Torn Paper Santa Craft for Kids

This torn paper Santa craft might be the simplest Christmas craft we have made, and it turned out so cute. There is no template, no tracing, and no cutting perfect shapes. You just paint, tear, and glue, and somehow every single Santa turns out with his own sweet little personality.

It takes about ten minutes, uses supplies you probably already have, and little hands can do almost all of it on their own. We made a whole pile of them and turned them into a garland, gift tags, and Christmas cards!

What You’ll Need

Nothing fancy here. We used paint for Santa’s face, but peach paper works just as well if you want to skip the drying time.

• White cardstock or thick paper for the hat trim and beard, plus a sheet to paint if you are not using peach paper. (white cardstock)
• Peach paint for the face. We used our Crayola washable paint set. (Crayola washable paint set)
• Or peach paper if you would rather not paint. (peach cardstock)
• Red paper for the hat. (red construction paper)
• A paintbrush. (paintbrushes)
• A glue stick. (glue sticks)
• Markers or crayons in black, red, and orange for the face. (crayons)
• Optional: twine, ribbon, and a hole punch if you want to make a garland or gift tags. (twine)

How to Make a Torn Paper Santa Craft

1. Paint a whole piece of white paper with peach paint and let it dry. This becomes the background and Santa’s face. If you are using peach paper, you get to skip this step.
2. Cut the peach paper to size. It is the whole background, so 4×6 or 5×7 works great.
3. Tear a strip of red paper and glue it across the top for the hat.
4. Tear a strip of white paper and glue it right under the red for the fluffy hat trim. Let it overlap the red a little.
5. Tear a bigger piece of white paper for the beard. We like to tear a dip or a wave along the top edge so a little more face peeks through. Glue it across the bottom.
6. Flip Santa over and trim any paper hanging off the edges so the sides are nice and straight.
7. Draw two tiny dot eyes, an orange nose, rosy red cheeks, and a little mouth on the beard.

Why We Love This Craft

Tearing paper is so good for little hands, and it takes all the pressure off. There is no wrong way to rip a beard! The rough, uneven edges are exactly what make the hat trim and beard look soft and fluffy, so the less perfect it is, the cuter Santa gets. It is also cheap, quick, and nearly mess free once the paint is dry, which makes it a great one for a classroom party or a group of cousins.

Ways to Use Your Torn Paper Santa

• Santa garland: Make five or six and tape or glue them along a piece of twine. Ours is hanging across the fireplace.
• Gift tags: Punch a hole in the corner of the hat and tie it on with ribbon. It is so cute on a bottle of holiday hand soap for a teacher or neighbor gift.
• Christmas cards: Glue Santa to the front of a folded piece of cardstock and let your kids write a message.

Tips for the Best Torn Paper Santa

• Tear slowly, pinching the paper with both hands close together. You will get much more control over the shape.
• Tear toward you to get that white, feathery edge on the red paper.
• Make sure the paint is completely dry before you glue anything, or the paper will wrinkle.
• Paint a few sheets at once so you have plenty of peach paper ready for a whole batch of Santas.
• For toddlers, start the tear for them and let them finish it.

We hope you love this torn paper Santa craft! Perfect for a girls craft night or a morning activity with the kids! Are you going to make a garland, gift tags, or cards? Tell us in the comments!

Looking for more easy Christmas crafts? Try our DIY Silhouette Ornaments: A Keepsake Christmas Craft next.