out triangles and tree shapes from cardboard boxes (kitchen shears work the best). Have the kids paint the shapes green.


Let dry (this only takes a few minutes). Set out little piles of beads, pom pom, buttons, wooden shapes or whatever crafty little items you have on hand. Give each child a bottle of glue and let them go to work!


I find with younger kids it is sometimes easier to help put the glue on and then let them decorate.


This craft is great for tiny little hands as well - just use a lot of glue!


In the sample I looked at, they used close-pins clipped to the bottom to make the trees stand. This did not work for us at all - maybe my clothe-pins were too cheap? Who knows. We wanted the trees to stand up though, so I hot glues two clothes-pins together on the back of each tree to use as a stand. Adorable!