Painted Christmas puddings
An easy-to-do painting technique to create fun festive decorations and games.

Age Range: 3+
Duration: less than an hour
Location: anywhere
Time Of Day: any time
Season: winter
Category: art & creating
Preparation
Cut your own or buy a number of wooden discs or counters.
If you want to make hanging decorations, drill the discs. Thicker counters can be used for games. In this example we are making counters for tic tac toe.
Sand your counters smooth on one side (or both sides if you’re painting both).
Using weatherproof acrylic paints gives a finish suitable for the outdoors – most other paints should be fine for indoor use.
Alternatively you can paint onto card, paper or anything round.
Step 1
Paint approximately two-thirds of your disc dark brown. Allow to dry.
Step 2
Paint the other third white, up to a rough/wiggly line, and allow to dry.
Step 3
At the top of the white area, use a pencil to draw the outline of holly leaves and berries.
Step 4
Using pens or very fine brushes colour in the holly: green leaves and red berries.
Step 5
Once it’s all dry, use a black marker on the brown area to draw the currants.
Decorate the white part with metallic silver pen for sparkly icing!
Take it further
Use the puddings for Christmas decorations or put them together with painted wooden robins to create festive noughts & crosses.