Paper Strip Christmas Tree Craft for Preschool
This fun paper strip Christmas tree craft uses different shades of green construction paper to create a fun Holiday tree that is also perfect for learning early measuring skills.
For this simple craft, you will need different shades of green construction paper, stickers and/or markers, and glitter glue. You may also want a small piece of yellow construction paper as well.
This beautiful Christmas craft makes the perfect holiday decoration for the home once completed. For more fun construction paper Christmas crafts that make great holiday decorations be sure to also check out this paper ornament craft.
Tips for Success
- This craft makes the perfect measuring and early math skills craft for young children. It works on the skills of shortest to longest. You can prep your paper strip pieces in multiple ways depending on the age of the children you are working with.
- If creating this craft with older children (around 1st grade and up) you can have children use a ruler or object like counting cubes to measure each strip of paper before cutting them to the necessary length. Each strip can be 1/2 inch to an inch shorter than the one before it.
- If creating the craft with younger children (around kindergarten age) you can cut out tons of paper strips of all different lengths, sizes, and colors and let children choose which ones they want. They can lay them all out in order from longest to shortest and glue them down when they have the desired look for their tree.
- In even younger children (preschool and toddlers) you can prep the colors, sizes and lengths that they will need and direct them to find the longest one to glue down first towards the bottom. Then one paper strip at a time you can have them glue their next ones together.
- For this craft, you will need to use multiple shades of green construction paper. You can also add in some pinks or reds to make your Christmas tree more abstract. For a more original Christmas tree, you can also just use one shade of green for the whole tree.
- When finished with your Christmas tree shape you can decorate it with any embellishments of choice. We used circular-shaped stickers, a yellow piece of construction paper for a star (or a star sticker), and glitter glue. Some other fun ideas for decorating trees are foam stickers, markers or coloring utensils, glitter, and more.
Paper Strip Christmas Tree Craft Directions
Materials:
- Different shades of green construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Construction paper for background
- Small stickers
- Markers
- Glitter glue
- Additional embellishments of choice
Directions:
- Cut out paper strips from green paper. Cut each paper strip to be about 1″ wide. Cut the paper strips so that the longest one is about 7″ and each additional paper strip is shorter than the one before it. How many total paper strips you cut depends on how tall you would like your tree to be.
- Glue down a very short strip of paper (either brown or dark green) to the bottom of your construction paper background piece for the tree trunk.
- Glue your longest paper strip horizontally right above the tree trunk to start your tree.
- Glue the next longest paper strip right above the first paper strip. You can choose to lay them down straight above the next one of put it slightly at a diagonal and a little overlapping to give your tree more texture.
- Continue this process with your paper strips gluing each shorter paper strip above the next one until you reach the top.
- The last paper strip will only be about an inch long.
- Add a star to the top of your tree either with construction paper or a sticker.
- Add on sticker ornaments or draw them on with a marker.
- Take glitter glue and starting at the bottom do squiggly lines back and forth all the way to the top of the tree to make the tinsel.
- Let your finished trees dry and hang them up in a fun spot to show off your work.
More Fun Christmas Tree Crafts
Christmas tree crafts are fun and easy to make. They always turn out perfect for the holidays. For a few additional Christmas tree craft options check out some of our favorites below:
- Paper Plate Christmas Trees – Cut a green painted paper plate in a spiral shape to create a fun Christmas tree craft that also pairs as an ornament if desired.
- Build a Christmas tree craft – Use a Christmas tree template and fun building materials such as ribbon, glitter, stickers, and more to create a fun invitation to create or station for young children to make beautiful trees of choice.
