Santa gets all the credit for making the holiday season magical, but parents all over the world are working hard more than one night a year to make everything special. (FYI, not sure how to answer, "Is Santa Claus real?" from your children? We've got you covered!) From wrapping presents, to trimming the tree, to rigging up the lights, you’re putting in some serious overtime!
Keeping that in mind, we don’t want to add one more thing to your list, but since you’re already in the seasonal spirit, you might have some fun creating this piece of holiday decor with your kids. A Christmas centerpiece!
Making centerpieces with children
All of these centerpieces use greenery or natural objects including evergreen branches, pinecones, and holly berries, that your children can help look for on a walk in the backyard or on a trail. Just make sure they are picking the stuff that’s already fallen so your Christmas decor hunt is Earth friendly!
Older children can also help with the floral wire as you put together your centerpiece or help put the greenery into jars if you’d rather keep them away from sharp objects. Choose from one of the options below and pick a centerpiece that fits your table, your skills, and the level at which you trust your children to participate!
1. Wreath centerpiece
You could make your own wreath for a centerpiece, or you could make this a little easier on yourself with a store bought wreath, ribbon, ornaments, and flocking spray.
What’s flocking spray you say? It’s like spray paint that looks like snow. You learn something new every day! Check out this tutorial to make your own.
2. Box centerpiece
Get ready to upcycle what you already have for this stunning centerpiece. Ask your children to pick some cans out of the recycling bin and make sure they are washed out. In the meantime, look for a wooden box in your house, or make a quick trip to the hobby store for an inexpensive one.
Don’t worry about the cans being pretty - you won’t see them. The cans act as holders for the evergreen clippings that will hang over the edge of the box. Check out the tutorial here.
3. Colander centerpiece
This idea for a centerpiece is brilliant and easy on the wallet!
Grab a colander from your kitchen and flip it upside down so the base is facing up. String the floral wire through it to tie on the greenery and cover the colander completely. Leave space at the top to place a small saucer on the base of the colander and that will serve as the perfect spot for a candle. You’ll be impressed by how pretty this turns out!
4. Tiered tray centerpiece
If you already have a tiered tray at home for all of your fancy tea sandwich parties, please invite us all over because your house sounds lovely. Also, you can put that tray to use as a centerpiece!
Fill with ornaments that your children can help pick out at the dollar store, or go green with evergreen clippings, pine cones, and berries. As always, candles add a little oomph! Pinterest is full of inspiration to make your centerpiece beautiful and one of a kind.
5. Mason jar centerpiece
Is there anything Mason Jars aren’t good at? A few Mason Jars filled with greenery, berries, and pine cones and you have a simple centerpiece that your children can do almost all on their own. Add in some small battery operated candles to kick this up a notch and you’ll be feeling all kinds of holiday fancy without worrying a child is going to singe their little fingers.
A good rule of thumb with multi-part centerpieces like this is to go with sets of 3 or 5 objects, so 3 jars and five little candles could do quite nicely. Watch out, Martha Stewart! Your family is coming to town!
Looking for more fun holiday crafts, Christmas crafts, and Christmas activities for kids? Check out our guides. You can also head to the Sawyer marketplace to explore hundreds of holiday-themed online and in-person classes and activities your children will love!
