55 DIY Christmas Ornaments That Will Make Your Tree Extra Special

Chloƫ Nannestad

By Chloƫ Nannestad

Updated on Nov. 24, 2025

These DIY Christmas ornaments will help you deck the halls and trim the tree to perfection this holiday season.

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Creative and festive DIY Christmas ornaments

It doesn’t matter if your Christmas tree is more Charlie Brown than Rockefeller Center. What really makes a tree special are the ornaments hanging from every bough. And while it might be easier to buy a pack of generic bulbs to hang on the branches, doing so will rob your tree of a heartwarming and homey vibe. After all, what is Christmas without the DIY Christmas ornaments you and your family have made over the years?

Creating your own Christmas ornaments and finding new Christmas crafts for kids are two of the best Christmas traditions, right up there with singing carols and playing Christmas party games. It’s well worth setting aside time to create DIY Christmas decorations—and making holiday memories. From glitter and glue to needle and thread, there’s something for everyone in this collection of DIY Christmas ornaments.

So read on for fun, easy and holiday-worthy ornament ideas, perfect for DIYing with kids and adults alike.

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Shake And Paint Christmas Ornaments
Courtesy @playhuntersway.com

Shake And paint Christmas ornaments

Not only will these colorful baubles dress up your tree, but they’ll also give your kids a way to join in the crafting fun. Instagram user @PlayHuntersWay has a simple tutorial for creating these gorgeous DIY Christmas ornaments. What paint colors will you or your toddler pick? Maybe the answer is in the stars.

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Christmas ribbon tree and colorful baubles with paper notebook on white background for decor winter holiday, handmade ornament for decorate crochet from yarn
xuanhuongho/Getty Images

Ribbon Christmas tree ornament

If you’re an expert with a crochet hook, you can whip up this ornament in no time. But even if you’re not down with yarn, a pretty ribbon or braided twine will make a great substitute. Simply fold the crocheted segments or ribbon in the shape of a Christmas tree, adding a pom-pom every two levels. Run a threaded needle up the center of the tree, forming a loop at the top for hanging.

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Truck Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Truck Christmas ornament

Truck-obsessed kids (and truck-loving parents) will have a blast with this simple ornament project. We especially love the Christmas tree in the bed of the pickup! It would make a fabulous addition to a personalized Christmas stocking.

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Gnome Christmas Ornaments
Via Etsy.com

Gnome Christmas ornaments

In Northern Europe, gnomes are an integral part of Christmas celebrations, and with this DIY Christmas ornament kit, they can be a cute part of your Christmas too. Just make sure to leave out some cookies: Legend has it that gnomes will mess with your house if they’re not properly welcomed.

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Coconut ice in paper cones hanging from painted white branch
BRETT STEVENS/Getty Images

Paper cones Christmas ornaments

Gumdrops, mini candy canes, licorice and colorful hard candy would look super cute in these paper cones. Using plain or brightly decorated construction paper, roll into a cone and glue, then punch a couple of holes in the top to thread string for hanging. These would make great stocking stuffers too.

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Embroidery Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

Embroidery Christmas ornament

These three-inch ornaments might be the ultimate in personalized gifts. Choose your monogram, and the kit will come with linen printed with the pattern, linen for backing, an embroidery hoop, a needle and thread. The instructions (and video tutorial) mean you can’t mess this up.

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Cactus Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Cactus Christmas ornament

Not everyone lives in a place with the kind of seasonal landscape we sing about in carols. Snow on snow on snow? More like T-shirts and turkey cooked on an outdoor grill. Whether you’re a desert dweller or just like the look, this adorable cactus DIY Christmas ornament is a fresh new Christmas tree idea to try this year.

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MacramƩ Star Christmas Ornaments
Via Etsy.com

MacramƩ star Christmas ornaments

MacramĆ© is having a serious moment right now, thanks to Instagram and the resurgence of all things crafty and ’70s. Bring the trend to your tree with this star ornament kit. It contains full instructions to make beautiful stars in lots of different colors.

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Ornament made out of a lightbulb with a penguin painted on
Andrei Lavrinov/Getty Images

Light bulb penguin Christmas ornament

Turning blown-out light bulbs into DIY Christmas ornaments is an eco-friendly way to trim your tree. For this one, all you need is a non-water-based paint (or nail polish). Once the paint has dried, glue a toothpick tip to the penguin’s face as a beak and tie a bright ribbon around the top to hang on your tree.

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Step by step instruction for New Year or Christmas DIY concept. Make a cute hat for Christmas tree decoration
esvetleishaya/Getty Images

Cardboard roll winter hat Christmas ornament

With a cardboard roll, some yarn, and a little glitter paint, you can make this adorable winter hat ornament to hang on your tree or give as a gift for Grandma and Grandpa. Knot yarn all the way around a half-inch section of tube, leaving the yarn tails hanging. Gather the tails of yarn, tie them off and trim them into a pom-pom, which you’ll dip in glitter paint.

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Light Up Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

Light-up Christmas ornament

This is one of the coolest DIY Christmas ornaments we’ve seen, especially if you’ve got a STEM-minded child. With four laser-cut wooden ornaments, four mini battery packs and four different LED lights, it’s the perfect Christmas activity for your science wunderkind to complete.

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A table top view of a handmade reindeer Christmas decorations in the process of being made on a table top.
/Getty Images

Wood slice reindeer Christmas ornament

These adorable DIY Christmas ornaments require only a few basic craft supplies: wood slices, googly eyes, pom-poms (in the colors of your choice), glue, twine and some antler-like twigs. You can drill a hole to hang the twine, or glue it to the back of the reindeer.

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Ode To Joy Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

Ode to joy Christmas ornament

If your Christmas theme is full glam, go with DIY Christmas ornaments that add elegance between tree branches. This kit includes a ball ornament in your choice of color, beads, pins and instructions for completing this show-stopping craft.

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Baby
Via Amazon.com

Baby’s first Christmas ornament

If you or someone you know has recently welcomed a little one to the family, this ornament kit is the ideal way to commemorate Baby’s first Christmas. What could be cuter than a tiny baby handprint or footprint? Years from now, they’ll never believe were so tiny—and neither will you!

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Ribbon Wrapped Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Ribbon-wrapped Christmas ornament

The great thing about DIY Christmas ornaments is adapting colors, patterns, and fabrics to your own taste and decor theme. This gorgeous ribbon-wrapped ornament tutorial from Michaels is endlessly customizable. You could even use a base ornament with a different shape, like a heart.

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Christmas ornaments made form pine cone and hazelnut
Vranilo/Getty Images

Nuts for pine cones Christmas ornaments

These DIY Christmas ornaments couldn’t be simpler: All you need are some pretty ribbons, pine cones and hazelnuts or chestnuts. Tie the ribbon in a bow and attach with glue. Add some hazelnuts to bring a rustic, country feel to your tree dĆ©cor. If you want a little extra sparkle, considering dusting the pine cones with glitter.

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Christmas Pals Christmas Ornament
Via Walmart.com

Christmas pals Christmas ornament

If you’ve got some cross-stitching experience, this ornament kit is a great way to show off your skills and decorate your tree at the same time. Included is all the embroidery floss you need (as well as fabric and a needle) to make six new friends for Christmas: a reindeer, two snowmen, a polar bear, penguin, and Santa Claus himself. That’s several Christmas bingo squares right there!

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Gold Thread–wrapped Christmas Ornaments
Courtesy @makingitagoodday

Gold thread–wrapped Christmas ornaments

We love the rustic look of this ornament from Instagram users Tracy and Austyn at @MakingItAGoodDay. Among their many beautiful homemade pieces are these cute cotton wool and gold thread ornaments. Using twigs for the tree trunks is genius, and making these out of cotton wool ensures they’ll never break.

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MacramƩ Candy Cane Christmas Ornaments
Via Etsy.com

MacramƩ candy cane Christmas ornaments

Hanging candy canes on the tree is festive, but if you’d rather eat them, this beautiful macramĆ© kit offers the same holiday vibe. Choose your color set and make three different candy canes with the cotton rope provided. They’re good enough to eat! When you’re done, put the fire on and settle down with the best Christmas movies of all time.

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Snowy Bird Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Snowy bird Christmas ornament

This DIY Christmas ornaments project is great for kids, as it mostly involves yarn wrapping to make a sweet, snowy owl. Using other yarn colors gives you different birds: choose red for a cardinal, blue for a bluebird or blue jay and gray for an owl.

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closeup of some different handmade christmas balls, made with, cords, ribbons and buttons, on a rustic wooden surface
nito100/Getty Images

Yarn and buttons Christmas ornaments

Kids of all ages will love putting these DIY Christmas ornaments together. To craft them, wrap colorful yarn around a Styrofoam ball, secure with glue and top with cute buttons. Go with traditional Christmas colors for timeless appeal, or go more modern with your color scheme.

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Ribbon Wreath Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Ribbon wreath Christmas ornament

These cute little ribbon wreaths will look awesome on your tree and teach you a new braiding skill at the same time, thanks to the tutorial from Michaels. Each wreath takes two ribbons, so you can use the colors and patterns of your choice.

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Wooden Bead Snowman Christmas Ornament Via Michaels.com
Via Michaels.com

Wooden bead snowman Christmas ornament

What’s cute, easy to craft and makes your tree look great? This snowman ornament made from wooden beads, of course. We love his button hat! Get the kids involved, and your tree will be looking frosty in no time.

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String Art Wood Slice Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

String art wood slice Christmas ornament

String art looks amazing and is surprisingly easy with this kit. Choose from Mr. Mouse, a snowman, Christmas tree or snowflake—or make them all! The wood rounds are light and easy to hang, and they won’t shatter if a curious cat knocks them off the tree.

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Beautiful festive new year and Christmas decorative little wooden houses hanging on a stick on the grey wall background
Probuxtor/Getty Images

Mini houses Christmas ornaments

Is there anything cuter than this little village of ornaments? With some plain cardboard houses and a thin paintbrush or two, you can decorate each ornament in the style that best suit your Christmas theme. For an extra-seasonal scene, dust the roofs with fake snow.

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DIY clay star ornaments on rustic table
Cavan Images/Getty Images

Clay star Christmas ornament

These DIY Christmas ornaments look amazing and high end, but they’re actually pretty easy to make. All you need is some clay, a star-shaped cookie cutter, a straw for poking a hole in the top and pretty stamps to press into the rolled-out clay before baking. You can add paint or glitter to the finished ornaments, or hang them as they are.

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DIY angel made with medical face masks, zero waste Christmas tree decoration
Maria Symchych-Navrotska/Getty Images

Face mask angel Christmas ornament

It’s Christmas in the age of COVID-19, so it’s only appropriate this ornament is made from face masks. To make it, bend one mask in half along the nose wire (that’s your angel head), and scrunch a second in the center, fanning out the sides to form wings. Wrap the ear loop from the first mask around the wings and head. Cut the bottom ear loop off the wings, and hang your angel from the other loop.

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Victorian Christmas Ornaments
Via Hsn.com

Victorian Christmas ornaments

For a touch of old-fashioned charm on your Christmas tree, look no further than a kit that helps you create 12 beaded baubles. These DIY Christmas ornaments are simple and striking.

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DIY handmade decoration on a Christmas tree
Anna Chaplygina/Getty Images

Tartan pine cone Christmas ornament

Whether you have Scottish heritage or just really like watching Outlander, a green-and-red tartan ribbon is a beautiful addition to your Christmas tree. Grab some pine cones from the great outdoors, glue on a pretty bow made of ribbon and finish with a glittery gold star.

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Christmas baubles, blackboard paint painted with chalk, rosehip twig
Westend61/Getty Images

Blackboard baubles Christmas ornaments

Covering Christmas baubles in blackboard paint is a great first step to creating DIY Christmas ornaments. Let your little ones decorate with chalk, or have all your dinner guests contribute a drawing to your tree. Why not have a white elephant gift party while you’re at it?

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 felt mand made decorations (wreath, rocking horse, christmas tree) on a white background, tablecloth
qnula/Getty Images

Felt, lace and embroidery Christmas ornaments

If your sewing skills leave something to be desired, glue will be your best friend here. Cut shapes from felt and glue or sew pretty scraps of lace to embellish. Crafters with a good command of a needle can embroider some leaves or sequins onto these gorgeous ornaments.

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Frame of coniferous branches, Christmas toys, made by the hands of a child for the celebration of Christmas on a red background
Fiordaliso/Getty Images

Rustic picture frame Christmas ornament

With a basic photo frame, some twine and a couple of conifer sprigs, you (or the kids!) can put together great DIY Christmas ornaments in under an hour. Wrap the frame in jute and use hot glue to add embellishments for a sweet addition to your tree.

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Christmas decoration made of modeling clay
Westend61/Getty Images

Love clay Christmas ornaments

No word sums up the holiday season more than ā€œlove.ā€ You can display any message you want on your tree with some simple clay ornaments and letter stamps. Try ā€œpeace,ā€ ā€œjoyā€ and ā€œho ho ho.ā€

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No Sew Bauble Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

No-sew bauble Christmas ornament

Looking at these gorgeous ornaments, you would never think they were made just by folding fabric. But with this kit, you can DIY this look yourself. We love the fact that these are blue and white too. Mix and match the different fabrics to vary the look.

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Painted Christmas Tree Ornament
Via Etsy.com

Painted Christmas tree ornament

A traditional Christmas symbol meets modern aesthetic with these DIY Christmas ornaments. Included are three wooden ornaments, eight pots of paint and a brush.

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Felt Avocado Christmas Ornament on Christmas tree
cuppyuppycake/Getty Images

Felt avocado Christmas ornament

This little guy is probably the cutest (and healthiest) ornament we’ve ever seen! If you’re not the type to carry around a needle and thread, you can absolutely achieve this level of adorableness with a little glue. Hang it from your tree, or use it to adorn food gifts.

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Burlap Bear Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

Burlap bear Christmas ornament

This little guy is unbearably cute! The ornament kit offers a great opportunity to improve your sewing skills, though you can give your glue gun a bit of exercise if you’re needle averse.

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Bear Face Wood Slice Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Bear face wood slice Christmas ornament

It’ll be a beary merry Christmas with this adorable fellow hanging from your tree. We especially love the pom-pom nose. Get creative by crafting different types of bears (think grizzly, panda, polar and more) for a koala-ty tree.

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Little Christmas trees are made of carton, cotton yarn and decorated with small metal snowflakes
Zolotaosen/Getty Images

Yarn-wrapped tree Christmas ornaments

Sure, you can keep the kids occupied with funny Christmas movies, but an even better way to get them out of your hair while you wrap endless presents is with this easy craft. Simple cardboard triangles wrapped with yarn and topped with a star make gorgeous ornaments.

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Felt dachshund Christmas ornament on Christmas tree
cuppyuppycake/Getty Images

Dachshund through the snow Christmas ornament

Yes, this is one of the cutest DIY Christmas ornaments ever made. And yes, it’s simple to put together—you just need brown felt, googly eyes, and some cotton wool to stuff the body. The Christmas bead necklace on this little pooch is optional, but it really takes the adorableness to the next level. Plus, it doubles as a thoughtful gift for dog lovers.

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Pom Pom Reindeer Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Pom-pom reindeer Christmas ornament

You and the kids can craft some sweet little reindeer one snowy afternoon with this easy DIY kit. Curly antlers made of pipe cleaners will add a dose of humor to your tree.

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Close-Up Of Christmas Decoration On Table
Jelena Potrebic/Getty Images

Pine cone people Christmas ornaments

You and the kids can make these super-cute DIY Christmas ornaments with just a few supplies. Forage for some pine cones, hot glue a big wooden bead to the top as a head, and use a marker to draw on a face. Finish with construction paper or foam sheets cut in the shape of gloves, boots and a hat. Then settle in with the best Christmas books for kids.

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Christmas ornaments from sequined fabric
Melinda Podor/Getty Images

Sequin fabric Christmas ornament

Sequin fabric jazzes up any simple shape or ornament! These look great sewed and stuffed, but if you’re looking for an even easier craft, create flat ornaments. Simply glue sequin fabric to a cardboard back and cut in the shape of a tree. Remember to save any sequins that come off as you’re crafting; you can glue them over any bald spots.

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Wood Bead Star Christmas Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Wood bead star Christmas ornament

These wooden beads have a nice rustic look when plain, but you can also paint or decorate them to match the rest of your decor. This tutorial explains exactly how to string the beads into a lovely holiday star that will look gorgeous on your tree. They’d also look gorgeous as add-ons to DIY Christmas gifts.

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Wood Christmas Tree Ornament
Via Michaels.com

Wood Christmas tree ornament

With a wooden Christmas tree base, you can paint any design you like. This dot technique looks amazing, though you may want to add a sequin or two. Let your imagination run wild.

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Scandinavian style wrapped Christmas presents with gift tags made out of ironing beads
Helena Schaeder Sƶderberg/Getty Images

Ironing bead Christmas ornament

You’ll need ironing beads, a pegboard, and ironing paper to make these striking ornaments. Once you’ve got the basic supplies, you can use your imagination to create shapes and patterns with all the colors of the rainbow.

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String Art Bauble Christmas Ornament
Via Etsy.com

String art bauble Christmas ornament

String art is one of those DIY projects that looks magical when it’s finished and only requires a pattern and some patience to get it right. This big, beautiful, five-by-five-inch ornament has everything you need to create a gorgeously intricate Christmas bauble.

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Wrapped Twine Christmas Ornaments
Via Michaels.com

Wrapped twine Christmas ornaments

If your Christmas decor leans rustic, this ornament tutorial is something you need to see. The technique is geniusĀ­ (tip: you’ll need a balloon!), and when you tell people you made these ornaments, they’ll think you’re a genius too.

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Christmas Tree Star Ornaments
Via Livecrafteat.com

Christmas tree star ornaments

Recycle a little cardboard, scraps of yarn and card stock for these charming homemade Christmas ornaments from Live Craft Eat. Your kids can totally help, too!

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Vintage Map Ornaments Via Aehomestylelife.com

Vintage map ornaments

A few origami folds turn maps of a favorite place into unique Christmas ornaments. Plus, who doesn’t love a vintage Christmas tree look?

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Sprinkles Ornaments
Via Gimmesomeoven.com

Sprinkles ornaments

Dress up simple glass balls with this sweet idea from Gimme Some Oven: sugary sprinkles! They look so good, your kids might try to eat them!

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Gem Icicle Ornaments
Via Madeincrafts.com

Gem icicle ornaments

Homemade Christmas ornaments don’t have to look ā€œcrafty.ā€ Mad In Crafts’ glittery icicle ornaments will add a touch of glam to your tree.

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Book Page Ornaments
Via Gimmesomeoven.com

Book page ornaments

Reuse old page turners (or track them down in used bookstores) to make these simple yet stylish ornaments. It’s a great idea for book lovers.

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Christmas Candy Ornaments
Via Frugalmomeh.com

Christmas candy ornaments

Pretty hard rock candies and an oven are all you need to make these stained glass–looking ornaments. A little confectioners glaze will help them last season after season!

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Elmer Ornament
Via Mamamiss.com

Elmer ornament

Mama Miss’s adorable patchwork-painted elephant will add a colorful and whimsical touch to your tree. Plus, kids will love painting them in their favorite colors.