20 Kids Reindeer Crafts
Every December my kids ask for reindeer, so I went looking for kids reindeer crafts that went beyond a single antler headband. I wanted ornaments, cards, and puppets, and I tested twenty of them at our kitchen table over three December weekends.
How I picked these: every project was tried in my house first, costs under $5, and finishes in one sitting. I kept only the kids reindeer crafts that survived real children, and tossed out anything with antlers that fell off immediately.
Reindeer crafts pair well with tree decorating. Related article: Christmas crafts for kids for the full festive set, and keep brown card, red pom-poms, and googly eyes ready, because almost every reindeer here starts with those three things.
Key Takeaways
Start with paper plate reindeer and handprint reindeer for toddlers; both are quick, forgiving, and need almost no setup.
Save felt ornaments, mobiles, and salt-dough ornaments for older kids who can handle longer steps and drying time.
Keep brown card, red pom-poms, googly eyes, and kid-safe scissors in one bin.
20 Kids Reindeer Crafts: 20 Ideas I Actually Tried
1. Paper Plate Reindeer
I painted a paper plate brown, cut a smaller circle for the muzzle, and added paper antlers and a red pom-pom nose for a paper plate reindeer. My daughter immediately named him Rudolph, gave him a backstory involving a lost sleigh, and hung him on the fridge where he could supervise dinner.
Paper plate reindeer look best when the antlers are big and branching, because small antlers make it look like a cow. I cut antlers from brown card, not paper, because card holds its shape, and I glue them to the back of the plate so the join does not show from the front.
Pro Tip: Glue the antlers first and the face second, because adjusting antlers after the face is glued smears the eyes and nose out of place.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 25 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 3+
2. Handprint Reindeer Card
I painted my son’s hand brown, pressed it onto card, and turned the fingers into antlers and the palm into a reindeer face for a handprint reindeer card. The thumb became one antler side, which looked odd until we added the nose, and then suddenly it was unmistakably a reindeer.
Brown paint on white card is forgiving, which makes this a great first handprint craft. The downside is that brown paint stains sleeves fast, so I roll sleeves up and use an old shirt, and I keep the handprint card flat while it dries, because a tilted card lets the paint run.
Pro Tip: Spread the paint evenly with a sponge, because brush strokes leave gaps in the print and the antlers come out patchy.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 2+
3. Paper-Bag Reindeer Puppet
I painted a paper bag brown, glued antlers to the top flap, and added a red nose and eyes for a paper-bag reindeer puppet. My kids staged a puppet show about a reindeer learning to fly, complete with dramatic crash landings, and the puppet survived three encores before the antlers drooped.
Antlers are heavy for a paper bag, so I use light card and I tape them inside the flap rather than gluing them outside. I also keep the nose small, because a big pom-pom nose flops forward and covers the puppet’s mouth during the show, which ruins the dialogue.
Pro Tip: Tape the antlers inside the bag flap, because glued antlers on the outside peel off the first time the puppet gets waved about.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 25 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 3+
4. Salt-Dough Reindeer Ornament
I rolled salt dough flat, cut a reindeer shape with a cardboard template, and helped my kids paint it brown with a bright red nose. We baked it slowly, sealed it with varnish, and hung it on the tree next to last year’s snowman, where it looked right at home.
Salt dough reindeer are sturdy, but thin antlers snap off during baking if they are rolled too thin. I make the antlers chunky and I support them with a little extra dough at the join, and I bake at the lowest setting so the ornament dries evenly instead of cracking.
Pro Tip: Make the antlers part of the main shape, not stuck on afterwards, because glued-on antlers fall off the first time the ornament is handled.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 1 hour plus drying / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
5. Reindeer Headband with Antlers
I cut a brown card strip to fit my daughter’s head, glued branching antlers on top, and added a red nose on the front for a reindeer headband. She wore it to a Christmas party, led a conga line of small reindeer, and refused to take it off for photographs, which was entirely the point.
Headband antlers need to be light, because heavy antlers pull the band forward over the eyes. I use thin card, I keep the antlers modest in size, and I staple the band join rather than gluing it, since glue takes too long and the band falls apart before the party starts.
Pro Tip: Fit the band first, then add the antlers, because antlers added first get bent while you adjust the fit and never stand straight again.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 25 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 3+
6. Toilet-Roll Reindeer
I wrapped a cardboard tube in brown paper, added antlers, eyes, and a red nose for a toilet-roll reindeer. My son made four of them to pull a cardboard sleigh, and the whole team lined up on the windowsill, ready for Christmas Eve, slightly lopsided but full of enthusiasm.
Cardboard tubes roll, so I flatten the bottom of each tube slightly before decorating, which helps the reindeer stand. I also glue the antlers to the inside of the tube top, because antlers glued outside peel off when the reindeer gets picked up by its antlers, as it inevitably does.
Pro Tip: Wrap the tube first and decorate second, because decorating first means the wrapping paper covers half the face you just drew.
Cost: Free / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 3+
7. Reindeer Rock Painting
I washed flat garden stones, painted them brown, and helped my kids add antlers, eyes, and red noses for reindeer rock painting. We lined them along the garden path like a tiny reindeer herd, and they survived the winter far better than the paper crafts, which is a real advantage.
Rock painting needs sealing for outdoor use, because unsealed paint washes away in rain. I varnish the stones myself, adult job only, and I choose flat stones, because round stones roll off the table and smear the paint before it has a chance to dry.
Pro Tip: Wash and dry the stones the day before painting, because paint peels off dusty or damp stone no matter how neatly it is applied.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 35 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
8. Reindeer Greeting Card
I folded red card, glued a brown paper reindeer face on the front, and let my son write a Christmas message inside for his teacher. The reindeer’s nose was a red button, the card got pride of place on the teacher’s desk, and my son has asked to make reindeer cards every December since.
Cards look best when the reindeer is slightly off-centre, which sounds odd but genuinely works. The downside is that layered paper makes the card bulky, so I use thin card for the face pieces and I glue everything the day before writing inside, so the front does not warp the message.
Pro Tip: Glue the reindeer on before writing inside, because pressing down to glue the front creases whatever you have already written.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
9. Reindeer Bookmark
I cut a brown rectangle from card, added antlers at the top, a muzzle and a red nose for a reindeer bookmark. My daughter marked her place with it through a whole chapter book, and the antlers slowly went wonky, which she considered a sign of a well-loved bookmark rather than a flaw.
Bookmarks live in bags and get bent, so I cover ours with clear sticky-back plastic, which takes two minutes and makes them last a term. I keep the antlers short, because long antlers stick out of the book, fold over, and tear at the base within a week.
Pro Tip: Make the bookmark narrower than the book, because a wide bookmark sticks out, folds, and tears at the crease.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 15 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 5+
10. Reindeer Mask
I cut a reindeer face from card, added eye holes, antlers, and a red nose, and attached elastic for a reindeer mask. My kids wore their masks for an afternoon of reindeer games in the garden, galloping in formation and snorting, which was the most exercise they had all week.
Mask eye holes must line up with real eyes, so I hold the card up to each child’s face and mark the holes before cutting. I use soft elastic, not string, because string slips and the mask slides down over the nose, and I cut the eye holes generously, because small holes fog up and itch.
Pro Tip: Mark the eye holes while the child holds the card to their face, because guessing always puts them too high or too far apart.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
11. Felt Reindeer Ornament
I cut a reindeer shape from brown felt, stitched the edges loosely, and stuffed it lightly with cotton wool for a soft felt reindeer ornament. It hung on the tree without breaking anything it bumped into, which matters in a house where ornaments are regularly investigated by small hands.
Felt ornaments are soft and safe, but sewing a small shape frustrates young children. I do the stitching myself, adult job, and let the kids choose the felt, glue on the nose and eyes, and pick the ribbon, which is the part they actually remember afterwards.
Pro Tip: Cut two identical felt shapes and pin them together before stitching, because unpinned felt slips and the reindeer ends up lopsided.
Cost: Under $4 / Time: 35 minutes / Difficulty: Medium / Ages: 5+
12. Reindeer Paper Chain Garland
I cut brown and red paper strips, looped them into a chain, and added a reindeer face to every fourth link for a reindeer paper chain garland. It stretched across our fireplace for Christmas, and the kids counted the reindeer faces every time they passed, like a game that never got old.
Paper chains take longer than anyone plans for, so I make this a two-day project with a clear stopping point. Thin paper tears when pulled tight, so I use medium-weight paper, and I staple the links, because glue dries too slowly for children who want to hang the chain immediately.
Pro Tip: Keep a pattern, brown, brown, red, and repeat, because a patterned chain looks deliberate while a random one looks like a mistake.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 40 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
13. Reindeer Watercolour Painting
I gave my son watercolours and thick paper, and he painted a snowy blue background with a brown reindeer standing in it. The reindeer looked properly wintry against the blue, and he added a red nose last, which is the moment the whole painting suddenly came alive.
Watercolour reindeer need a pale background, because a dark background swallows the brown body. I tape the paper to a board so it does not buckle, and I limit the palette to blue, brown, and red, so the painting stays clean instead of turning into muddy brown by the third colour.
Pro Tip: Paint the background first and let it dry, because painting the reindeer over wet blue makes the brown run and the reindeer looks soggy.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 30 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 5+
14. Pinecone Reindeer
I collected pinecones on a walk, glued on twig antlers, googly eyes, and a red pom-pom nose for a pinecone reindeer. Each one looked completely different, which the kids loved, and they stood on the mantel like a tiny forest herd all through December.
Pinecones are wonderfully free, but they are dusty and sometimes sticky with sap, so I brush them clean outside first. I use a hot glue gun myself for the antlers, adult job only, because ordinary glue will not hold twigs to a bumpy pinecone surface for more than a day.
Pro Tip: Choose pinecones that sit flat on their own, because a pinecone that rolls over takes its reindeer face with it and ends up nose-down.
Cost: Free / Time: 30 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
15. Reindeer Gift Tag
I cut small rectangles from brown card, drew a reindeer face on each, punched a hole, and threaded ribbon through for reindeer gift tags. They went on every present under our tree, the tags got admired almost as much as the presents, and my daughter has claimed gift-tag duty permanently.
Gift tags are small, so the face must be simple, just eyes, nose, and antlers, or it turns into a scribble. I draw the face with a thick marker, not a thin pen, because thin lines disappear on brown card, and I punch the hole before drawing, so the hole never lands on the reindeer’s nose.
Pro Tip: Punch the hole first, because punching after drawing risks putting the hole straight through the face you just finished.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 5+
16. Reindeer Window Decoration
I cut a large reindeer silhouette from black card, stuck it on the window with tape, and let the daylight turn it into a shadow picture for a reindeer window decoration. From outside it looked like a reindeer peering in.
Window silhouettes need to be big, because small shapes disappear against a bright window. I cut the silhouette at least as tall as a sheet of paper, I use tape that peels off cleanly, and I put it on a window that gets daylight, because a north-facing window in winter barely glows at all.
Pro Tip: Use removable tape, because ordinary tape leaves sticky marks that take ages to clean off.
Cost: Under $2 / Time: 25 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
17. Reindeer Treat Jar
I filled a clean jar with wrapped sweets, glued a reindeer face on the front, and twisted pipe-cleaner antlers around the lid for a reindeer treat jar. It sat on the kitchen counter as a Christmas countdown, one sweet a day, and the jar itself became a decoration long after the sweets were gone.
Treat jars need a lid that still opens, so I glue the face to the jar, not the lid, and I wrap the antlers around the lid rim loosely. I also use sweets in wrappers, because unwrapped sweets go stale and sticky.
Pro Tip: Glue the face below the lid line, because a face that overlaps the lid stops the jar from opening and the treats stay trapped inside.
Cost: Under $4 / Time: 25 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
18. Reindeer Clothespin Ornament
I clipped a wooden clothespin onto a small reindeer face cut from card, added antlers and a red nose, and hung it on the tree for a reindeer clothespin ornament. It clipped on in seconds, it could be moved around the tree endlessly, and the kids rearranged the whole herd daily.
Clothespin ornaments are brilliantly simple, but the peg springs open if the card is too heavy. I use thin card, I glue the face to the flat side of the peg, and I keep the antlers small, because big antlers make the peg top-heavy and it falls off the branch overnight.
Pro Tip: Glue the face to the peg and let it dry flat, because gluing it while holding the peg upright makes the face slide down the peg.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 20 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
19. Reindeer Mobile
I hung paper reindeer from a coat hanger with string at different lengths for a reindeer mobile above the Christmas tree corner. It turned gently in the draught, the reindeer seemed to fly in a circle, and my daughter watched it every evening while we read bedtime stories.
Mobiles need balance, because one heavy reindeer tips the whole thing sideways. I hang the reindeer one at a time, adjusting string lengths until it hangs level, and I hang it high, because mobiles are for looking at, not for grabbing, and small hands will grab anything within reach.
Pro Tip: Balance the mobile before adding final decorations, because decorations change the weight and tip a balanced mobile over.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 35 minutes / Difficulty: Medium / Ages: 6+
20. Reindeer Wreath for the Door
I cut a ring from a paper plate, wrapped it in brown paper, and added a reindeer face with antlers at the bottom for a reindeer wreath. It hung on our front door all December, it survived wind well, and visitors asked if my son had made it.
Paper plate wreaths are light, but antlers add weight and pull the wreath forward. I keep the antlers small and flat, I hang the wreath from a proper hook rather than tape, and I use a hot glue gun myself for the base layer, adult job only, so nothing falls off in the wind.
Pro Tip: Hang the wreath inside the porch if your door faces driving rain, because a soaked paper plate sags and the wreath loses its shape.
Cost: Under $3 / Time: 35 minutes / Difficulty: Easy / Ages: 4+
Mistakes I Made / What I Learned the Hard Way
I once glued antlers to the outside of a paper bag, and they peeled off during the first puppet show. Taping antlers inside the flap fixed it.
Salt-dough antlers must be chunky. Thin antlers snap during baking, and a reindeer without antlers is just a brown blob, so I make them part of the main shape.
I used ordinary tape on a window silhouette, and it left sticky marks that took an hour to clean in January. Removable tape is now a house rule for glass.
My biggest safety lesson with kids reindeer crafts is simple: I do all hot gluing myself. Small hands and hot glue guns do not mix in my house, ever.
Which One Should You Make First?
| Craft | Best for | Cost | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper Plate Reindeer | Toddlers | Under $3 | Low |
| Handprint Reindeer Card | A keepsake for relatives | Under $2 | Low |
| Salt-Dough Ornament | A tree ornament to keep | Under $2 | Medium |
| Felt Ornament | A soft, safe tree decoration | Under $4 | Medium |
| Reindeer Headband | Parties and dress-up | Under $2 | Low |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did your reindeer crafts actually last?
The salt-dough and felt ornaments are still on our tree a year later. Paper plate reindeer lasted the festive season, and clothespin ornaments survived daily rearranging.
What would you do differently next time?
I would make antlers from card, not paper, from the start. Paper antlers flop, card antlers stand up, and that single change improves every reindeer here.
Are these safe for toddlers?
The paper plate, handprint, and toilet-roll reindeer are toddler-friendly with supervision. Small pom-poms, buttons, and googly eyes are for age four and up, and I do all hot gluing myself.
Final Thoughts
If I had to pick one to start with, I would pick the paper plate reindeer for little kids and the salt-dough ornament for a keepsake. Both are cheap and quick, and both end with a reindeer that gets a name and a place on the tree.
Also read: Christmas ornament ideas for kids for more tree decorations, and Read this next: salt dough ornament craft ideas if dough ornaments are your children’s favourite. Start with one reindeer this weekend, keep the brown card stocked, and let the herd grow all December.
