These crafts are for the younger kids. For the older kid's and adults you will find more ideas here.
Parents and teachers may enjoy these ideas.  Best of all, all are cheap, fun and will allow the child to take pride in something they made.

For the Tree

Paper Chains - colored construction paper strips looped and glued or stapled together. You could also decorate the strips before putting them together (markers, paints, glitter, stamps).

1. Trace and cut out ten hands on green paper
2. Cut out one star from yellow paper
3. Start gluing with one hand at the top of the poster board, with the fingers pointing down. This will be the top of the tree.
4. Glue remaining hands fanning out to make a triangle shape
5. Glue star on the top
6. Decorate with you choice of items. (scrap paper, beads, pom-poms, etc.)

1. Mix cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg add applesauce & glue.
2. Work mixture with hands until smooth and well mixed.
3. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness cut with cookies cutters.
4. Use straw to make hole for hanging.
5. Put on wire rack to dry at room temp for several days.
6. Turn twice daily so they don't curl.
7. Use ribbon to hang.

Mix all ingredients, adding food coloring last. Stir over medium heat until smooth about 3 to 5 minutes. When mixture forms a ball in pot, remove from pot and knead until blended smooth. Let cool. Can be kept in airtight container until ready to use.

Same as above use dry Kool-Aid in place of food coloring.

Take different sizes of paper cups, wrap outside of each one with foil. Turn up side down, hang with pipe cleaners.

Using small styrofoam balls and tissue wrapping paper,  have kids wrap tissue paper around the balls, gathering it at the top. Leave about three extra couple of inches at the top. Secure with rubber band or pipe cleaner. If using a rubber band, tie a nice ribbon around to cover. Tip if younger kids age 7 or less, you may wish to pre-cut the tissue paper.
 

1. Make pattern by drawing or tracing simple designs on to paper (bell, star, tree, etc.)
2. Place a sheet of waxed paper of pattern.
3. Trace pattern with white glue.
4. Fill in design  completely or partially with a dots, stripes, etc.
5. Sprinkle on glitter, let set.
6. Shake off extra glitter
7. Let dry completely
8. Cut off excess waxed paper
9. Decorate back same as front
10. After drying

Punch hole and hang with ribbon, thread, or fishing line.

All you need is a sheet of wax paper, glue, and little doodley-dads or ribbon that you might want to add. This'll make Christmas decorations that look like glass.

Roll out a sheet of wax paper and put something heavy on the four corners so it won't roll up on you. Pour some glue out in different shapes, and you can use cookie cutters to make them. (Stars are easy to do) Put on any beads, ribbon, glitter, whatever and let it dry for a few days. If you used the colored glue they'll dry in a solid color. But if you used white glue they'll dry clear. After they're dry carefully peal them off the wax paper and there you go. If you want to hang 'em somewhere, after they sit for one night poke a hole in them.

Pipe Cleaner Ornaments

Using one red and one white, twist the red one around the white on. Then bend top over to make a candy cane shaped.

Cover the work area with a plastic table cloth, or at least newspaper or waxed paper!
Cover the edges of the pine cone with glue and sprinkle glitter over glue. GENTLY shake off excess glitter, and allow to dry.
Pine cone are normally light enough to sit on tree branches. They can also be used in holiday center pieces.

A second idea is to paint the pine cones green, and glue on bead, ribbon, etc. to make miniature Christmas trees.

Felt Magnets (this great idea was e-mailed from the Franklin Community Center)
felt, many colors
Tacky glue
magnet strips
christmas patterns( such as a tree or globe)

Cut patterns from the felt, then glue each peace together with the tacky glue let dry, then add the magnets, let them dry and hang on frig.

Get a bunch of sponges and cut them into shapes like trees, bells, stars etc. Dip them into paint and pressed them onto to paper.

Shred and tear up colored paper and ribbon Get a small clear acrylic frame from a discount store and press the paper scraps between the frame and the cardboard backing.

Make their own "village" out of small boxes. Have them paint, or color one building each day.

All you will need is some pasta (can be elbow macaroni, or a mixture of different types of pasta), spray paint, white glue, a heavy paper paper plate, and a piece of ribbon

Cut out the center of the paper plate, leaving only the rim.
Punch hole in rim, and tie yarn through. (to hang wreath by)
Glue on pasta, covering rim completely
Let glue dry completely. Than take outside to paint
Make a bow with ribbon, glue onto wreath.

This is a great project for little ones who aren't old enough to work with hot wax. Sheets of bees wax can be purchased at most hobby stores, along with a small package of wicking.
Detailed directions can be found on the adult's Craft page.

You will need:
2 Egg Cartons
poster board or heavy paper
white glue
paint
Items to decorate tree with (scraps of colored paper, fabric, buttons, glitter, etc.

Cut the egg cartons so you have one row of 6 cups, one row of 5 cups, and so on

6	6	6	6	6	6
5	5	5	5	5	1

4	4	4	4	2	2
3	3	3	1	x	x

Paint the outside of the egg cup green, expect for one of the singles which will be the base it should be red or brown
After the paint has dried, glue them on a large sheet of paper as follows:
Near the bottom the row of six
Directly below and in the middle, the odd colored one
Directly above (centered) the row of six, the row of five
Then continue in the same way with the remaining rows (4,3,2,1)
After glue has dried decorate

The background may be either cut away, or you may wish to decorate. One favorite is to wrap miniature boxes (match or ring boxes do well) and glue them under the tree.

New Years Hat

Buy a cheap painters hat (about a dollar) let the kids use markers, glitter, feathers, etc. For New Years

Homemade Silly Putty

Put glue and coloring in plastic container. Add starch a little at a time, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until mixture holds together like putty. Test with your fingers, if too sticky, add more starch in small amounts until mass is smooth and rubbery. Have fun pulling, stretching, bouncing and taking transfers off of the Sunday comics, etc. Store in a plastic bag or airtight container.

In saucepan, mix cornstarch with 3/4 cup cold water to a smooth paste. Soak gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water. Set aside. Pour boiling water slowly over cornstarch mixture, stirring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and clears. Remove. Stir in gelatin. Cool and divide into separate small screw top jars. Add color. Refrigerate to store. Paint is transparent, strong and durable with high gloss finish. May be used on dry or wet paper.

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
2 cups powdered milk (use just the powder)