Christian Easter Crafts for Kids shouldn’t require an expensive craft store trip or hours of stressful prep. I put this list together because finding simple, meaningful activities for a preschool class or Sunday school can be surprisingly tough.
If you need quick church projects that actually hold their attention, these fun, mostly free DIY options focus on the cross. You will get easy setups that keep their hands busy while teaching the real meaning of the holiday.
1. Paper Plate Empty Tomb 🪨
Getting little ones to visualize the resurrection story is much easier with a hands-on visual aid. This simple setup uses basic kitchen items to recreate the stone rolling away. These make excellent christian easter crafts for kids to make during a Sunday morning lesson.
How to Make
Cut one paper plate in half and staple it to the front of a whole plate, leaving the top open. Cut a half-circle doorway in the front plate. Attach a small paper circle with a brad pin so it can slide back and forth like a heavy stone.
Materials Needed
- Two paper plates per child
- One brass brad fastener
- Gray and brown crayons or paint
- Scissors and a stapler
2. Popsicle Stick Crosses ✝️
If you have leftover supplies from summer camps, this is the quickest way to use them up. Kids can wrap colorful yarn around the center to create a woven pattern that secures the sticks together. It requires very little supervision, making it a great independent activity.
How to Make
Place two craft sticks in a cross shape and add a small drop of glue to hold them steady. Take a long piece of bright yarn and wrap it diagonally across the center intersection. Tie the ends securely in the back and add a loop for hanging.
Materials Needed
- Standard wooden popsicle sticks
- Colorful yarn or embroidery floss
- Liquid school glue
- Scissors
3. Stained Glass Cross Suncatchers ☀️
Windows looking a bit bare this spring? You can brighten up a classroom by letting the kids create these transparent paper crosses that catch the afternoon sunlight. It is completely mess-free since you rely on sticky paper instead of wet glue.
How to Make
Cut a large cross outline out of thick black construction paper. Place the outline onto a sheet of clear contact paper, sticky side up. Let the children stick small, torn pieces of tissue paper inside the shape, then seal it with another clear sheet.
Materials Needed
- Black construction paper
- Clear contact paper
- Various colors of tissue paper
- Scissors
4. He is Risen Handprint Lilies 🌸
Finding a keepsake craft that parents actually want to keep can be a challenge. Tracing a child’s hand to form a beautiful white lily fits perfectly into any church theme for the spring season. It is a sweet reminder of how small they were during this specific holiday.
How to Make
Trace the child’s hand onto white paper and cut it out carefully. Roll the paper into a cone shape, leaving the fingers curled outward like flower petals. Tape a yellow pipe cleaner inside the cone to represent the center of the lily.
Materials Needed
- White construction paper
- Yellow pipe cleaners
- Green paper straws or popsicle sticks
- Pencil and clear tape
5. Resurrection Eggs Activity 🥚
When you need a tactile way to tell the Easter story, small objects hide perfectly inside plastic eggs. Opening one egg at a time builds anticipation and keeps kids engaged with the timeline of events. These are fantastic Christian Easter Craft Ideas For Kids to send home for family worship.
How to Make
Gather twelve empty plastic eggs and number them with a permanent marker. Place a tiny symbol of the story in each one, like a cracker for the last supper or a rock for the tomb. Write a small scripture reference on a slip of paper to match each item.
Materials Needed
- 12 plastic eggs
- Permanent marker
- Small trinkets (dime, thorn, nail, sponge, rock, etc.)
- Paper strips and a pen
6. Cotton Ball Lamb of God 🐑
Toddlers love anything involving glue and soft textures. Creating a fluffy lamb helps them connect the visual animal to the concept of Jesus being the Lamb of God. The finished result is incredibly cute and proudly displayed on the fridge.
How to Make
Cut a large oval out of heavy cardstock for the lamb’s body and a smaller dark oval for the face. Spread a generous layer of glue over the large oval and let the child press fluffy cotton pieces all over it. Add googly eyes and small paper legs.
Materials Needed
- White and black cardstock
- Bag of cotton balls
- Googly eyes
- Washable liquid glue
7. Watercolor Tape Resist Cross 🎨
Painting with toddlers often turns into a messy brown puddle, but this method guarantees a beautiful result. The painter’s tape protects the paper, leaving a crisp white cross surrounded by their chaotic brush strokes. It is an excellent lesson on light shining out of the darkness.
How to Make
Press two strips of painter’s tape firmly onto a sheet of watercolor paper in a cross shape. Let the kids paint all over the paper using bright, watery colors. Once the paint is completely dry, gently peel back the tape to reveal the shape.
Materials Needed
- Heavy watercolor paper
- Blue painter’s tape
- Watercolor paint palette
- Large soft brushes and water
8. Crown of Thorns Bracelet 🌿
Sometimes the best lessons happen when kids have something they can actually wear. Twisting brown pipe cleaners together creates a simple, wearable reminder of the sacrifice Jesus made. It is a brilliant church diy project that takes less than five minutes to complete.
How to Make
Take two thick brown pipe cleaners and twist them tightly together to form a sturdy rope. Wrap it into a circle that fits loosely over the child’s wrist and twist the ends to secure it. Carefully bend small, stiff pieces of twine around the pipe cleaner to look like thorns.
Materials Needed
- Brown pipe cleaners (chenille stems)
- Small pieces of stiff twine or toothpicks
- Scissors
9. Clothespin Donkey Craft 🐴
Palm Sunday activities usually involve leaves, but making the animal Jesus rode is a fun alternative. Pinching the clothespins to attach the legs is great for developing fine motor strength. You can line these little wooden donkeys up on a window sill for decoration.
How to Make
Cut a simple donkey body shape out of gray felt or stiff paper. Give the child two wooden clothespins to clip onto the bottom edge to act as four standing legs. Let them draw a face and add a bit of black yarn for the tail.
Materials Needed
- Gray felt or cardstock
- Two wooden spring clothespins
- Black yarn
- Markers and scissors
10. Empty Tomb Rolls (Baking Craft) 🥐
Baking together combines a snack with a powerful object lesson about the empty tomb. The marshmallow represents Jesus, and as it melts in the oven, it disappears, leaving the crescent roll completely hollow. These treats are incredibly popular easter crafts for kids christian children ministry events.
How to Make
Give each child a large marshmallow to dip in melted butter and then roll in cinnamon sugar. Wrap the coated marshmallow completely inside a triangle of crescent dough, sealing the edges tightly. Bake according to the dough package instructions until golden brown.
Materials Needed
- Canned crescent roll dough
- Large marshmallows
- Melted butter
- Cinnamon and sugar mixture
11. Palm Leaf Handprints 🌿
Cutting out paper shapes takes forever, so just use their hands instead to create a waving palm branch. Stacking multiple green handprints together creates a realistic, layered leafy look. It perfectly sets the scene for talking about Jesus entering the city.
How to Make
Have the child trace their hand onto green paper five or six times and cut them out. Glue the handprints slightly overlapping along a sturdy craft stick. Fan the fingers outward so it looks like a wide, sweeping leaf.
Materials Needed
- Green construction paper
- Large craft sticks
- Pencil and scissors
- Glue sticks
12. Tissue Paper Cross Collage 🖼️
Ripping paper is naturally satisfying for active kids, making this the perfect quiet-time activity. They can scrunch the little paper squares into balls to give the artwork a fantastic 3D texture. It looks impressive on a bulletin board and requires zero precision.
How to Make
Draw a large, thick cross on a sturdy piece of cardboard. Show the kids how to tear small squares of tissue paper and crumple them into tiny balls. Have them dip each ball into a puddle of glue and press it firmly inside the drawn lines.
Materials Needed
- Scrap cardboard
- Pre-cut tissue paper squares
- Liquid school glue in a shallow dish
- Black marker
13. Jelly Bean Prayer Jars 🍬
If you need a sweet gift for the congregation, this colorful jar pairs a poem with a treat. Each jelly bean color matches a specific part of the gospel message, making it a clever teaching tool. It is an easy assembly-line project for an older preschool group.
How to Make
Print out the classic ‘Jelly Bean Prayer’ poem on a small tag and punch a hole in the corner. Have the kids sort and drop specific colored jelly beans into a small glass baby food jar. Tie the printed tag around the neck of the jar using a bright ribbon.
Materials Needed
- Clean, empty baby food jars
- A bag of classic colored jelly beans
- Printed prayer tags
- Curling ribbon
14. Cardboard Tube Empty Tomb ✂️
Saving up those toilet paper rolls finally pays off with this three-dimensional scene. It stands upright on its own, allowing kids to act out the Sunday morning story. It is a highly resourceful craft that turns trash into a meaningful learning prop.
How to Make
Cut a half-circle arch into the side of a toilet paper roll to act as the tomb entrance. Glue a crushed brown paper bag over the top of the tube to look like a rocky hill. Cut a small circle from leftover cardboard to prop against the door as the rolled-away stone.
Materials Needed
- Empty toilet paper tubes
- Brown paper lunch bags
- Extra cardboard scraps
- Liquid glue and scissors
15. Salt Dough Cross Keepsakes 🏺
Playdough is great, but a hard-drying dough lets them create a permanent holiday decoration. Pressing a simple cross into the dough leaves a beautiful, fossil-like imprint. Parents love hanging these little ornaments around the house every spring.
How to Make
Mix flour, salt, and water to create a firm, moldable dough. Give each child a small ball to flatten into a thick circle on a piece of wax paper. Let them use a toothpick or small stick to press a cross shape deeply into the center before baking it dry.
Materials Needed
- 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water
- Toothpicks or small wooden sticks
- Wax paper
- String (if poking a hole for hanging)
16. Bead and Pipe Cleaner Fish (Ichthys) 🐟
Fine motor skill practice secretly hides inside this simple Christian symbol project. The ‘Jesus fish’ is an ancient symbol that is incredibly easy for little hands to bend into shape. Stringing the pony beads keeps them quietly focused for a surprisingly long time.
How to Make
Take a long pipe cleaner and let the child thread colorful plastic pony beads onto it, leaving an inch bare on each end. Bend the beaded pipe cleaner into a teardrop shape and cross the bare ends over each other. Twist the ends tightly to secure the tail of the fish.
Materials Needed
- Standard pipe cleaners
- Plastic pony beads in various colors
17. ‘Washed Clean’ Coffee Filter Cross ☕
Watching colors blend with water feels like magic to kindergarteners. This craft visually explains the concept of sins being washed away as the water transforms the dark ink. It is a highly engaging science experiment mixed with a faith lesson.
How to Make
Cut a large cross shape out of a standard white coffee filter. Have the kids color heavily on the cross using washable markers. Lay the cross on a plastic tray and let them use a dropper to drip plain water onto the colors, watching the ink bleed and spread.
Materials Needed
- White paper coffee filters
- Washable markers (not permanent)
- Water droppers or small spray bottles
- Plastic trays or paper towels
18. Paper Cup Church Building ⛪
Building structures out of cups gives kids a chance to design their own place of worship. Drawing stained glass windows on the cups before assembling them adds a personal touch to the architecture. It is a fun, engineering-focused activity that celebrates the church community.
How to Make
Give kids paper cups to decorate with markers, encouraging them to draw tall windows and large doors. Stack the cups upside down in a pyramid shape to form the main building. Top the highest cup with a small paper cone to act as the church steeple.
Materials Needed
- Plain white paper cups
- Colorful markers
- Construction paper for the roof
- Tape
19. Rock Painting Resurrection Story 🪨
Taking the craft time outdoors starts with hunting for the perfect smooth stones. Painting simple symbols on rocks is an excellent way to create story prompts for the kids to arrange in order. They can leave these painted rocks in a garden to spread a positive message.
How to Make
Wash and dry several smooth, flat rocks collected from outside. Use acrylic paint pens to draw one simple image on each rock: a palm branch, a cross, and an empty tomb. Once dry, seal them with a clear coat so they can survive outdoor weather.
Materials Needed
- Smooth, flat river rocks
- Acrylic paint pens
- Clear spray sealer
- Soap and water
20. He Is Risen Pop-up Cards ✉️
Sending happy mail to grandparents becomes extra special when a stone rolls away inside the card. Pop-up mechanics are surprisingly easy to fold and make the greeting card feel highly interactive. It is a beautiful wrap-up activity for the Easter season.
How to Make
Fold a piece of heavy cardstock in half to form a card. Cut two small parallel slits into the folded crease and push the resulting tab inward so it pops up when opened. Glue a paper drawing of the open tomb directly onto the popped-up tab inside.
Materials Needed
- Heavy cardstock in various colors
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
- Markers or colored pencils
Finding the right activities to keep little hands busy while teaching important lessons doesn’t have to be overwhelming. These ideas focus on using simple materials you probably already have lying around the house or the classroom.
Make sure to Pin this post to your Pinterest boards so you have all these easy projects ready for next Sunday!
