Holiday Card Holders

Let your child turn all those festive holiday cards from family and friends into a beautiful hanging display.

FamilyEducation Editorial Staff

Updated: December 1, 2022

Holiday Card Holders

Age: Preschool through elementary
Time: 30 minutes or more
Type of activity: Arts and Crafts

Materials needed:
· 30-40 clothespins (wooden variety)
· Tempera paints (colors of your holiday)
· 3 yards of gold, silver, or brightly colored cord
· Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanza cards
· Old newspaper
· Paint brushes
· Art smock
· Bowl of water

What to do:

Step One: Spread out newspapers, tempera paints, brushes, and bowl of water on your work surface. Paint both sides of the clothespins the colors of your holiday season (green and red for Christmas, gold and blue for Hanukkah, etc.).

Step Two: When the clothespins are dry, thread the colorful cord through the hole in each clothespin. Make sure all the clothespins are facing the same direction. Help your child figure out a pattern for their card holder (for example, one red, then one green, etc.).

Step Three: Spread the clothespins about 2-3 inches apart along the cord. Then, hang your card holder on your mantel (with a few finishing nails or pushpins), or over an inside doorway. Clothespins should face down.

Step Four: Hang holiday cards from each clothespin. Help your child figure out which ones look best next to each other.