Get ready to unleash your creativity this holiday season with this fun and engaging craft project that is perfect for kids of all ages and something you can probably put together right now with whatever you already have at home! Using scraps of holiday wrapping paper and a trusty glue stick, this craft not only keeps hands busy but also encourages imaginative thinking and fine motor skills as they cut, paste, and design their own festive creations. Whether it's a handmade card for a loved one or a decorative framed piece of artwork, this project is sure to spread holiday cheer and is suitable for the whole family.

Step 1: Get Inspired + Gather Materials

First things first, gather the necessary materials plus anything else that might make a good embellishment. This project is meant to get you thinking outside the box and using recycled resources that are often overlooked as a creative medium. Use the list below to get started:

• Scraps of paper - wrapping paper, newspaper, cardstock, magazine paper, paper colored with crayon, paint, etc.

• Cardboard or cardstock to use as a background/support. This paper can be used for your background or the "Canvas" of your artwork as will also need to be thick enough to glue strips of paper on shaped as trees.

• White paper or solid color for snow - used to create hills and snow flakes

• Glue stick or double-sided tape

• Cardstock, blank card, frame - something to put your paper trees on

• Scissors or paper strip cutter

• Hole Punch (helpful)

Step 2: Prepare Your Canvas

Determine what you will be creating - a card or piece of artwork and what size the background will be. I used a blank picture frame with an insert size of 5" x 7". Taking a piece of solid color cardstock, I used a paper cutter to cut my background to the size of the insert. If you are creating a card - you can cut the background to the size of the front of the card.

Step 3: Cut the Shape of Tree

Using the same cardstock as the background, cut out the shape used for your tree(s). They can be any shape and size that will fit on your background. Don't worry about the trunk.

Step 4: Cut strips of wrapping paper

Next, take thinner paper like wrapping paper scraps or magazine paper and cut out strips in different widths and thicknesses. Make sure that the length of the strip is longer than the width of the tree cut in the last step.

Step 5: Glue strips to Tree

Using a glue stick or double sided tape, take the strips of paper and glue them to the tree shape. Glue them randomly or in a pattern. You can glue them horizontal, vertical, diagonal, anyway you want. This is a great opportunity to make your trees really unique. Cover the whole area of the tree with paper strips and be sure the strips extend past the tree. Put a paper strip aside to use later for the trunk.

Step 6: Trim the Tree

Let the glue dry for a few minutes, flip the tree over so you can see the shape. Carefully trim the paper strips around the tree shape. You can make them smooth or even keep them jagged for a more rustic look.

Step 7: Cut out other shapes

Once you are happy with your tree(s), we need to cut out the other pieces before putting everything together. This includes cutting out the hills in the background and snowflakes. It is best to have all pieces ready incase you need to layer to create depth. To create your hills, measure the same width as background. I like to create at least two so I have something for the background and something for the foreground. I used a hole punch to create my snowflakes but you could use regular scissors and different shapes. Totally customizable.

Step 8 : Glueing Down our Pieces

Now that we have all our pieces ready, it is time to put everything together! Using a glue stick or double-sided tape, take that strip set side for the tree trunk and carefully place in the desired location on your background. Next, take your larger hill piece and glue along the bottom of the background making sure it also covers the bottom edge of the trunk. Next take your tree (or background tree) and glue it to the top edge of the trunk. If you have more than one tree, repeat the same steps for the foreground. Once all your trees are in place, add the snowflakes around the background.

Step 9: Finish

And that’s it! If you are happy with your piece, you can glue to the front of a card or carefully place into a frame. Now you have something made from the heart to give to those you love. You can use the same technique to create different holiday shapes like ornaments or a snowman! Just remember to cut all your pieces out first and you can always lay them down and plan before gluing anything!