The Doughboy's Favorite Part of the Christmas Tree: The Bottom Third

It happens every year but never gets old: Families gather in their living rooms to celebrate the start of the Christmas season by putting up a tree together. Be it a fresh spruce from a farm or the always faithful artificial evergreen in storage, excitement fills the room the moment your tree is in place.

Once it's wrapped in lights and hot cocoa is in hand, it's time for everyone (especially the kids) to help decorate. From glittery glass spheres to popsicle-stick class projects, every decoration takes its rightful place on the bottom third of the Christmas tree. When the kids have found a home for the last ornament, the Christmas centerpiece will surely be colorful, quirky, and uniquely your family's.

Decorating the Christmas tree together is an especially treasured time to make memories with the people you love. So stick with us for easy, family-friendly ideas to make this moment extra special with homemade trimmings for your tree this season. (Bonus: They work great for the top two-thirds of the tree, too.)

Kids will enjoy making and baking these stained-glass holiday cookies. Turn them into ornaments using a small straw to make a hole in each unbaked cookie cutout. After baking, reshape the holes for ribbon if needed. Decorate your cookies, if desired, then cut a ribbon into 9- or 12-inch lengths; insert a piece of ribbon through each cookie's hole and tie in a knot or bow.

These beautiful cinnamon-scented ornaments give your Christmas tree the perfect homemade touch and a delightful holiday-inspired scent. Have the kids help mix a spiced dough, roll it out, and cut it out into festive shapes. Allow the ornaments to dry for several days, then place them on your tree!

Expert tip: Trace your child's hand and use it as a guide to cut out ornaments to keep as a sweet memory of their tiny handprints.

When snow falls, cozying up inside with Christmas tunes and a family project is just the recipe. All you need is a stack of printer paper to create your own unique snowflakes to hang on the Christmas tree. We break it down step-by-step in our easy tutorial to show you all the best ways to bring your creativity to the table, snowflake-style. Psst—we have an easy how-to for making snowflake cookies, too, that pair perfectly with your festive drinks.

Fewer things are more magical than counting down the days until Christmas. Amp up the anticipation with a paper chain that serves as a countdown for kiddos and as a tangible way to remember what we're most grateful for this season. Then, twirl it around your tree as a decoration that slowly disappears as Christmas nears. Follow our easy-to-follow how-to article to put this special memory-maker together, sharing everything you love most with the ones you love most.

Pair a slow morning decorating the tree with the sweet taste of Pillsbury™ cinnamon rolls! Pro tip: Kids will love making them with you and eating them under the tree they've just trimmed.