Someday I'll have a beautiful tree, perfectly curated with glass ornaments, tinsel and delicate figurines. But I know my mind will wander right back here, to 2026, when my kids were little and everything was fun, colorful and perfectly imperfect.
Christmas is simply the most magical time of the year for little ones. I want to spend this season creating that magic for my kids, not worrying about ornaments shattering on the floor. That's just the season of life we're in, and I'm embracing it.
This morning I stopped by World Market just to browse and came across the most adorable felt ornaments. They got me so excited to decorate this year. With a 4-year-old and an 18-month-old, nothing in our house is safe, so kid-safe Christmas ornaments felt like the perfect place to start curating a fun, safe and playful Christmas.
Here are some style of ornaments that are toddler-safe that i’ll be decorating with this year:
1. Felt & Knit Ornaments
2. Unbreakable Garlands: Paper, Felt, Beads, Paper Stars
3. Ribbon
4. DIY Craft Ornaments
Shop all my kid-friendly favorites
DIY Christmas Ornaments to Make With Kids This Year
Part of making Christmas playful again is making things together. These are the ornament crafts on my list to try this season. I found most of them on Pinterest, so I'm linking back to the creators who came up with them.
1.Salt Dough Handprint Ornaments
A classic keepsake. Mix flour, salt and water, press in a little handprint, bake and paint.
Kids Face Paper Ornaments
Grab a few of this year’s photos, cut out your kids’ faces, and pop them onto paper stars, trees or snowmen. Add their name and the year on the back for an instant keepsake.
Yarn Wrapped Letters & Candycanes
Grab some cardboard and a few balls of yarn. Little ones can wrap their first initial or alternate red and white yarn on a candy cane shape for a cozy, handmade look that’s safe on the lower branches.
Popsicle Stick & Pipe Cleaner Ornaments
A craft-cabinet classic. Popsicle sticks make the shape, pipe cleaners add the color and texture, and kids can twist and bend them however they like. No wrong answers here.
Paper Chain Garland & Ribbons
Cut strips of colored paper, loop them together, and let the kids drape their chain right on the tree. Tie on a few ribbon bows to finish the look. Nothing breakable, and they’ll be so proud of it. I also seen this DIY button garland that I thought was so cute!
Let's Make It Fun and Magical
Someday the glass ornaments will come out and my decorations will be Pinerest-perfet. For now, I'm soaking up the felt, the tiny fingerprints and the crooked garland. With a few kid-safe ornaments and some messy, happy crafting, the tree becomes something we all get to enjoy together and memories to last a lifetime.
