This straw painted Christmas tree art project is the perfect holiday painting idea! Kids will love using a simple paper straw to stamp beautiful, textured layers of green onto their tree. Add bright ornaments, a painted background, and a star on top to complete the festive look.
If you are looking for more Christmas projects for kids to make, take a look at our collection of creative Christmas arts and crafts for more fun ideas!
I have a printable template for this project that you can use, which will help make this activity easier for kids! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to instantly download your printable Christmas tree PDF template.
Straw painting is a fun process art for kids to explore! Take a look at this beautiful straw flower painting in a watering can that is perfect for spring, summer, and Mother’s Day!
Create your own straw painted Christmas tree art project
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Supplies
- White cardstock
- Paper straws – one for each shade of green you are going to use, plus one for yellow paint (you can cut each straw in half if you like)
- Scissors
- Acrylic paint in green (2-3 shades), blue, yellow, red, and brown
- Q-tips
- Paintbrushes
- Paint palette
- Water dish
Instructions for your Christmas tree straw painting
1. First, print the Christmas tree template out onto white cardstock so it can handle multiple layers of paint without warping.
2. Next, use a flat brush or a larger paintbrush to cover the background around the tree with blue paint. Encourage kids to paint right up to the tree outline but not inside it, leaving the tree area white for now. It’s ok if some of the blue paint goes inside the tree.
Let this dry completely before moving on to the next step.
3. Take a paper straw and carefully cut several small slits into one end. Gently spread the cut pieces apart with your fingers so they fan out and look like little bristles.
This will turn the straw into a fun stamping tool that creates a great texture for the tree branches.
4. Prepare your paint palette with the darkest green shade you will be using.
Begin stamping inside the tree outline with the darkest green color, pressing down and lifting straight up to create textured “branches.” Fill in the whole tree shape with your dark green color. Let this dark green layer dry.
5. Once the first layer is dry, add 2–3 lighter shades of green to your palette. Using the same straw stamping technique, stamp the lighter greens over top of the dark green branches. Let each layer dry briefly before adding the next so the colors don’t blend into one solid shade.
Encourage kids to leave some of the darker color showing underneath, this will add depth and texture to the tree.
6. Make a fresh straw stamp and dip it into yellow paint. Carefully press the straw down at the very top of the tree to make the star. Kids can stamp a few times in the same area to make the star bigger or more defined.
7. Use a smaller paintbrush and brown paint to add a tree trunk at the bottom of the tree. Paint a simple rectangle for the trunk.
Let the trunk and star dry completely before moving on to adding the ornaments.
8. Once the tree layers and star are fully dry, it’s time to add ornaments. Pour a small amount of red paint onto a palette, and get your Q-tips ready. Dip the Q-tip into the paint and gently press it onto the tree to make bright, round ornaments.
Kids can place the dots randomly or follow a pattern as they move down the tree. Encourage them to space out the ornaments so each one stands out against the green branches.
Students can also choose to create multicolored lights or decorations. Using one Q-tip per color works best for this. Encourage kids to have fun and be creative with their ornaments!
This straw painted Christmas tree art project is a wonderful way for kids to explore texture, layering, and creative stamping techniques. The process is simple enough for younger kids but enjoyable for older students too.
Don’t forget to grab the free printable outline below. I hope your kids love creating their own festive Christmas trees!
Project Variations
Make a snowy background – Use white paint and a small brush or Q-tip to dot on falling snow over the blue background once it’s dry.
Paint multicolor lights or ornaments – Instead of only red ornament dots, let kids use multicolored Q-tip dots like yellow, blue, pink, and purple to look like Christmas lights or colorful ornaments.
Add a background scene – Kids can paint or draw snowy hills, falling snowflakes, a nighttime sky with darker blue paint for the background and white splatter stars, or houses or trees in the distance.
>> Click here to instantly download your printable Christmas tree template!
More Christmas painting ideas kids will love
Mixed Media Gingerbread House Painting
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