Share Anything Holiday-Related DIY Challenge!
Create a holiday-themed handmade ornament from recycled materials; design, decorate, and share your finished ornament with family or friends to spread seasonal cheer.
About this activity
Create a holiday-themed handmade ornament from recycled materials; design, decorate, and share your finished ornament with family or friends to spread seasonal cheer.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather all your Materials Needed and bring them to a clear workspace.
- 2
Step 2
Pick a holiday and decide what ornament shape you want to make.
- 3
Step 3
Draw a simple sketch of your ornament idea on paper with a pencil.
- 4
Step 4
Place your sketch on a piece of recycled cardboard and trace the outline.
- 5
Step 5
Cut out the traced shape from the cardboard using scissors.
- 6
Step 6
Make a small hole near the top of the ornament for hanging.
- 7
Step 7
Color or paint the cardboard base using your coloring materials and let it dry if needed.
- 8
Step 8
Glue on small decorations like buttons beads bottle caps or sequins to decorate your ornament.
- 9
Step 9
Thread string or ribbon through the hole and tie a knot to make a hanger.
- 10
Step 10
Show your finished ornament to family or friends to spread some seasonal cheer.
- 11
Step 11
Share your finished ornament on DIY.org to complete the Share Anything Holiday Related DIY Challenge.
Fun facts
How do I do the Share Anything Holiday-Related DIY Challenge to make a recycled ornament?
To do the Share Anything Holiday-Related DIY Challenge, gather recycled materials and sketch a simple ornament idea. Cut and layer cardboard, bottle caps, fabric, or plastic shapes, then glue or tape pieces together. Decorate with paint, markers, ribbon, or stickers and attach a loop for hanging. Let it dry, photograph the finished ornament, and share it by gifting, video call, or posting to a family group to spread seasonal cheer.
What materials do I need for a recycled holiday ornament DIY challenge?
Materials you'll need: clean recycled items like cardboard, bottle caps, cereal boxes, plastic lids, fabric scraps, old buttons, and yarn. Basic tools include child-safe scissors, glue or glue sticks, tape, string or ribbon, non-toxic paints and markers, and stickers for decoration. For younger children, prepare pre-cut shapes and use school glue; older kids can use hot glue with adult supervision. Substitute materials based on what you have to stay eco-friendly.
What ages is the recycled holiday ornament challenge suitable for?
This craft suits a wide range: ages 3–5 enjoy simple gluing and stickers with close adult help; ages 6–9 can cut shapes, layer materials, and add paint with light supervision; ages 10+ can plan complex designs, sew or use hot glue, and lead sharing activities. Adjust tools and expectations for each child’s skill level. Always supervise sharp tools and hot adhesives, and offer pre-cut options for toddlers.
What are the benefits of making recycled holiday ornaments and how can I vary the challenge?
Making recycled holiday ornaments teaches creativity, resourcefulness, and fine motor skills while promoting environmental responsibility. It builds confidence when children share their work and strengthens family bonds through gifting or displays. For variation, try themed challenges (color-only, natural materials, or cultural ornaments), group ornament exchanges, or a timed mini-challenge. Safety tips: avoid small choking hazards for young kids and supervise hot glue or sharp tools.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can I use instead of recycled cardboard or sequins if I don’t have them?
Substitute a cereal-box panel, cardstock, or an old greeting card for the recycled cardboard base and use punched foil, torn magazine scraps, or sticker dots in place of sequins when gluing decorations in step 7.
My scissors can’t cut the cardboard cleanly and the hole ripped—what should I do?
For thick cardboard, have an adult cut the traced shape in step 4 with a craft knife on a cutting mat and make the hanger hole in step 5 with a hole punch or reinforce a scissors-made hole with tape or a glued-on paper washer before threading the string in step 8.
How can I adapt this ornament project for different ages?
For toddlers, pre-cut the cardboard shapes and let them color and stick large buttons or stickers (steps 3–7) with supervision, for elementary kids encourage tracing their own sketch and using beads or bottle caps (steps 2–7), and for teens add layered pieces, painting details, or a varnish finish and then photograph for DIY.org (steps 3–9).
How can we personalize or make the ornament more special?
Personalize by writing the child’s name and year on the painted cardboard in step 6, adding a small LED tea light or glitter sealant, or turning bottle caps into mini photo frames before gluing them on in step 7 and then share the finished ornament on DIY.org in step 9.