Prev Next
Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees by Brenda Ponnay for Alphamom.com

Tiny Cardboard Christmas Tree Craft!

By Brenda Ponnay

Just because you’re super busy with the holidays looming doesn’t mean your kids are. They might be looking for something festive to do besides watch YouTube Kids videos and beg you to take them ice skating.  How about an indoor Christmas craft that will keep every one happy for a couple of hours and when you’re done, you have really cute little trees that light up as Christmas decorations?!


Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees (assemble) by Brenda Ponnay for Alphamom.com

Supplies to make Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees

  • cardboard (2×4 inch pieces at least)
  • mason jars (optional)
  • battery operated fairy lights (optional. we used these and these)
  • acrylic craft paint in Christmas colors
  • exacto knife or blade and a self-healing mat or cutting board
  • small pom poms
  • glitter
  • star flake beads or any star-shaped bead
  • hot glue (optional)

How to Make Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees

These trees are really simple to make.

Just cut two triangles that will fit inside your jars. We made ours 2 inches wide and 4 inches tall. The bigger one is two inches wide by 4.5 inches tall.

Here is the important part. Cut a 1/4-inch thick slit up from the bottom to middle on one triangle. Then on the second triangle cut a 1/4-inch thick slit from the top down to the middle. Be careful to make these slits as centered as possible. Then to assemble the cardboard trees, slide your cardboard triangles together into their slits. If they don’t go easily, don’t force them. Just cut your slit slightly larger.

Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees (decorating)

Now it’s time to paint! You can paint the pieces separately or once the tress are assembled, whichever is easiest for you. Before your paint is dry sprinkle it with glitter and add pom-poms for decoration. A handy trick to keep glitter from glittering all over your house is to create what I like to call a “Sprinkle Station.” It’s really just a box that everyone sprinkles their glitter into, keeping the stray glitter somewhat contained to one area (see the picture above).


Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees (adding safe lights)


Tiny Cardboard Christmas Tree Craft in a Mason Jar

Once your paint is dry, you are ready to light your tree! I attached the tree to the battery-operated switch box with hot glue to keep it secure but you could just balance it. (Always be careful when using hot glue. This step should be done by a responsible crafter.) Make sure the switch on the box is easily accessible and then wrap the lights upwards around your tree, kind of like winding up a spool.

Tiny Cardboard Christmas Trees (create night light) by Brenda Ponnay for Alphamom.com

The trees are pretty enough to leave like that but for an extra-special effect you could put them inside mason jars to create cute little Christmas tree night-lights!

Discover More Christmas Crafts on Alphamom:

 

About the Author

Brenda Ponnay

Brenda Ponnay is an author and illustrator who loves to craft and make big messes when she’s not working on her books. Whether it’s painting, baking, drawing, making castles out of card...

Brenda Ponnay is an author and illustrator who loves to craft and make big messes when she’s not working on her books. Whether it’s painting, baking, drawing, making castles out of cardboard boxes or just doing the laundry with flair, Brenda Ponnay has learned that what really makes her happy is being creative every single day.

You can read about all her crazy adventures on her personal blog: Secret Agent Josephine.

icon icon