# Sparkly Scented Christmas Tree Hats
> Paint green party hats with peppermint-scented green paint, add glitter, then decorate them like Christmas trees with sequins, gems, buttons, pom poms and a gold foil star. The finished hats can be worn on Christmas morning.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids-christmas-tree-hat-craft/
- Ages: 2–7 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 15 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: fine-motor, sensory-exploration, creativity
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Cone party hats (green)
- Green washable kids paint
- Pure peppermint extract (optional)
- Glitter (optional)
- Sequins
- Craft gems (optional)
- Buttons
- Pony beads (optional)
- Pom poms
- Christmas foam stickers (optional)
- Gold foil paper
- Craft glue
- 1 piece Paintbrushes (household)
- 1 piece Paint tray or small containers (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)

## Safety
- Buttons, pony beads, sequins, gems and pom poms are small parts and a choking hazard. Supervise closely, especially with kids under 3 or anyone who still mouths things.
- Adult mixes the scented paint. Peppermint extract and oil are strong: use only a little, keep it away from eyes, and wash hands after painting.
- The peppermint paint smells like candy canes but is not food. Remind kids not to taste it.
- Glitter can fall off when the hats are worn and can get into eyes. Skip it if you're not comfortable with that.

## Before you start
- Adult: squirt some green washable paint into a container and stir in pure peppermint extract until you're happy with the smell.
- Set out the hats, scented paint, brushes and a tray of decorations (sequins, gems, buttons, pom poms, stickers).

## Steps
1. Take a big whiff of the peppermint paint!
2. Paint the party hat all over with the green scented paint.
3. While the paint is wet, sprinkle on lots of glitter (optional).
4. Decorate your tree hat with sequins, gems, buttons, pom poms and stickers.
5. Cut a star from gold foil paper.
6. Stick the gold star on the very top of your tree.
7. Let the hat dry before wearing it.
8. Wear your Christmas tree hat on Christmas morning!

## Tips
- Yeah, we painted over already green party hats! It's fun to turn boring green hats into yummy, festive, sparkly, scented Christmas hats.
- The kids have been enjoying the smell of peppermint (candy canes, wink wink!). Scented peppermint paint was all they needed to really get into the activity.
- Dumping the glitter is the most important step. Skip it if you're uncomfortable with glitter, though: the kids may wear the hats and walk, run and dance around. You be the judge!
- Letting kids loose with the craft stash makes this a wonderful fine motor exercise.
- They're meant for Christmas morning, but bet they'll be worn plenty of times before that.
- A reader thought this easy idea was very appropriate for 2-year-olds. Watch small parts closely at that age. (from readers)

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

We have been itching to do more Christmas tree crafts ever since we started with the [**Christmas wreath craft**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids-christmas-wreath/) this year. { Check out our [**Hearts Christmas Tree Craft**](https://www.funlittles.com/christmas-crafts-for-kids/) from last year} The kids and I finally found time during the day to sit down and create and make a fun Christmas craft for kids. We used our basic art and craft supplies and party hats. To make these Christmas Tree hats you will need

- **[Party Hats](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AK8G0NI/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- [**Paint**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004UBH3/?tag=blmemo-20)
- **[Peppermint Oil](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00028MKRQ/?tag=blmemo-20)**(optional)
- **[Glitter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000F8T4O0/?tag=blmemo-20)**(optional)
- **[Sequins](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AVYD426/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Buttons](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y2O0EE/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pony Beads](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004D9DMMW/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Pom Poms](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00114Q4KO/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- **[Christmas Foam Stickers](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F6ZUWMK/?tag=blmemo-20)**

Before I set out the supplies, I made a very basic scented paint for the Christmas craft. I added a few squirts of green washable kids paint and added pure peppermint extract until I was satisfied with the smell. The kids have been enjoying the smell of peppermint ( candy canes wink wink!) Scented peppermint paint was all the needed to really get into the activity.



Yeah, we are the geniuses who paint over already green party hats! Why? because it is fun to make boring green hats into a yummy, festive, sparkly, scented Christmas hats. The kids took big whiffs of the peppermint scented paint and gladly painted over the hats.



Then was the most important step in the whole Christmas craft activity - add, no sorry! dump the glitter. ( Please skip this step if you are uncomfortable with glitter- remember the children may want to wear them on Christmas morning and walk around, run around, dance around.. you be the judge!)



Then the children were let loose with the craft stash. They decorated the hats to their hearts' content using sequins, gems, buttons, pom poms and what not. It was a a wonderful fine motor exercise.



To finish off the activity, we cut out stars from a gold foil paper and stuck to the top of the tree.



Oh my word! doesn't it look gorgeous?



Our beautiful Christmas hats to be worn on Christmas morning. bet it will be worn plenty of times much before that.





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