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Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Craft Window Decorations

The Christmas season is upon us and I am having such a BLAST getting into the holiday spirit! My students recently created the most adorable Christmas tree window decorations and they bring so much holiday cheer into my classroom. I just had to share a tutorial of my newest holiday project with you!

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Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
If you’re a Kinder-Craze follower, you probably already know of my long-standing obsession with tissue paper window decorations. The Catholic teacher in me loves how they look like stained glass windows. The craftaholic in me loves that they require only the simplest of materials to create.

For this project, I wanted to use traditional Christmas colors. I used green tissue paper (in two shades) as the filler of the tree but I wanted the red to pop in a big way. I took out my trusty star-shaped paper punch and started punching through red bulletin board paper (the cheap stuff your school probably carries that is red on both sides.) I love the bulletin board paper because it is opaque enough to stand out against the green tissue paper, but still allows a lot of light to shine through it.
(Also, paper punches do NOT like to cut through tissue paper.)
star shaped paper punch
I have had my star punch for several years and I am not sure where it came from but I found a similar star punch on Amazon.

I always prep the work stations for the students in my class while they are away from their desks playing or out of the classroom at a specials class. The project is simple to prep – it just takes a little time. To prep, peel a sheet of clear contact paper (approximately 9″x12″) and place it sticky-side-up on each child’s desk. Place a black Christmas tree frame (download a free template) in the center of each contact paper sheet. Place tissue paper and star cutouts in containers that are easily within reach of all students.

That’s it! The students do the rest of the work!

Have students begin with the stars. My kindergarten students each put 5 stars on their tree. Once the stars were complete, the children filled in the rest of the trees with two different shades green tissue paper squares.

Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations

There are always a few students that are in a rush and will say that they are finished while their Christmas tree is still half-empty. I tell those students that they need to keep adding more pieces of tissue paper until I can no longer see their desk peeking up through the tree.

Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations

This student put the finishing touches on his tissue paper Christmas tree.
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Once the tree is completely filled with stars and tissue paper, I always “seal” the project by placing another sheet of clear contact paper sticky-side-down on the back of the tree. That way, there is plastic coating on both sides and I don’t have stray pieces of tissue paper all over my classroom.

Each student carefully trimmed the excess plastic from their own Christmas trees.

Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations

Student names are recorded on their trees with a black Sharpie and the trees are hung in the classroom windows with clear Scotch tape.
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
I love, love, LOVE how cute and festive our Christmas trees look.
Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Window Decorations
You can easily make tissue paper Christmas trees to decorate the windows in your home or classroom too! Download a free Christmas tree template to get started!

Happy Holidays!

More Kindercraze Holiday Ideas

If you are looking for more great ideas and projects for the holidays, you will love these posts. They feature festive projects ideas and fun moments from my own classroom. Click any image for more.

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Find More Stained Glass Window Projects

Want to see more festive window decoration ideas? Click any of the links below for some fun projects that the children in your life will love to create!

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Maria Gavin

Maria is a former kindergarten and first grade teacher, with 13 years of teaching experience. Her love and passion for all things early childhood is now fulfilled as a mom to two amazing kids. She loves sharing practical and creative tips and ideas that are perfect for young learners – in the classroom or at home!

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32 Responses

  1. These are so cute! Adding these to my plan for next week 🙂 (Have you ever tried to do the same thing with a laminating sheet? It is heaps easier as the kids don’t get themselves stuck to the contact & it doesn’t roll up on it’s self.)

    1. So do they just use Elmer’s glue to sick the tissue to the laminated tree? Then laminate again for final finish? I’ll be using the laminate machine at our school.

  2. I’ve just printed a copy on cardstock and will be doing these with my homeschooled kids today! Thanks so much for this simple but effective Christmas craft.

    1. Hi! I don’t have a template for that one. Most likely you read about that on Differentiated Kindergarten and Marsha said her Christmas light project was inspired by my crafts

  3. Hey! I cannot get the Christmas tree template. When I try to download it says I have to request persmission (which I did) but it never goes to my email. Can you help me? I love this idea and would love to use it with my students! 🙂

  4. I’m trying to get the Christmas tree template, but the link takes me to a page instructing me to request permission. Any help? Thanks!!

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Hi, I'm Maria.

I’m a former kindergarten teacher turned work-from-home mom. I still love sharing ideas and resources to make teaching easier, so you can focus on what really matters in the classroom. When I’m not working on the blog, you’ll find me chasing kids around the house with a cold cup of coffee in my hand (some things never change even once you’re out of the classroom!)

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