Picture this: a tiny smiling Christmas tree sitting on your holiday table, fat little cheeks, a winking face drawn on with a marker, and a neat red bow at its neck. Now lift the pointed top and out spill the sweets. That is exactly what you get at the end of this tutorial.
You do not need any crafting experience to make this. You do not need special tools or an expensive craft supply haul. By the time you finish reading this post, you will have everything you need to fold, fill, and decorate your own kawaii paper Christmas tree candy package from scratch.
All you need is a rectangle of green paper (15 x 8 cm), a black marker, a scrap of red paper, a glue stick, and a small handful of wrapped sweets. The whole project takes around 10 to 15 minutes per tree.
Why You Will Love This Project
This project is built for complete beginners. If you can fold a piece of paper, you can make this. It looks like something you would find in a boutique Christmas shop, but it costs almost nothing to make. These little trees are wonderful as Christmas table gifts, stocking stuffers, or party favour bags, and kids absolutely love helping to fill them. A video tutorial is included so you can watch every fold before you try it yourself.
What You Will Need
- Green cardstock or construction paper (15 x 8 cm rectangle) [or any thick green paper, even a cut-up green folder works]
- Black marker or fine-tip pen [or a dark pencil if that is what you have]
- Red paper (small scrap, roughly 4 x 2 cm) [or red ribbon, red washi tape, or a pre-made ribbon bow from a gift wrap bag]
- Glue stick or a small piece of double-sided tape [or a tiny dot of PVA craft glue applied with a toothpick]
- Small wrapped sweets or candies to fill the package [mini chocolates, jelly beans, or small lollies all work]
- A round object to trace (a coin or the rim of a small tin) [for shaping guidance, optional]
- Scissors [any household scissors are fine]
Total estimated cost: $0 to $3
All materials can be found at your local craft store or ordered online. You may already have everything at home right now.
Video Tutorial
Watch the full tutorial above before reading the written steps. The written steps below match the video exactly so you can follow along at your own pace.
Try: Easy Paper Envelope Craft Perfect for Beginners
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut Your Green Paper to Size
Cut your green paper into a rectangle that measures 15 cm wide and 8 cm tall. This is the measurement shown in the video and it gives you a finished tree that fits neatly in one hand. Use your scissors to cut along a straight edge, or fold the paper first and cut along the fold line if you do not have a ruler handy. At this point you should have one clean green rectangle in front of you.
Pro Tip: Use cardstock rather than thin printer paper if you can. Thicker paper holds the cone shape better and your finished tree will stand up on its own without flopping.
Step 2: Fold the Paper in Half Along the Long Edge
Hold the rectangle with the long sides running left to right, then fold the bottom edge up to meet the top edge. Press along the fold with your fingernail to create a clean crease. You now have a long, narrow strip that is roughly 15 cm wide and 4 cm tall. This fold is what creates the sealed bottom of your candy package.
Pro Tip: Run your thumbnail along the crease two or three times to make it really sharp. A tight crease here means the bottom of your tree will hold its shape when you fill it with sweets.
Step 3: Roll the Strip Into a Cylinder
Place the folded strip horizontally in front of you, then roll it from one short end toward the other, curling it into a tube shape. Keep the roll loose at first you will tighten it in a moment. Hold the tube gently between your fingers so it does not spring back open. This tube is the body of your Christmas tree before it gets shaped into a cone.
Pro Tip: It is okay if the cylinder is not perfectly even at this stage. You are about to reshape it anyway, so a slightly uneven roll will not affect the finished tree at all.
Step 4: Overlap the Ends to Form a Cone Shape
Slide one end of the tube past the other, overlapping by about 1 to 2 cm, so the tube transforms from a cylinder into a cone with a pointed top. Hold the overlap in place between your thumb and index finger. The bottom of the cone should have a round opening and the top should taper into a point. Take your time getting this shape right before you glue it.
Pro Tip: The more you overlap, the narrower and taller your tree will be. The less you overlap, the wider and squatter it will look. Neither is wrong, it is a personal preference!
Step 5: Glue the Seam Closed
Run your glue stick along the overlapping edge on the inside of the cone, then press the two layers firmly together and hold for 10 seconds. Make sure the pointed tip is well secured; this is where the most tension sits. Set the cone down on the table with the open end facing up and let it rest for a minute while the glue sets. Your tree shape is now permanent.
Pro Tip: If you are using a glue stick and the paper keeps popping open, switch to a small piece of double-sided tape on the inside seam. Tape gives an instant hold and is much more forgiving when your hands are working fast.
Step 6: Fill the Cone with Sweets
Hold the cone in one hand with the opening facing upward, then use your other hand to drop your wrapped sweets in one at a time. Fill the cone until it is roughly two-thirds full. You want enough candy inside to feel satisfying but not so much that you cannot pinch the top closed. Give the cone a gentle shake to settle the sweets down into the bottom.
Pro Tip: Smaller wrapped sweets work better than large ones. Mini chocolates, individually wrapped hard candies, or small jelly beans are all ideal. Large sweets can stretch the paper and make the cone lose its shape.
Step 7: Pinch the Top of the Cone Closed
Pinch the open top of the cone between your thumb and index fingers on both sides, pressing inward to flatten and seal the opening. You are creating the pointed tree top here, so press firmly to get a sharp tip. Hold the pinch for a few seconds and the paper will hold its position. Your cone now looks exactly like a Christmas tree from the front.
Pro Tip: If the top springs back open, add a tiny dot of glue or a piece of tape on the inside of the pinched seam before pressing it closed. This keeps the sweets safely inside and the tree shape crisp.
Step 8: Draw the Kawaii Face
Pick up your black marker and draw two round eyes and a smiling mouth on the front face of your tree. The style used in the video is a kawaii face: two circles with small dots inside for the eyes, and a simple curved open mouth with a tiny red dot for a tongue. Take your time and draw lightly first with a pencil if you are nervous about making a mistake with a marker. It is okay if the face is not symmetrical, that is part of what makes it look handmade and charming.
Pro Tip: Add little squiggly lines on either side of the mouth for the classic kawaii “blushing cheek” effect. You can also add a winking eye by drawing one eye as a closed curved line instead of a circle. Both details are visible in the finished examples shown in the video.
Step 9: Make and Attach the Red Bow
Cut a small rectangle of red paper (roughly 4 x 2 cm), pinch the centre together with your fingers, and wrap a tiny strip of red paper around the middle to create a bow shape. Apply a dot of glue to the back of the bow and press it onto the front of your tree, centred below the face and above where the cone widens. Hold it in place for a few seconds. The red bow is the finishing detail that makes the tree look festive and complete.
Pro Tip: You can skip the cutting and folding entirely by using a small pre-made gift bow from a pack of wrapping ribbon. These stick on instantly and look just as good. They are usually available in packs of 20 to 30 at supermarkets and dollar stores for very little money.
Tips and Tricks
Make sure your paper is thick enough before you start. Thin printer paper will buckle when you roll it and will not hold the cone shape. Cardstock, construction paper, or even a sheet cut from a cereal box covered in green paper will all work much better. The thicker the paper, the sturdier and more professional the finished tree looks.
Draw your face before you fill the cone with sweets. It sounds like a small thing, but trying to draw on a filled cone is tricky because the paper has more give and your lines can wander. Drawing on the flat or empty cone gives you much more control and a cleaner result.
Do not worry if your cone is slightly lopsided. A perfectly symmetrical tree is actually harder to achieve than one with tiny lean or uneven sides. Once the face and bow are on, no one will notice any imperfections. The handmade look is part of the charm.
Store finished trees standing upright in a small glass or cup. This keeps their shape between making and gifting. If you lay them on their sides, the cone can flatten slightly under its own weight. A narrow vase or a mug works perfectly as a display holder.
Make your trees in batches of six to ten at a time. Cut all your rectangles first, then roll all the cones, then fill them all, then decorate. Working in an assembly line like this is faster than completing one tree start to finish before moving to the next.
Ways to Use This Craft
As Home Decor
Stand four or five finished trees in a cluster on your mantelpiece, windowsill, or dining table for an instant festive vignette. They look lovely in a group of varying sizes if you adjust the paper dimensions slightly. The kawaii style suits modern, Scandi-inspired, and playful holiday decor themes particularly well.
As a Gift
These trees make wonderful small gifts for teachers, neighbours, children’s party guests, or anyone who loves a handmade touch. Fill them with the recipient’s favourite sweets and pair them with a handwritten gift tag. They are a warm, personal alternative to a shop-bought Christmas cracker or party favour bag.
Seasonal Variation
For Valentine’s Day, swap the green paper for red or pink, swap the candy filling for small heart sweets, and draw a heart instead of a Christmas tree face. For Halloween, use orange paper and draw a pumpkin face. The folding technique works for any season. All you change is the colour and the decoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How long does it take to make one of these Christmas tree candy packages?
A: One tree takes around 10 to 15 minutes from cutting the paper to attaching the bow. Once you have made your first one and you know the folding steps by heart, each tree after that takes closer to 5 minutes. Making a batch of 10 trees takes most people under an hour.
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What if I make a mistake on the face or the cone comes out wonky?
A: This happens to everyone on the first try and it is completely fixable. If the marker face goes wrong, simply cover it with a sticker or a small paper cutout and start again. If the cone loses its shape, unfold the paper, re-roll it, and re-glue. The paper is very forgiving and you can almost always recover from a mistake.
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Where can I buy the green cardstock and other materials?
A: Green cardstock and construction paper are available at most craft stores, dollar stores, and supermarkets. They are also very inexpensive online. If you cannot find cardstock, a sheet of green poster board cut to size works just as well. The red paper for the bow can be a scrap from a gift bag, a piece of red card, or even a pre-made ribbon bow from any gift wrap aisle.
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How do I get the cone to stand up on its own without falling over?
A: The key is making sure the base of the cone is open wide enough to create a flat ring of paper when you set it down. If your cone is too narrow at the base, it will tip over. Try widening the base slightly when you shape the overlap in Step 4. You can also place the finished tree inside a small empty bottle cap or a folded paper ring to act as a stand.
You Did It!
You have hand-folded a piece of green paper into a sweet little Christmas tree gift package and that is genuinely something to be proud of. These tiny trees take barely any materials and barely any time, yet they look wonderful enough to give as gifts to people you really care about.
Share your creation with us. We would love to see it! Ready for your next project? Try Adorable DIY Paper Gift Box Perfect for Beginners next!
Happy crafting! LOUVADECORES
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