Christmas Garland Printable: A Merry Christmas Bunting Kids Can Colour

Want a Christmas decoration that your children can make from start to finish – and that the whole family sees every day? A Christmas garland printable is just that: a row of paper flags, each with a big letter to colour, that together spell MERRY CHRISTMAS. It is a cosy afternoon project for ages 3–7, it needs nothing more than paper, crayons and string, and it looks wonderful above a window or a fireplace. Here is how to make it step by step.

The Christmas garland printable: what the bunting looks like

The garland in our Christmas craft pack is spread over three A4 pages. Each flag carries a letter of the greeting for children to colour – with plain colours, patterns or both. Once cut out and strung in order, the flags read MERRY CHRISTMAS – a lovely moment for children who are just learning their letters. The pages print in black and white, so the colours are entirely up to your child.

Colouring the letters: ideas by age

Ages 3–4

• One colour per letter – let your child choose and name each colour.
• Chunky crayons are easier than pencils for filling big letters.
• Don’t worry about the lines; the shape of the letter still shows clearly.

Ages 5–7

• Try patterns inside the letters: stripes, dots, zigzags or tiny stars.
• Alternate red and green for a classic look, or choose a rainbow from M to S.
• Colour the background of each flag too, so the letters stand out.
• Add a little glitter glue once the colouring is dry – optional, but festive.

Cut, order and string the flags

1. Cut out the flags. Older children can cut along the dashed lines themselves with children’s scissors; for younger ones, cut the flags out in advance or cut roughly and let them snip straight edges. Scissors always with a grown-up nearby.
2. Lay them out in order. Spread the flags on the floor and spell the words together: M-E-R-R-Y, then a gap, then C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S. It is a fun little spelling game – who can spot the two Rs in MERRY?
3. Attach the string. Choose one method:
   • Punch two holes near the top of each flag and weave the string in and out.
   • Or lay the string along the back of the flags and fix each one with a strip of tape.
4. Leave a gap between the words. A slightly longer space after the Y makes MERRY CHRISTMAS easy to read from across the room.
5. Leave long ends. About 30 cm of string at each end makes hanging easier.

Ribbon, baker’s twine or plain wool all work. Thicker 160–200 g/m² paper helps the flags hang straight, but ordinary printer paper is fine too.

Where to hang it: window, fireplace, kids’ table

• Across a window: fix the ends with removable tape or suction hooks – it looks lovely from the street.
• Along a mantelpiece: only if the fire is not in use or the garland hangs well above it. Keep paper away from open flames, heaters and real candles; LED candles are a safe alternative.
• Above the kids’ table: for Christmas lunch, string it along the edge of a shelf or between two chairs.
• In the children’s room: above the bed or along a bookcase, so they see their work every morning.
• On the staircase: loop it along the banister with a few ribbons.

Matching cards, tags and ornaments

My Christmas Cards & Decorations has 25 A4 pages for ages 3–7: the MERRY CHRISTMAS garland, 12 Christmas cards to colour and fold, 24 gift tags and 12 round tree ornaments. Made together, the garland, the cards on the shelf and the baubles on the tree turn the whole room into a hand-coloured Christmas set.

Try the free sample first

The garland is only in the full pack, but the free sample lets you try the style first: 2 cards to colour and fold, a page of 6 gift tags and a page of 4 tree ornaments. Small cut-out parts are not suitable for children under 3. For more ideas on the cards, read our guide to printable Christmas cards for kids.

Download the free sample See the full pack Printable Christmas cards for kids