Christmas art activities for middle school students are a great way to celebrate the season and encourage students to get into the act of giving. These projects are appropriate to do in the classroom as a group.

History
Teaching students about the history of Christmas is a great way to get students involved and motivated to start creating art projects. According to holidays.net, the celebration of Christmas dates back more than 4,000 years. It originated in early Mesopotamian celebrations which included the giving of gifts, elaborate feasts, and singing. These festivities took place before the Christ child was born, and were traditions for the Mesopotamian New Year.

Creating a Giving Poem
Over the years, Christmas celebrations have evolved to personalized family celebrations and traditions. One of the main themes in most celebrations is the idea of giving. Discuss with students the concept of giving and how it feels when someone gives them something, or when they give something special to someone. Have each student write a short poem about giving.

Card with Giving Poem
Making cards to send to loved ones during Christmas is a wonderful way to make art and also create something to give. Provide each student with a 6-inch by 10-inch piece of watercolor paper to create a card. Have students fold the paper in half. Using watercolor paints or watercolor pencils, have students create a painting on the front of the card. When they have finished painting, have students write their giving poem on the inside. Allow students to make as many cards as they would like.

Ornaments
Decorations for a holiday tree or Christmas celebration are great gifts and fun to make. Middle school students enjoy repetitive projects and working with beads. Provide each student with a length of wire around 10 inches long and an assortment of beads. Have students string beads on the wire and then twist it into a shape such as a circle or star. Encourage students to create a pattern with their beads. When finished, tie a ribbon to the beaded shape so the ornament can be hung on a tree.

Wrapping Paper
Making wrapping paper for Christmas gifts is easy. Give each student a few large sheets of easel paper. Red and green are complementary colors and are also associated with Christmas. Put a small amount of red and green tempera paint on plates along with an assortment of holiday cookie cutters in such shapes as those of trees, stars, and angels. Have students press a cookie cutter into a tray of paint and then press it onto easel paper. Continue until the paper is full of prints.

Star Mobile
Stars are often associated with Christmastime along with lots of glittering decorations. Have students cut several sizes of stars out of tag board. They can be free form or geometric stars. Paint one side of the stars with glue and sprinkle with clear, silver, or gold glitter. Allow to dry and then glue and glitter to the other side of the stars. When the stars are dry, punch holes in them and tie lengths of white string to them. Alternatively, have students find a branch or twig from their yard or around the school. Tie the glitter stars onto branches or twigs at varying lengths to create a mobile. Add some glue and glitter to the top of the twigs. Send the mobiles home for students to display in their homes.