Christmas Button Snake

12.08.2017


Sneak in fine motor skills development this Christmas with this fun and colorful holiday themed button snake!  This button snake is a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to work on buttoning skills.  Have fun making this DIY button snake for your little(s) this holiday season! 


button snake DIY


Button Snake



Baby Brother was still a wee-bit too young for our Christmas Lights Button Snake when I made it, but the idea struck and I just had to make it.  For I thought, It'll be perfect for him to work on  next Christmas.  

If an idea pops into my head, it's best to act on it or else it'll vanish into the wind! 

Such is my brain during this season in life! 

The next kiddos were a bit big for this activity; my 5 and 4 year old were pros!  They had no issues stringing the felt Christmas lights on the button snake.  They must've had a lot of previous fine motor practice ; ) 
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And YEAH for fine motor skills!  If your child needs a bit more practice strengthening dexterity, coordination, finger movement, etc.-- this homemade button snake is easy to put together and can be stored away to be played with over and over again.

Button Snake DIY


Supplies Needed:

  • Ribbon
  • several different colors of felt
  • marker



How to Make A Homemade Button Snake



To make the felt Christmas lights I free-handed a Christmas bulb onto a piece of felt and drew it out.  

I then used that piece as a template and drew on the other pieces of colored felt.

Cut out each Christmas light with a good set of scissors!  A good pair of adult scissors really makes a difference when cutting the felt.

Next I took some glitter glue and went back and forth at the top of the Christmas light.  Let it dry.

I folded the felt Christmas lights in half {top to bottom} and cut a small slit in the middle of the felt.  

This will be where the button is pushed through; make sure it is big enough for the buttons, but not too large so that the button just slides through without much effort.

button snake DIY

To make the thread "snake" snake, cut a piece of ribbon long enough to fit the felt Christmas lights.  

Next, you need to add buttons to both ends of your ribbon.  This, I believe, is how this activity has become affectionately known as the Button Snake-- not to be confused with rattlesnakes, garden snakes, etc!  

You could use a needle and thread and sew a button onto each end of the ribbon, OR you could simplify the project if your attempt at putting the thread thought the eye of the needle failed miserably, by using a hot glue gun. 

Yep, that is what I did folks--- and it works!

button snake

Once the Christmas Lights Button Snake is assembled, it is time for your little one to work on those fine motor skills!

Button Snake Learn & Play Ideas


  • Have your child thread the Christmas lights onto the button snake in any random order.
  • Call out a color for you child to thread onto the button snake.
  • Add letters or numbers to the felt lights to work on more early learning concepts.

christmas button snake

My 5 and 4 year old managed to work through this activity pretty quickly, but this will be the perfect fine motor activity for Baby Brother this year!

Enjoy more Christmas inspired fine motor skills ideas:

Fine Motor Skills Christmas Tree Craft