Pick a Pine Tree Christmas Craft

Christmas is such a magical time. One of the best parts of the season is the traditions we enjoy with family and friends—hanging stockings, decorating the house, and picking out the perfect Christmas tree! Explore the Pick a Pine Tree Christmas Craft and see how you can read the storybook and use the art project to get creative and expand on literacy in your early childhood program! This craft includes a free template to download to make the tree and car shapes or a link to my Cricut project.

If you’ve never read Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht, it’s a must. This sweet book captures the excitement of the holiday season, starting with choosing a tree and ending with the twinkling lights that make it shine. The rhythmic text and cheerful illustrations make it a fun read-aloud for little ones.

I’m sharing an adorable art project inspired by Pick a Pine Tree. It’s a simple, hands-on activity that toddlers and preschoolers will love. Plus, it brings the story to life!

Pick a Pine Tree Book Summary

Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht is a delightful celebration of a beloved Christmas tradition—picking and decorating the perfect tree. The story begins with a family choosing a pine tree from a lot and bringing it home to transform it into a beautiful centerpiece for the holiday.

Through rhythmic and engaging text, the book captures every joyful step of the process: hauling out the boxes of decorations, untangling strings of lights, and carefully hanging ornaments. The illustrations by Jarvis add warmth and charm, showcasing the excitement and togetherness of friends and family as they work together to create something magical.

This book is a festive read-aloud that beautifully highlights the love, joy, and traditions that make Christmastime so special.

The illustrations in this story are just beautiful – classic with a vintage vibe that draws in a child’s attention.

How to Make the Pick a Pine Tree Christmas Craft

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Car paper shape: Any color works! (In the story, the car is yellow, but I you can let kids choose their own.)
• Blue background paper
• Green paper tree-shape
• White paint: For snow
• Paint in different colors: For the Christmas lights
• Glitter paint: To make a sparkly light string
• Paintbrushes
• Christmas-themed stickers: Optional, but always fun!

Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Directions

Step 1: Glue on the Car

Give each child a car shape to decorate. Let them pick their favorite color and glue it to the bottom of the blue paper. If needed, guide them to place it low enough to leave room for the tree and lights.

Step 2: Paint the Tree

Next, give the kids a green tree shape to paint. Adding green paint gives the tree a fun, textured look.

Step 3: Add the Tree to the Car

Once the paint is dry, glue the tree on top of the car. It’ll look like the classic scene of bringing the Christmas tree home!

Step 4: Paint the Snow

Now it’s time for some snowy fun. Using white paint, have the kids add snow around the car on the ground.

Step 5: Make the Light String

Show the kids how to create a sparkly line with glitter paint that connects the car to the tree—this will be the string of lights.

Step 6: Add Fingerprint Lights

Using their fingers, the kids can dip into colorful paints to add “lights” along the glittery string.

Step 7: Add Stickers (Optional)

Finally, the kids can decorate their scene with Christmas stickers like ornaments, stars, or snowflakes if they want.

This art project is a hit because it’s easy, engaging, and perfectly ties into the book. Children can picture the storybook images as they work and think about the text. Kids love hands-on painting and decorating, and it’s a great way to practice fine motor skills, creativity, and following steps.

Plus, they’ll be so proud to take home their Christmas scene to share with their family! Older children can retell the story through explaining their art.

Why This Project is Perfect for Young Learners

• Encourages Fine Motor Development: Painting, gluing, and fingerprinting help strengthen those little hands.
• Fosters Creativity: Children can choose colors, decorations, and placement, making their artwork unique.
• Connects Literature and Art: Tying this project to Pick a Pine Tree enhances comprehension and brings the story to life.
• Seasonal Fun: It’s a joyful way to celebrate Christmas traditions while crafting a keepsake to take home.

Christmas Story Books for Preschool

Choose a new Christmas storybook for your early childhood program this year!

Last update on 2025-01-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Download the Pick a Pine Tree Craft Templates

Craft templates make this activity easy. Simply download and print the templates. How to use the craft templates:

• Children can cut them out themselves or precut them for younger children.
• The templates can be printed on regular paper and colored.
• Print on card stock and paint.
• Print on colored construction paper.

Looking for a Cricut Template? I’ve got that too! Find The Pick a Pine Tree Cricut project here.

Pairing books and art is one of my favorite ways to create meaningful experiences for kids. Pick a Pine Tree is a fantastic choice to inspire holiday fun. I hope you and your little ones enjoy making this festive project!

Happy creating, and Merry Christmas!

More Christmas Activities for Preschool

Here are some more activities for preschoolers and toddlers to explore, along with the Pick a Pine Tree storybook.

Try these fun activities in your classroom:

• Thread Wrapped Pinecones
• Pine Tree Investigation
• Sparkly Mini Christmas Trees