Christmas Ornament Crafts: Popsicle Stick, Plate & Tube

Three cheap materials make a full tree of handmade ornaments: popsicle sticks, paper plates and cardboard tubes. Each is flat or light enough to hang, easy to paint and inexpensive. This page gives nine projects across the three, each with a short supply list and numbered steps, plus a safety section on small parts, craft labels and one decoration that is genuinely risky around dogs. It is written for school-age kids and the adults helping them. If the crafter is a three- or four-year-old, our guide for three- and four-year-olds is the better fit.

Popsicle sticks, glue, green paint, scissors and paper shapes laid out for an ornament craft

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Before you start

Start with the label. The CPSC says the term “non-toxic” is not defined by regulation, and that the wording to look for on art supplies is a statement such as “Conforms to ASTM D-4236.” CPSC’s art-materials FAQ lists that and two close variants. So when you pick paint and glue, look for that conformance statement on the label.

Small parts are the next check. The CPSC’s small-parts ban covers products intended for children under three, and it defines a small part as anything that fits completely into its small parts cylinder. That rule governs manufactured products, not a craft you assemble, so it does not certify anything you make. Used as a rule of thumb, though, it is a good test for what you glue on: googly eyes, buttons, pom-poms and beads are common examples. If a toddler or baby will be in the room while you craft, keep those loose pieces out of reach. The CPSC’s 2026 holiday safety release gives the same advice for toys: keep toys with small parts away from children younger than three.

Pets get their own paragraph, because there is one popular Christmas craft this page deliberately leaves out: salt dough. The ASPCA warns in its holiday crafts safety article that salt dough ornaments can easily be confused for a salty dog treat, that any salt dough should be kept out of reach of pets even when the projects are years old, and that if a pet eats it, even a small amount could be dangerous. The Pet Poison Helpline says as few as 1-2 ornaments could make a dog very sick, and that the baked ornaments can be very difficult to pass, causing pain or obstruction. Every project below uses wood, paper and cardboard instead.

Popsicle stick ornaments

Craft sticks are the most forgiving material here: they glue flat, paint well and make clean geometric shapes. Use white craft glue and let each joint dry before the next step; a stick that slides is almost always a glue joint that was moved too soon.

Popsicle stick snowflake

Supplies: 3 popsicle sticks, white craft glue, white paint and a brush, thin ribbon or yarn, scissors.

Lay one stick flat. Glue a second across its middle at an angle, then a third across the middle of both so the three cross like an asterisk with six arms.
Let the glue dry fully, then paint the front white. Turn the snowflake over once dry and paint the back too.
Tie a loop of ribbon through the gap between two arms, or glue the ends of the loop to the back of one arm, and let it dry before hanging.

To dress it up, dab dots of silver or gold paint along each arm with a cotton swab.

Popsicle stick Christmas tree

Supplies: 3 popsicle sticks, green paint, 1 more stick for the trunk, glue, a few paper shapes in red, yellow and white, ribbon.

Make a triangle: overlap the ends of three sticks at the corners and glue them. Let the triangle dry.
Paint the triangle green. Paint the trunk stick brown, or leave it natural.
Glue the trunk stick so it sticks out from the middle of the bottom edge, pointing down.
Cut small circles or stars from colored paper and glue them inside and around the triangle as lights and baubles. Glue a loop of ribbon to the back of the top corner.

The triangle is open in the middle on purpose. It lets the tree light show through when it hangs on a window or a branch.

Popsicle stick picture frame

Supplies: 4 popsicle sticks, glue, paint or markers, a small photo or drawing, tape, ribbon.

Build a square: lay two sticks parallel, then glue two more across the ends so the corners overlap. Let it dry.
Paint or draw patterns on the frame. Stripes in red and white make a candy-cane look.
Cut a photo or drawing slightly larger than the opening. Tape it to the back, then tape a ribbon loop over the top edge on the back.

This is the one stick project that doubles as a keepsake: write the year on the back of the photo before you tape it in.

Paper plate ornaments

A paper plate gives you a large, flat circle that takes paint, markers and torn paper. Keep a hole punch handy for the hanging holes. The plate wreath is the one most people search for by name, and it is the most forgiving of the three.

Paper plate Christmas wreath

Supplies: 1 paper plate, scissors, green paint or green paper, glue, red paper or red paint for berries, ribbon, a hole punch.

Cut out the middle of the plate, leaving the rim as a ring. A grown-up can start the cut with a pair of scissors; after that most school-age kids can follow the curve.
Paint the ring green, or tear green paper into small pieces and glue them over the ring, overlapping so none of the plate shows.
Add berries: dab red paint in clusters with a fingertip, or glue on small red paper circles.
Cut a bow from ribbon or paper and glue it at the bottom. Punch a hole near the top and thread ribbon through.

Paper plate snowman

Supplies: 1 paper plate, white paint, black and orange paper, a scrap of fabric or paper strip for a scarf, markers, glue, hole punch, ribbon.

Paint the plate white and let it dry.
Cut a top hat from black paper and glue it to the top rim.
Draw two eyes and a smile with a black marker, or glue on cut paper circles. Cut a small orange triangle for the nose.
Glue a strip of fabric or colored paper across the bottom as a scarf. Punch a hole in the hat, thread ribbon through, and tie it.

Paper plate star

Supplies: 1 paper plate, pencil, scissors, yellow or gold paint, hole punch, ribbon.

Draw a five-pointed star on the back of the plate, filling the circle as much as you can, and cut it out.
Paint the front and let it dry, then turn it over and paint the back.
Punch a hole in one point and tie on ribbon to hang.

Draw a few lines of glue in a swirl and press on torn tissue paper for a stained-glass effect if you want the star to look busier.

Christmas tree with simple handmade ornaments hung on the upper branches

Cardboard tube ornaments

Bathroom tissue and paper-towel tubes are among the cheapest craft materials in the house, and they can be sliced into rings, flattened or painted whole. Flatten a tube with your palm, or cut it open and join the ends, to change its shape. Cutting cardboard rings takes a firm hand, so this is the material where a grown-up should do the cutting. Our longer guide to Easy Craft Ideas From Toilet Paper Rolls: Transforming Cardboard Tubes has more ideas, including a Christmas section; the three here are the simplest to hang.

Cardboard tube ring wreath

Supplies: 1 cardboard tube, scissors, green and red paint, glue, ribbon.

Cut the tube into rings about as wide as your thumb, six or seven of them. An adult should do the cutting.
Paint the rings green on the outside edge and let them dry.
Glue the rings together side by side, edge to edge, in a circle so they form a flower-like wreath. Hold each joint for a minute while it sets.
Paint small red dots in the gaps as berries and tie a ribbon through one ring to hang.

Cardboard tube snowman

Supplies: 1 tube cut to about 3 inches (an adult cuts), white paint, black marker, orange paper, glue, hole punch, ribbon.

Paint the tube white, inside and out, and let it dry.
Draw coal eyes and a smile in black marker. Glue on a small orange paper triangle for a nose.
Punch two holes opposite each other near the top, thread ribbon through both, and knot it. The ribbon can also be a scarf if you tie it around the tube.

Cardboard tube Christmas tree

Supplies: 1 tube, green paint or green paper, scissors, glue, a star cut from paper, ribbon.

Cut the tube open along its length so it unrolls into a flat rectangle. Cut it into a triangle.
Paint or cover the triangle in green, then add paper-circle baubles.
Glue a paper star at the top and a loop of ribbon at the back.

Hang it by the ribbon loop, or tuck it into a branch.

Templates and where to find them

None of these projects need a template, because every shape is a circle, triangle or a star you can draw freehand. If you want cut-out snowman or snowflake patterns, use paper, a pencil and scissors to trace your own: fold a square of paper in half into a triangle, fold it in half again, cut notches from the folded edges, and unfold for a paper snowflake.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you make a popsicle stick Christmas tree?

Glue three popsicle sticks into a triangle, overlapping the ends at each corner, and let it dry. Paint the triangle green, glue a fourth stick below the bottom edge as a trunk, decorate with paper circles and stars, and glue a ribbon loop to the back of the top corner. The full steps are above. If the tree will be near a child under three, keep loose decorations such as buttons and pom-poms off it, since the CPSC’s small-parts ban covers products for children under three and a part is small if it fits entirely inside its small parts cylinder.

What Christmas crafts can you make with toilet paper rolls?

You can cut a tube into rings and glue them into a wreath, paint a short section white for a snowman, or cut the tube flat into a tree. These three are written out above, and the toilet paper roll guide has more. If any decorations are for children under three, leave off small pieces such as buttons and pom-poms.

How do you make a paper plate Christmas wreath?

Cut the center out of a paper plate so the rim is a ring, then paint it green or glue overlapping pieces of green paper over it. Add red berries with fingertip dabs of paint or paper circles, glue on a bow, and punch a hole near the top for a ribbon to hang it.

Where can I find a Christmas craft template?

You do not need one for these projects, since every shape is a circle, a triangle or a star you can draw freehand. For a snowflake, fold a square of paper in half into a triangle, fold it in half again, cut notches along the edges, and unfold it.

What can you make with popsicle sticks for Christmas?

The three popsicle stick ornaments on this page are a six-armed snowflake from three crossed sticks, a triangle Christmas tree, and a square picture frame from four sticks. Each takes about three steps once the glue has dried.

Is it safe to make salt dough ornaments if I have a dog?

The ASPCA says salt dough ornaments can be confused for a salty dog treat, that all salt dough should be kept out of reach of pets even when it is years old, and that even a small amount eaten could be dangerous. Pet Poison Helpline says as few as 1-2 ornaments could make a dog very sick. If you have a dog, the projects on this page use wood, paper and cardboard instead.

Does “non-toxic” on a paint label mean it is safe for kids?

Not by itself. The CPSC says “non-toxic” is not defined by regulation, and that the wording to look for on art supplies is a statement such as “Conforms to ASTM D-4236.”

Christmas Ornament Crafts From Popsicle Sticks, Paper Plates, and Cardboard Tubes

Before you start