From Basic Kids' Art Supplies to a Rainbow Christmas Garland

It's amazing how many beautiful things you can make with simple kids' art supplies, if you just know the right techniques.

This morning my toddler woke up with a burning fever and a terrible cough. I messaged his preschool, cancelled my own appointments, and hunkered down with my little guy on a rainy December day in California.

I had quite a bit of time stuck inside while my little guy napped off his cold (and watched too many episodes of Paw Patrol!) so I decided to take a stab at finishing our Christmas tree decorations. Somehow we had lost a box of Christmas ornaments and the tree looked a bit… well, naked.

I didn’t want to spend any more money this holiday season on new decorations so I thought I would make something instead.

I reached for my stash of kids’ art supplies to see what I could throw together. I realized that I had everything I needed to make a watercolor rainbow garland for our tree. So I got to it, and the results were surprisingly lovely! 

Choosing the Best Paper for Kids’ Art Projects at Home

I always try to have 2 kinds of paper on hand to make art at home with my kids and family:

• white computer paper

• white card stock

That’s it! I have tons of other paper that I use in my own art studio- sketch paper, drawing paper, pastel paper, etc- but for kids’ art projects, these two cover nearly everything. They’re affordable, easy to find, easy to store, and flexible enough for just about any at-home creative experiment.

Whenever I use the Crayola washable marker watercolor technique, I reach for white cardstock. It’s thick enough to absorb color and water, holds up to layering, and still feels approachable for kids.

Card stock is one of my secret weapons when it comes to making art at home with my kids. It's absorbent enough, affordable, easy to find and easy to store.

Digging Through my Kids’ Art Supply Stash to Make my Rainbow Garland

It was so fun digging through my creative pantry and finding everything I needed to make this rainbow Christmas garland.

Here are the kids art supplies I used for this project:

• Crayola Washable Markers (Bright Colors box of 10)

• Ooly Chunkies (Neon box of 6)

• 8.5” x 11” white card stock (About 25 sheets)

• A ceramic paint palette

• A wide and flat paint brush

And here are the household items I also pulled out to use:

• Scissors

• Scotch Tape

• A stapler (for when I ran out of tape!)

• A spray bottle filled with water

• A random rag

• A cooling rack for letting wet paper dry

Nothing fancy. Just versatile, well-loved supplies doing exactly what they’re good at.

With just a handful of kids' art supplies and a few items I always have around the house anyway (cooling rack anyone?) I was able to get started on my Christmas garland!

Choosing a Color Palette for my Rainbow Garland

With any creative coloring project, I always like to pick out my palette first thing. Using a random bunch of any old markers is a great way to get muddy colors . I knew I wanted my Christmas garland to POP so I put my color theory to work and chose my colors carefully.

I immediately decided NOT to use red, light pink or yellow markers for my rainbow garland. For various reasons, those colors don’t work super well when doing a watercolor effect. The yellow and light pink are SO light that they don’t feel worth the effort. Also the red looks… well it looks squirrel guts 😬. Perfect for a halloween vampire project but not the look I wanted for my rainbow Christmas garland.

Adding Texture with Paint Sticks and Resist Techniques

I also wanted a lot of texture and variation across the paper strips, so I pulled out one of my favorite kids’ art supplies: OOLY Chunkies.

I used them to draw lines, grids and squiggles using yellow, blue and green. I made thin lines with the sides of the chunkies and wide lines with the top (btw, such a great way to experiment with line quality).

There was also a practical bonus. Coloring and wetting dozens of paper strips takes time, and leaning into bold paint-stick patterns helped cut down on drying time while adding visual interest.

Ooly Chunkie paint sticks have become such a huge part of my art-at-home toolkit. I honestly don’t know how I ever got by without them.

I used Ooly paint sticks to create patterns on the watercolored paint strips AND as a stand-alone coloring supply.

Thoughtfully Mixing Colors to get a VIVID Rainbow Look

I colored a few pieces of card stock for each color in my garland and cut them into about 8 strips. For my purple chains I used 2 pieces of card stock since it was at the thinnest, highest part of my tree. For the blue part of my garland, I ended up using about 12 pieces of paper since it was at the thickest part of my Christmas tree.

For each part of the garland, I made sure to use VERY FEW, closely related colors. This is how to make sure that you get that yummy, vibrant rainbow effect.

On the yellow green chain for example, I use the following:

• Yellow

• Yellow green

• a tiny bit of Light blue

That’s it! These colors are close to each other on the color wheel so you know they will play together nicely when they are put side by side.

Having Fun with Crayola Washable Markers WATERCOLOR Technique (Kids Love this too!)

This is hands-down one of my favorite ways to use Crayola washable markers. It's also a big reason I consider them one of the most versatile kids’ art supplies out there.

I sprayed, brushed, mixed, blotted, and layered color, often using my ceramic palette to play with combinations before touching the paper. Some pieces turned out soft and cloudy, others bold and dramatic. I didn’t try to control every outcome. I just let the materials do their thing.

And their thing? Sooooo yummy 🤤.

It's hard to believe you can get such gorgeous watercolor textures from Crayola washable markers. This technique is so joyful and fun! Plus, it lets kids learn deep lessons in color mixing and color theory.

The Perfect Family Art Project this Christmas (I assume 😆)

One of the reasons why I LOVE free expressive, creative painting projects is that kids of all ages can participate and have lots of success making beautiful art. It’s a GREAT family art activity- particularly for long, dark winter nights.

After I got about halfway through this project and my little guy started to perk up, I had big hopes that my older kids would come home from school and join in. I even set out the table with color coded stations and snacks for everyone. 

Alas… they had no interest. Lol. They had piano and homework to think about so fair enough, but on another night this would definitely have been a really fun, satisfying project to all do together. Hmmm, maybe next time I'll try to lure them into helping with kitty cat Chrismukkah ornaments...

I am SUCH a softie for a well-laid out family art table. I created one station for each color and even set out some yummy snacks! Looks complicated but it's really easy as convenience-store pie.

Et Viola- A Happy Handmade Garland we can use year after year

I am so thrilled with how this sick day project turned out!

Start to finish, it took about 4 hours. At first I thought, “Geez, 4 hours feels long.” But then I realized that this is no single use art project. If I store it correctly (hello shoe box), I can use this lovely garland for years to come. It’s sturdy, cheerful, and colorful. Also, because the colors aren't Christmas-specific, I can also use this watercolor garland for birthday parties, summer gatherings, and more.

Anyway, compared to how long other DIY Christmas garlands take, this was relatively quick. (Seriously have you ever actually tried to make a popcorn garland? Unless you want to spend 2 weeks of evenings, tediously stringing tiny objects onto a nearly invisible string, DON'T). Finally, every year when I pull it out of its box I’ll remember this rainy December day when my little guy and I were cuddled up together at home. 

A sick day with a toddler isn’t exactly a morale booster. But now, as we sit on the couch watching yet another episode of Paw Patrol, with our rainbow tree twinkling in the corner, I have zero regrets.

I can't believe how lovely this watercolor rainbow garland looks on our Christmas tree!

Why a Simple “Creative Pantry” Makes Art at Home Easier

I’ve talked to many parents over the years about making art at home, what goes great, what feels overwhelming and where they get stuck. Almost every mom or dad I talk to mentions the same challenge: keeping art supplies organized. 

Well, I have great news. Much of what causes problems is have TOO MANY art supplies that DON’T DO ENOUGH. You don’t need boxes of 300 crayons or sticker books galore. Just like professional artists, kids’ do best with a core collection of high quality, highly versatile art supplies that they know how to use.

The art supplies I used for this garland fit that bill exactly. With just a few basics and some understanding of color and technique, you can create things that are useful, delightful, and genuinely beautiful.

Our rainbow garland is right at home nestled in among the pine needles and ornaments.

Want More Resources on Making Art at Home with your Creative Kids?

Here Ya Go!

• How to Organize Kids' Artwork without Tears or Stress

• Best Kids' Art Supplies for Sculpting (#6 will surprise you!)

• 7 Powerful Art Lessons Kids Learn from Coloring Pages

• Feed Your Family’s Creative Spirit with a CREATIVE PANTRY

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Frequently Asked Questions about this Christmas Rainbow Garland

Do I need special art supplies to make a rainbow garland like this?

No. This project came together using basic kids’ art supplies we already had at home. Versatile tools and simple techniques matter more than fancy materials.

Can kids of different ages participate in marker watercolor projects?

Yes. Marker watercolor is forgiving and open-ended, which makes it accessible for a wide range of ages—from preschoolers to older kids.

Why use cardstock instead of regular paper for marker watercolor?

Cardstock holds up better to water and layering, allowing colors to stay vibrant without the paper tearing or warping too much.

What makes Crayola washable markers good for watercolor techniques?

They’re affordable, widely available, and blend beautifully with water, making them one of the most flexible art supplies for kids.

How do you keep colors from getting muddy in rainbow art projects?

Choosing just a few colors that sit close together on the color wheel helps keep the results bright and cohesive instead of mixed and muddy.

How can parents simplify making art at home with kids?

Focus on a small “creative pantry” of high-quality, versatile supplies rather than collecting lots of single-use or novelty items.