Printable Christmas Ornaments to Color, Cut Out and Hang

To make paper Christmas ornaments, print a coloring page of baubles on 200 to 250 gsm card, color both sides, cut around each shape, punch a hole near the top and tie on a loop of ribbon. One page of our free Christmas ornaments coloring page gives six ornaments (two baubles, a bell, a star and two pinecones), which is about 45 minutes of coloring for a six-year-old and ten minutes of cutting for an adult. Here is what to print, which paper holds up on a branch, how to make them last for years, and how to turn a family photo into an ornament.

Quick answer: ornaments in six steps

1. Print the Christmas ornaments page at the easy level on 200 to 250 gsm matte card.
2. Color with pencils, crayons or felt-tip pens. Add glitter glue last, if at all.
3. Cut out each shape, leaving a 2 to 3 mm white edge so the outline stays visible.
4. Back it: glue the cutout onto a second piece of card, or print the page twice and color the back too.
5. Punch a hole 5 mm below the top and thread 20 cm of ribbon or baker's twine.
6. Hang it on the tree, a window, a doorframe or a gift.

Which coloring pages make good ornaments?

A good ornament page has separate shapes with clear outlines and some white space between them, so each one can be cut out on its own. On our free pages:

• Christmas ornaments, easy level: six ornaments with big spaces between them. The best page for children under eight.
• Christmas ornaments, detailed and expert levels: baubles with a snowy village, holly and snowflakes drawn inside. Harder to cut out because the shapes overlap, but lovely for teenagers and adults who want one or two showpiece ornaments.
• Snowman, Christmas tree and reindeer: cut around the main figure and they hang well as single ornaments.
• Gingerbread house: cut out the house, fold a strip of card behind it and it stands on a shelf as well as hanging.

All of them are on the free Christmas coloring pages page, in four detail levels.

What paper should paper ornaments be printed on?

Use 200 to 250 gsm matte card. Normal 80 gsm printer paper curls on the branch within a day and tears at the hole. Card stays flat, takes crayons and pencils well, and survives being packed away in January.

• Most home inkjet printers take 200 gsm through the rear or manual feed tray. Check the printer manual for its limit.
• White or ivory card both work. Kraft (brown) card looks good with white gel pen and metallic pencils, but colors are duller on it.
• Glossy photo paper does not take crayon or pencil.

Our guides to the best paper for coloring pages and printing coloring pages at home cover printer settings for heavy paper.

How do you make paper ornaments last?

A paper ornament can last ten years or more if you protect it:

• Laminate it after coloring and before cutting, then cut out with a 3 mm clear edge. This is the toughest finish and wipes clean. See how to laminate coloring pages.
• Seal it with a thin coat of matte Mod Podge or PVA glue mixed half and half with water. It stiffens the card and fixes crayon wax.
• Reinforce the hole with a paper reinforcement ring or a small piece of clear tape before punching.
• Write the name and year on the back in pen. In five years, that is the part everyone looks for.

Store them flat in an envelope between two pieces of card, not loose in the decorations box.

Ideas for coloring and decorating them

• Both sides: print the page twice, color one copy as the front and the other as a mirror image back, then glue them together with the ribbon in between. The ornament looks finished from every angle.
• Metallic and white pens on a dark ornament give a frosted look that crayons cannot.
• Glitter glue on the snowflake and the star, in thin lines. Let it dry flat overnight.
• A theme per year: one year every ornament is red and gold, the next year blue and silver. The collection shows the years at a glance.

Making ornaments with a group of children

Paper ornaments work well for a classroom, a playgroup or a family afternoon with cousins:

• Plan 1 page per child, plus spares. Six ornaments per page is plenty for one session.
• Precut for children under five. Let them color whole shapes you have already cut out, with the hole already punched.
• Five- to seven-year-olds can cut the easy level with child scissors if you leave a wide white edge around each shape.
• Put names on first, before coloring, so twenty identical stars do not get mixed up.

Allow 60 minutes in all: 30 to 40 minutes of coloring, 15 minutes of cutting and threading, and the rest for hanging and admiring.

Can you make an ornament from a family photo?

Yes, and it is the ornament people keep. Turn a photo of the children, the pet or the whole family into a coloring page, print it small (8 to 10 cm across), and let the children color their own faces. Cut it out in a circle, back it with card, add the year, and you have a new ornament every December that shows how everyone has grown.

The best photos for a small ornament are close-ups: one or two faces, daylight, a plain background. Our Christmas family tradition guide has more ideas for building a collection year after year, and the Christmas card guide uses the same photo for a matching card.

Frequently asked

What size should a printed paper ornament be?

Between 7 and 12 cm tall (about 3 to 5 inches). Smaller ones disappear among glass baubles, and bigger ones bend the branch. Print the easy page at 100 percent on A4 or Letter and the ornaments come out at about this size.

Can toddlers make Christmas ornaments from coloring pages?

Yes, with help. Give a two- or three-year-old a single large shape that you have already cut out and punched, with chunky crayons. Expect a few minutes of coloring, not a finished design. Our toddler coloring guide explains what works at that age.

How do I hang paper ornaments without a hole?

Tape a loop of ribbon to the back with a strip of washi or clear tape, or glue a ribbon between two printed layers. Both methods leave the front untouched, which matters if the ornament has a photo on it.

Can I print the ornaments in black and white?

Yes. Every free coloring page is black line art, so any printer works. Card stock is the only thing worth buying specially.

Try it with your own photo

This year's ornament could be your own family. Coolorio turns a photo into a printable coloring page in four detail levels, with a border for the name and the year, delivered as a PDF you print at home. Photos are deleted after 7 days. See how it works to make your first page.