Make Art for the Holidays 

Creating arts and crafts with family this holiday season provides the perfect opportunity for families to bond.

This time of year tends to be busy, so it is especially important to pause for some self-care and time with loved ones. Art-making provides an opportunity to gather together with family and friends, and connect through creativity. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate what we are thankful for — the seasons, the holidays and old and new family traditions — and to create sweet and thoughtful gifts that you can make together as a family and for each other. 

Not only does it bring out the creative side of every family member, but you also get to usher in the holiday spirit with a personal touch and decorations for your home. With so much free time during winter break, holiday-themed crafts for kids are a great way to keep them entertained, as well as teach them important lessons. 

Here are some ideas and inspiration for things you can create alongside your kids, friends and relatives.

1. A lovely keepsake that kids and families enjoy making and utilizing over the holidays are hand-painted cookie/treat plates and holiday mugs. You can simply use enamel paints (which come with baking instructions) on a plain ceramic dish or mug to paint your festive holiday design. These can be cherished and used over the years. They also make fantastic unique gifts.
2. Create a nature collage or nature mandala. Nature is so healing and inspiring. Go on a fun, explorative and peaceful family nature walk together before or after your holiday meal to gather colorful leaves and nature elements to use for your creative crafty activities. These activities can include painting something you saw in nature (like trees and flowers), gluing some elements you found on a canvas/paper, laying out your circular mandala (meditative pattern design), using nature elements such as leaves, branches, flowers, feathers, etc. or making a decorative nature collage. You may also include painting, drawing or writing on your crafty decoration, as well.
3. Make a clay family handprint, mosaics and ornament keepsakes. Clay is always a fun medium for both kids and adults to try, and these creative examples include paint and decorative embellishments, too. Sculpting with clay and mosaic-making are relaxing, meditative, soothing and fun sensory activities. Kids can make a special gift of their handprints painted in clay (air dry clay works great) and while the clay is still wet, they can decorate around the handprints by sticking in gems and mosaic pieces to make a pattern and design. Pets can participate with their paw prints as well. Cookie-cutters can also be used to cut ornament shapes to paint. Poke one or two holes at the top of the handmade ornaments to tie a ribbon into (once it has dried) to hang or gift. Adults, as well as family of all ages, can participate by sculpting a shape they would like to mosaic, such as a leaf, holiday symbol or even a little pinch pot. And there are always plain, ready-made ornaments at local craft stores you can hand-paint and decorate.
4. Make a fun, festive family mural together, collaborative painting on canvas, personalized wrapping paper or a tablecloth for the kids table this year. You may use clear sheet paper roll of any light color — or tape together clear sheets of paper — markers, crayons, paint and stickers. This can be a fun, interactive and collaborative tradition to start by having everyone put their special touch of creativity on any of these choices. Maybe focusing on gratitude, family, a festive winter wonderland scene or holiday symbols, and happy memories.  
5. Create a family vision board. This is one of my favorite activities to do with families toward and in the new year. Come together over the holidays to create this crafty, collaborative collage where you can share family goals and dreams, and create this powerful tool for manifesting, motivation and goal-setting with each other. This beneficial, fun activity can help a family communicate (in a creative, healthy way), stay inspired and build a strong bond. It can include using almost any medium and embellishments you like and that are representative to you and yours (mementos, cutouts, poems, affirmations, paint, markers, decorations, etc.). 

Diana “MissDee” Shabtai, PsyD, ATR-BC, created Art Therapy OC in Newport Beach in 2012.