The Best Christmas Crafts for Bulletin Boards

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Do you love the holiday season as much as me? Twinkling Christmas lights in the hallway, Silent Night on your car radio, and the chaos of sugared up kids right before Christmas break. It really is such a magical time, but let’s be honest. Between themed lessons, holiday door displays, and Christmas bulletin board ideas, things can get a little crazy.

I’m currently working as a preschool teacher and coaching older students and teachers in a middle school. I can tell from experience that any festive holiday bulletin board can bring a little holiday cheer from 1st graders to older students. It doesn’t have to be stressful if you use a little creativity and some time-saving tricks.

The December Juggle is Real (ha!)

(Forgive the pun, but I couldn’t resist. My daughter, Heidi, used to have a onesie when she was a baby that said “The Snuggle is Real” and I just loved that on her!)

We know that when the month of December hits, it’s truly a whirlwind going over lesson plans, squeezing in test prep, and trying to find simple ways to showcase student work. I’m always looking for a fun way to create some themed bulletin boards.

This post is packed with easy, meaningful, and adorable Christmas crafts bulletin board ideas so that you can spend less time cutting and more time soaking in that holiday spirit with your students.

A Better Way to Decorate (and Engage!)

Imagine walking into your classroom to a winter wonderland of creativity where every wall tells a story and every student’s personality shines. These Christmas bulletin board ideas double as hands-on crafts and writing activities. You can keep kids engaged while creating a ready-made holiday bulletin board display.

Even better? You can use the Big Christmas Crafts Bundle for instant templates, word wall cards, and differentiated writing prompts that work with prek–3rd and even older students.

Christmas Crafts Bulletin Boards You’ll Love

1. Gingerbread House Bulletin Boards: A Sweet Christmas Classic

Why teachers love it:
Nothing says sweet Christmas like a gingerbread house bulletin board! Students can design their own candy-covered creations using various materials like pom-poms, tissue paper, and construction scraps.

Teacher Tip: Pair this craft with The Gingerbread Man Retell Activities (see resource here) to strengthen writing skills, sequencing, and fine motor practice. You can also read more about how we use this sweet story in our classroom.

Display idea:
Use a black background (it makes the colors pop!) and add a “Oh Snap! Look Who Got Caught Learning!” header with students’ names on candy canes or frosting swirls.

2. Polar Express Bulletin Boards: All Aboard the Holiday Spirit

Nothing captures the holiday cheer quite like a Polar Express bulletin board! Invite students to write about their favorite part of the story or what they’d wish for if Santa invited them on board.

Materials: Black paper for the night sky, glitter stars, and cotton batting for steam clouds.

Add depth by connecting it to vocal music, social studies, or even graphic arts — a great cross-curricular opportunity that engages different age levels.

Fun twist: Create “golden tickets” with student names and add them around the border.

3. Nativity Scene Bulletin Boards: A Beautiful Christian School Display

For faith-based settings like a Christian school, a nativity scene is a meaningful holiday bulletin board display that encourages reflection and gratitude.

Have students craft angel tree toppers, gift boxes, or even red-nosed reindeer to surround the scene.

Extend it with a short writing prompt about own acts of kindness by tying the project into SEL and empathy-building.

4. Elf Bulletin Board: A Fun Opportunity for Every Grade

Let your students become classroom elves!

This adorable theme works for younger students in child care centers and elementary classrooms alike.

Use a bulletin board kit (or your Big Christmas Crafts Bundle) to create elf templates where students write what makes them special or how they spread holiday cheer.

Skill Connection: Writing, occupational therapy, visual arts, and fine motor skills all rolled into one fun activity!

5. Winter Wonderland Bulletin Boards: A Perfect Way to Transition to Winter

When December fades into winter break, keep your bulletin boards relevant through January with a winter wonderland display. Have students create Christmas trees with a simple tree trunk, a red circle ornament featuring their photo, and their student name.

Perfect activity: Use the Mega Bundle of Big Crafts (link here) to mix in seasonal options — 5 Big Winter Crafts, 5 Big Christmas Crafts, and more — all with differentiated writing prompts included!

Simplify Your Holiday Crafts (and Keep Them Meaningful)

You don’t need to spend hours planning, printing, or Pinterest-scrolling.
The Big Christmas Crafts Bundle and Mega Bundle of Big Crafts are your shortcut to a joyful classroom that’s still purposeful and standards-aligned.

You’ll get:

✅ Differentiated writing prompts for every craft
✅ Word wall cards + word banks
✅ Greeting cards + photo directions
✅ Crafts that promote fine motor skills and creative thinking
✅ Seasonal sets for every celebration — from St. Patrick’s Day to Christmas holidays

It’s truly a great way to keep your students learning while celebrating the season.

👉 Grab the full bundle here: Mega Bundle of Big Crafts
or just the Christmas set here: Low-Prep Big Christmas Crafts

A Gift from Me to You

I wanted to help make your life a little easier this time of year. Giving students a pair of gloves is a great idea. Check on allergies before making these, but you simply wrap a chocolate bar with the provided snowman template and add a pair of gloves or mittens on top to make the hat. I like to write a special note on the back for each student.

Grab your Free Student Gift Tags that are perfect for sending students home for Christmas break with a smile!

Include a link box or button:

Get Your Free Student Gift Printable Pack 🎅

Integrate Learning with Holiday Fun

Tie these favorite ideas and activities into your lesson plans:

Use writing prompts for reflection or storytelling
Extend with visual arts (color mixing, patterning)
Add vocal music performances alongside your display
Incorporate social studies (Christmas around the world!)
Add movement breaks with physical education-inspired reindeer games

Every subject can join the holiday spirit, thanks to the ingenuity of educators like you!

Did You Know?

The tradition of decorating Christmas bulletin boards dates back to the 1940s when teachers began using black paper and hand-drawn chalk art to celebrate the winter holidays. Today, (thanks to digital design tools), we can create professional-looking displays in half the time.

Create Joy This December

Your students will remember your holiday bulletin boards whether they are in 1st grade or any grade between prek – 3rd. Whether you choose a gingerbread house, elf bulletin board, or winter wonderland theme, your creativity, paired with the Big Crafts Bundle, will make this season truly special.

Ready to start?
Grab your Big Christmas Crafts Bundle here and let your classroom sparkle all season long.