There is so much you can do with a few sheets of paper and wrapping ribbon. I love simple projects that look amazing but don’t take a ton of time, supplies, or craftiness to do! Our 3D Christmas tree STEAM craft activity is a great combination of engineering, art, and math that you can easily do at home or in the classroom. We have several fun Christmas STEM activities to try!
3D CHRISTMAS TREE STEAM ACTIVITY
WHAT IS STEAM?
What is STEAM? STEAM is STEM + an A for art! It stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math intertwined into one activity. A STEAM activity will have 2 or more facets involved making it an amazing hands on activity for kids!
STEAM activities provide amazing and valuable life lessons for kids. Lessons kids can only learn by getting involved and doing. If you thought it would be expensive to set up STEAM at home or in the classroom, it definitely isn’t. Our inexpensive STEM ideas show you how!
MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT ALL OUR STEAM ACTIVITIES
My son always prefers when we can add a STEM component to a crafty kind of project. That’s why I put together this collection of STEAM inspired Christmas ornaments for us to make! A touch of crafty with a hint of STEAM!
CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS FOR KIDS TO MAKE
3D CHRISTMAS CRAFT
We had a ton of fun with this simple 3D Christmas tree STEAM craft! I hadn’t expected my son to be as interested, but he was. We even made a second one.
This is a terrific last minute Christmas activity too. You can even prep it ahead of time and put the materials together for when you have a few extra minutes or waiting for the cookies to bake. Plus, you can sneak in a little geometry too!
The options for decorating and designing your three dimensional Christmas tree are endless. Once you get the basic shapes put together, you can weave all the ribbons, bells, or even small nuts and washers that you desire!
Making a 3D craft takes a bit of engineering! And a bit of math too. What kind of triangle is this? My son has learned that all triangles are not exactly the same though he is still learning about the different kinds.
Here we have isosceles triangle where only two sides are equal and those opposite angles are equal too. Can you make the trees with different kinds of triangles? Try an equilateral triangle too!
I mentioned you can take your 3D Christmas tree STEAM craft in any direction. I added a sliver thread with jingle bells to mine. What will you add to yours?
ALSO CHECK OUT: Snowflake Salt Painting
Don’t forget to grab your FREE set of Christmas STEM challenge cards…
HOW TO MAKE A 3D CHRISTMAS TREE
All you need is a few simple supplies and you are ready to go! Check out the step by step directions below to see just how easy it is to put your three dimensional Christmas tree together.
YOU WILL NEED:
- Green Card Stock {You want a heavier weight paper or even poster board to give your Christmas tree craft strength}
- Yellow Card Stock
- Ribbon {and any other decorations!}
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Tape
- Hole Puncher
3D CHRISTMAS TREE INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1: CREATE TWO TRIANGLES
We are going to get a little technical here with our ruler.
Measure a halfway point on the top of your paper {short side}. Draw two lines meeting at that point from each of the bottom corners. You can eyeball this if you need to!
Then cut them out. You will need two triangles for your tree.
STEP 2: MAKE IT STAND
To get your 3D Christmas tree to actually stand up, you need to make a couple of special cuts. Don’t make the same cut in the same place on both triangles!
Make one cut halfway up from the bottom on one triangle.
Make the 2nd cut halfway down from the top.
To check and make sure it works, slide the tree pieces together. You might have to make a little extra cut if the tree isn’t balanced.
STEP 3: PUNCH HOLES
Stack the tree pieces on top of each other and use your hole puncher to make holes up both sides of the trees for your ribbon to thread through.
STEP 4: PUT YOUR TREE TOGETHER
Slide your tree together. You will want to secure the pieces with a bit of tape. Put several pieces of tape on the bottom and on the top of the tree.
STEP 5: DECORATE YOUR TREE
Start decorating! Weave your ribbon and add what ever else you want to use to decorate your three dimensional Christmas tree!
STEP 6: MAKE A STAR
The exact way you made the tree, you will make the star.
I used the inside of a cookie cutter to draw a star shape. Go ahead and free hand draw it if you like. Just make sure you have two!
Make similar slits to your tree and slide the pieces together.
STEP 7: ADD THE STAR TO THE TREE
The way the top of the tree comes together is perfect for sliding the star on top!
You now have an awesome 3D Christmas tree for decorating your table, mantle, or bookcase!
I love the way our 3D Christmas tree looks. It’s wonderful to add homemade decoration making to your holiday season. Take a few minutes to throw together our Christmas STEAM activity and you will be glad you did!
MORE AWESOME CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES
- Christmas Science Experiments
- LEGO Advent Calendar
- LEGO Christmas Ornaments
- Christmas STEM Activities
- Christmas Slime Recipes
FUN 3D CHRISTMAS TREE STEAM ACTIVITY
Click on the image below or on the link for more fun and simple Christmas Math Activities
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