Christmas Card Paper Dyeing: Holiday Paper Crafts for Kids

Kids can dye their own Christmas card and holiday decoration paper with this easy and cheap holiday craft idea. The resulting paper will be festive, and useful for making Christmas cards and other homemade holiday decorations.

Materials for the Christmas Craft

watercolor paper
food coloring

Supplies for the Christmas Craft

one to five toss-able pie pans or one large bowl
one large wooden spoon (optional)

Age Appropriateness for this Christmas Craft

This is an all-ages craft, as long as there is adult supervision. Even toddlers can have fun with this craft, when they are helped along through the process. Preschoolers and school-age children can also do this craft. Middle schoolers and high schoolers can use this craft to make sophisticated and organic designs for their Christmas cards, holiday cards, and homemade holiday decorations.

Adults who like to make homemade Christmas cards and enjoy paper crafts can also use this holiday craft idea.

Preparation for the Holiday Kids Craft

The first step in preparation is to prepare the paper. You could use full sheets of watercolor paper, and cut and tear them later.

Or pre-cut the watercolor paper into greeting card shapes before you it.

The other option is to tear it into different shapes. The torn edges will pick up different saturation levels of the dye, making for some unique color designs. The torn and dyed shapes can be collaged into a card.

Next, pour some water into each tin pan, just enough to cover the bottom. Toddlers and kids can help with this part.

The next step is to add the food coloring to the water. When making this holiday craft with toddlers and preschoolers, do not let them squeeze the little bottles of food coloring, unless you want a yellow or green counter top or wall.

Make all of the colors in the box, dropping one color into each tin. Or, combine two or more colors and mix your own. Experiment with adding different amounts to each dye bath.

Parent's Tip: If you don't like the color, just start over.

For older kids, let them add the dye after the paper is in the pan.

Parent's Tip: Make sure you have enough paper prepared and stacked in a pile for this Christmas craft. Once kids get going, they want to experiment with the colors and the color levels.

The Dyeing Process

Show the kids how to place the paper in the dye bath. Large pieces can be placed flat, and then pushed down until they are saturated. Older kids can then pull out the paper and add pure food coloring to make fun spin art like designs.

Or, take one piece of paper from one dye bath and let kids put it in another color. The resulting colors from any of these paper dyeing techniques will create original designs for unique holiday decorations and Christmas cards.

Drying the Christmas Card Paper

The Christmas card paper will need to be hung up to dry, which can also result in interesting "drip" designs.

Or let it rest between pieces of paper towels to dry.

Use the dry paper to make Christmas cards, or homemade holiday decorations.

Parent's Tip: Although you are using food coloring, the dye is diluted in water, and will easily wash off with soap and water.