Do you think of penguins when you think Christmas? I know I always do because they remind me of cold and snow. So, making this adorable penguin house as a Christmas craft for kids makes sense this holiday season. It’s so simple to make and perfect for the kids to help create and add their personal touch too!
Penguin House Christmas Kids Craft
This penguin house is the ideal craft for kids to make over winter break. While it is a great Christmas decoration, it can also just be a fun little winter craft. They can make them to decorate at home or to give them as gifts.
Kids can easily follow these simple directions to decorate them like this one or they can get even more creative with their own little touches. Best of all, this craft goes together quickly so it is perfect if you only have a short time or you have a whole afternoon. After they make this, you can put them to work making these adorable homemade pom pom penguins too!
What Can I Use For the House Base?
The base of this penguin house can be almost anything. I used foam paper because it was already in my craft supplies and was sturdy enough to hold shape.
You can use empty boxes or make the box with cardboard as the frame of the house. This is one of the easiest to use because cardboard is something most people already have around the house. You can also use other materials you might already have on hand, like foam, as I did or plastic. Anything that can be made into the shape of the base can be used.
What Ways Can I Customize This Penguin House?
There are a lot of ways that you can customize this penguin house. Below are some of my favorite ways to turn this project into something unique that reflects your style and personality.
- Change the colors used to make it look different. Red is ideal for the holiday season but it could be white like an igloo, brown like a log cabin, or green, silver, and blue which are also great holiday-themed colors.
- Add different background images instead of the snowflakes. Table scatter comes in many shapes for the holidays, so you could even add household things like a miniature table and chair.
- Print a miniature picture of penguins and put it into a craft stick “frame” to hang on the house as if it is a family photograph.
- Add a miniature Christmas tree or a few presents.
Of course, you can change up the way the penguin looks too. Maybe his hat is different or the scarf. The fun thing is being able to add your own flair to the house. Let kids go wild and see what they come up with.
Is This a Decoration or an Ornament?
The best thing about this penguin house is that it can easily be used as a decoration or an ornament. Hang the house on the tree for a fun ornament you can use year after year. I like to add the year it was made somewhere out of sight, like in the bottom of the house or on the back. This way, you can always remember when the kids made it.
You can also hang this as decoration around the house. Hang it on the wall or place it on the shelf. It would look lovely hanging from the ceiling of the house. As you can see in some of the images, it can also be tied to a basket and dangle over the items inside.
Note: When attaching this as a decoration to the wall, you can use the string on the top and attach it to a hanger, like a thumbtack or a hook. You can also use strong tape or adhesive on the back if you prefer to not have holes.
What Glue Should I Use With Kids?
Whenever I am making crafts with kids, I always want to be mindful of what type of glue I am using. Some glues are not kid-friendly, like hot glue or super glue, as well as a few others that have a very strong fume smell. I like to use white school glue or basic crafting glue whenever I am crafting with kids. These glues come out of clothes and off of skin easily. You could also use something like tacky glue that is labeled non-toxic and safe for children.
Supplies Needed
How to Make a Penguin House Christmas Kids Craft
Measure and cut out a house shape with long sides, flat bottom, and an angled roof.
Cut 1″ wide strips of the same foam paper the length of the bottom, sides, and both sides of the roof.
Attach the strips around the edge to create a framed look.
Glue a strip of cotton batting or cotton balls along the bottom inside the space of the frame.
Add a miniature penguin and miniature candy cane to the inside above the “snow”.
Glue snowflakes to the “wall” of the frame.
Tie a length of twine and glue to the top back of the frame for hanging.
Cut and tie a piece of lace ribbon into a bow, then top it with a small green bow, and tie a piece of twine around both to dangle down.
Glue this bow on the top eave of the house.
Attach a miniature Rudolph face or star on the center of the bow.
Now you can display this on your tree or as part of your holiday decor!
More Kids Christmas Craft Ideas
Add more fun to your holiday season by having your kids craft something new each day! Below are some of my favorite holiday crafts that can be given to friends and family or used as part of your decor. Print out the tutorials, bookmark this for later or pin it to a favorite holiday Pinterest board.
Yield: 1
Turn scrap foam pieces and some fake snow into an adorable little penguin house ornament for your holiday tree!
Active Time
25 minutes
Total Time
25 minutes
Difficulty
Easy
Estimated Cost
$0
Notes
You can also use cardboard or cardstock to replace the foam paper.
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Finished Project Gallery
Decorate the inside of the house with whatever style you prefer.
You can even add Santa Claus and the reindeer instead!
