How to Make Light-Up Christmas Cards – A Christmas STEAM Family Activity

Each Christmas we have worked to make the season special for our children by sharing the message of Christmas with others. I especially like to bless grandparents with a keepsake Christmas project for kids. These handmade light-up Christmas cards are a creative and sweet way for your children to share the good news of the Savior and His birth.

A bonus is that this Christmas activity doubles as a STEAM project, so you can also enjoy a science lesson, too! Plus, it’s an activity that all ages can participate in at one level or another. Preschoolers can color the cards, while older siblings help with the lights. Elementary through high school ages love to personalize the cards and have fun putting together the circuits and successfully illuminating the lights.

There are different ways to make light up Christmas cards, but we selected the Chibitronics™ kit for ease of use with young children. Older siblings can help their younger siblings with the copper tape; it’s a great way for your oldest children to get some extra practice and really learn about circuits!

Ways to Use the Light-Up Christmas Cards this Season 

Attach them to a wrapped gift in lieu of a name tag.

This unique Christmas project makes a fun service project; share the finished cards with someone homebound or with nursing home residents.  We made some smaller ones to go on the Christmas tree in a nursing home.

You may want your children to write a Christmas greeting and Bible verse. At the end of the post, we have some of the verses we’ve used when making Christmas cards.

You can also use these as decorations on your Christmas tree or tucked into greenery on a mantle or table. Use a hole punch and colorful ribbon or yarn to hang from the tree.

How to Make Light-Up Christmas Cards

Supplies

• Chibitronics LED Circuit STEM Starter Kit  
• Lithium Batteries CR2032 
• Conductive tape
• Green construction paper or cardstock
• Scissors
• Optional – the Christmas cut-outs that are available for free below

A few notes before starting the project

We used a Christmas tree we drew freehand, but you can use the templates provided below. Print them on cardstock and have your children color their cards before adding the copper tape and lights.

Remember to remove the white backing off the copper tape when working with the copper tape. Otherwise, the tape will not stick to the paper tree.

Directions for the Christmas Tree Cut-Out

1. Fold the green construction paper into fourths.
2. Unfold the construction paper and cut along the lines to make four equal pieces of paper.
3. Draw a Christmas tree on one of the pieces of green construction paper and cut the tree out.

Directions for the Light-Up Christmas Card

Now for the fun part—putting together a parallel circuit and turning on the Christmas lights!

1. Using the copper take, make a parallel circuit, as shown in the picture below. Make a long tail at the end of the circuit. The tail must be long enough to reach the top of the tree.
2.  Add the sticker lights to the circuit. Ensure the sticker lights are arranged exactly as shown in the picture below. The light sticker’s top and bottom must touch the copper tape.
3. Add the lithium battery to the circuit. Make sure the positive side of the battery is facing down and touching the beginning of the circuit.
4. Now it’s time to complete the circuit and turn the lights on! Place the end of the circuit on the negative side of the battery (top side). The lights should all turn on! If they don’t, check that the top and bottom of the light stickers are touching the copper tape.
5. You may opt to cut a star and tape the loose piece of tape to the underside of the star so the batter and copper tape are not visible. The recipient just needs to touch the star to the battery to turn on the light!

You have just added lights to your Christmas tree using a parallel circuit!

We experimented with adding more batteries and trying to make our circuit blink. To make our circuit work, we also did quite a lot of experimenting and made several discoveries about circuits.

We had so much fun with this Christmas STEM activity. Our paper circuit Christmas tree lights were a hit with everyone, and our kids learned about circuits in a very hands-on way!

Enjoy blessing someone with these light up Christmas cards, a great reminder of John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world.”

Download These Bible Verses and Templates for the Light Up Christmas Cards

We have some fantastic templates and scripture verses that are perfect for your light up Christmas cards. Please grab this free download provided by The Homeschool Scientist.

Want More Holiday Activities?

Then be sure to check out these posts!

• 10 Great Ways To Energize Your Homeschool In December
• 25 Christmas Traditions For A Wonderful Holiday Season
• 7 Fun Ways To Homeschool In The Snow

Thank you so much to Michelle from The Homeschool Scientist for this fabulous Homeschooling Through The Holidays guest post!