Christmas tree paper cones

In this easy activity, we are going to create Christmas tree cones from paper or card, which are fun to decorate and make great Christmas table centrepieces, festive classroom displays or homemade decorations.

This DIY Christmas tree cone activity has been created to support the primary national curriculum. As a STEM activity, it will get kids thinking about 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes, as well as faces, edges and vertices. It’s an engaging introduction to geometry, but it can also be done as a fun and simple Christmas activity at home, entertaining children while developing their craft skills.

Activity: How to make a homemade Christmas tree cone from paper or card

Tools/supplies needed:

• A3 size green paper or card, one piece per tree
• A4 size yellow paper or card, one piece
• Scissors
• Sticky tape
• Biodegradable glitter
• Glue stick
• Felt tips or paints to decorate your tree
   

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make a homemade Christmas tree cone from paper or card

Adults can help children make their homemade Christmas tree cone by following these steps:

• Draw a semi-circle on the green paper or card.
• Cut out your semi-circle using the scissors.
• Roll the semi-circle into a cone shape and stick along the edge with sticky tape.
• Cut out a star shape from the yellow paper or card.
• Attach your star to the top of your cone and decorate with the glitter, glue and felt tips.

Download our Christmas tree paper cones activity worksheet for a printable set of instructions.

This worksheet also dives into the science behind changing a 2-dimensional shape into a 3-dimensional shape.

The engineering context

Geometry is branch of maths that allows engineers to design and create virtually every type of product or structure that you can think of. It’s also essential for measuring and navigation, playing a pivotal role in everything from civil engineering to space exploration.

Suggested learning outcomes

In this activity children will learn how to make a Christmas tree cone using paper or card. They will also receive a basic introduction to geometry by learning what is meant by 2D and 3D, as well as faces, edges and vertices.

Paper cone Christmas tree bonus activity wordsearch

If you’re up for an extra activity, children can try our Paper cone Christmas tree word search.

Download our activity sheet and other teaching resources

You can download our step-by-step instructions below as a classroom lesson plan.

All activity sheets and supporting resources are free to download, and all the documents are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

And please do share your learning highlights and final creations with us on social media @IETeducation #SantaLovesSTEM or send them via email to IETEducation@theiet.org to be featured in our online gallery.