When the house fills up with out-of-town guests, big kids home from school, or friends looking for an excuse to gather, there's nothing cozier than a creative holiday activity to keep everyone happily busy. Whether you're hosting a paint-and-sip, setting up a sprinkle bar, or breaking out my Watercolor Nutcracker Painting Kits for a stress-free craft night, these festive projects are equal parts relaxing and memorable. From teens to moms to your most "I'm not creative" friend, these ideas are simple, joyful, and perfectly suited for slow winter evenings spent sipping, chatting, and making something beautiful together.
1. Watercolor Night: Nutcrackers & Friends
Imagine a table strewn with palettes, a soft holiday playlist in the background, mugs of cocoa nearby, and each guest leaning into a bright splash of color. With the Watercolor Nutcracker Painting Bundle in hand, you’ll guide your group (moms, teens, maybe even siblings) through a calm ‘paint-and-chat’ evening. No drawing skills needed, just a cozy seat, some laughter, and that joyous moment of picking your favorite hue. It’s the kind of creative pause that turns guests into artists and gives everyone a little frame-worthy, conversation-starting, memory-invoking keepsake to bring home. See how I set my table up here, and enjoy 20% off watercolor kits through December 1st with code MERRY!
2. Cookie-Decorating Party with a Sprinkle Station
Gather around a sparkle-laden table where sprinkles reign supreme: metallic stars, pastel pearls, sugar “snowflakes,” all arranged on a cheerful and clever table. My favorite way to organize is with the Nora Fleming bubble tray! Let everyone dive in – moms and teens side by side – decorating cookies, sipping something warm, comparing their sugary masterpieces. It’s part craft, part dessert, and delightfully messy in the best way! Bonus: once the guests leave and you’ve got visitors’ leftovers, you’ve already got dessert ready to go the next day. Speaking of Nora Fleming, she's released a series of small events at local boutiques to paint your own mini ceramic charm! Check our your favorite local shop to see if they have one coming down the chimney!
3. DIY Terrariums or Indoor Plant Arranging
Swap paint for greenery and invite your women + teen crowd into a terrarium-making workshop: clear glass jars, tiny plants, pebbles, moss, and maybe even a few miniature figurines for extra flair. There are kits on Etsy, or check out your favorite local plant shop's class offerings! Grow Geneva is my favorite, and Lady Bird Blooms hosts wonderful floral centerpiece design workshops. As everyone digs their hands into soil (yes, guests might get a bit messy), they’re also coloring outside the lines of everyday life—building something living, personal, and low-maintenance. Pop Cocoa in the slow cooker, put on a fireplace video or mellow playlist, and you’ve got a chilled-out, nature-infused craft that stays on display long after the gathering ends.
4. Ornament or Nutcracker Decorating
Set up a sparkling little ‘crafting bar’ with clear acrylic bulbs, wooden nutcrackers, paint pens, acrylic paint, shredded iridescent snow, ribbons, and tiny add-ins like bells or charms. Let everyone design their own ornament—glitter optional, creativity required (see my setup here). Teens tend to make TikTok-worthy patterns, moms go classy-chic, and someone always decorates one in honor of the family pet. Hang them on the tree before the night is over and admire your new personalized ‘guest gallery.’
5. Festive Decoupage Oyster Dishes & Ornaments
Give your guests a craft that feels both coastal and Christmas-y: decoupage oyster shells! Set out a stack of cute cocktail napkins, paint brushes, Mod Podge, and a sprinkle of gold paint pens. Everyone chooses their favorite pattern - holly berries, tartan, gingerbread men - and glues it onto a gleaming oyster shell outlining the edges in metallic gold. The result? Chic little trinket dishes perfect for rings, trinkets, or that one rogue hair tie. It's simple, sparkly, and instantly giftable...plus there's something delightfully fancy about turning dinner scraps into glam decor. Functional art they'll take home and brag about!
6. Candle Pouring
Bring on the cozy! Candle-pouring nights are peak holiday vibes—warm soy wax melting on the stove, essential oils drifting through the kitchen, and everyone choosing their signature scent. It’s a little bit spa night, a little bit science experiment, and a whole lot of fun. Plus, guests go home with something luxurious and handmade… which always beats yet another coffee mug. I'm a big fan of Inluro in Geneva or Candle Mercantile in Lake Geneva. Etsy has a plethora of kits or stop by your local hobby shop!
7. Ceramic Ornament Glazing
Take your party to a local pottery shop, where the soft hum of creative energy meets the warm glow of clay and glaze. Everyone can pick out blank ceramic ornament shapes - snowmen, trees, little nutcrackers, you name it - then spend the evening painting them with glazes in all their favorite holiday shades. The studio staff will fire them in the kiln, and a week or two later, you'll collect a shelf full of personalized, glossy ornaments that double as keepsakes Many places even offer BYOB! If you're local, be sure to check out Pottery Bayou in Naperville for drop-in hours and events, or Whim Studio in Wheaton for classes and to-go kits!
8. Glass Ornament Making
Many towns have glass studios with magical, light-filled spaces for fused-glass ornament making. Guests can choose from seasonal pre-cut glass shapes and layer colorful "frit" scrap pieces, or even glittery accents. Once the designs are ready, the studio fires them in a kiln so they melt together into beautiful, translucent treasures. In just one session, you and your friends or family will create glowing glass ornaments that sparkle like embers of holiday magic-plus, the experience of trying something totally new makes for the kind of memory you'll talk about long after your guests have left. Local Glass Studio in Glen Ellyn is the place to be!
9. Acrylic Pour Ornaments
Channel a little modern holiday magic with an acrylic pour ornament night at a fluid-art studio like Hawaii Fluids Art in Naperville or Geneva. Picture your guests swirling vibrant paints in cups—emerald greens, cranberry reds, golds, and silvers—and then pouring them into round clear ornaments or flat wood blanks to create marbled masterpieces. The pours are mesmerizing, a little unpredictable, and beautifully unique, and the studio staff handles the drying so you don’t have to worry about mess (just the wow factor). Each person walks away with a one-of-a-kind ornament that looks like liquid stained glass—totally Instagram-worthy and absolutely wonderful to gift or hang on your own tree.
10. Hot Chocolate Charcuterie + Mug Decorating
Give your group the world’s cutest challenge: decorate your own holiday mug and assemble the most over-the-top hot chocolate board known to humankind. Marshmallows? Of course. Peppermint sticks? Toss them in. Chocolate shavings, caramel drizzle, whipped cream mountains? Mandatory. Another great excuse to bust out Nora Fleming's bubble tray! Everyone leaves with a one-of-a-kind mug—and a sugar high that could power Santa’s sleigh.
11. Holiday Puzzle & Sip Night
Sometimes you want a low-key vibe: fuzzy socks, a big table, and a holiday puzzle that may or may not test the family’s patience. Add cider or wine, a candle burning nearby, and you’ve instantly created a cozy winter ritual. Someone will inevitably become the ‘piece hoarder,’ someone will solve the edge in five minutes flat, and everyone will swear they’re not competitive… until the last piece goes in. If you're local, The Cottage in downtown Wheaton always has a really sweet selection. As I write this, Kiel James Patrick is sold out of their cozy cabin puzzles, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed they'll restock soon. Stop by a local shop to see if they have anything fun on hand!
12. Cozy Blanket Making Circle
Imagine everyone lounging on comfy pillows, choosing from a rainbow basket of yarn, needles or hooks poised, knitting or making away while chatting about everything from college apps to interior décor dreams. Michael's has instructions for making a no-sew fleece blanket that's always a hit, with a myriad of fabrics to choose from! It’s slow, rhythmic, and soothing — perfect for those nights when you want to keep your crew quietly engaged, warm, and productive. Four hours later you’ve got laughter, conversation, and handmade cozy pieces ready to snuggle or gift.
13. DIY Photo Garland or Memory Board
Print out favorite photos from the year—kids, pets, vacations, blurry selfies, or gather your Christmas cards—and let everyone build a cozy little memory garland with twine, mini clothespins, and decorative bits. It’s sweet, simple, and surprisingly addictive. Hang it up for the holidays, then keep it up long after because it warms up any wall like magic.
14. Holiday Bath Bomb or Sugar Scrub Making
Let everyone lean into their inner apothecary with homemade bath bombs or sugar scrubs. They smell amazing, look adorable in jars, and teens especially love the ‘DIY beauty’ vibe. Citrus peppermint? Yes please. Vanilla cookie? Absolutely. It’s hands-on, scent-filled, and leaves you with gifts you’ll actually use. Soapy Roads of Lombard has a lovely menu of class offerings and private events!
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