Memorial day is a holiday that asks us to slow down and remember — not with fireworks and fanfare, but with the kind of gratitude that runs deep.
In our little farmhouse, the long weekend usually starts with a slow morning. Sourdough toast on the counter, line-dried laundry billowing on the porch, and three tiny humans tugging at my apron asking what we’re making today.
So I pull out the construction paper and we settle in around the kitchen table. Crafts have become our gentle way of teaching little hearts something tender — that real men and women laid down their lives so we could sit here, safe and free, with glue stuck to our fingers and red paint on our shirts.
If you’re looking for a simple way to honor the day with your littles, I’ve gathered twelve heartfelt memorial day crafts that even the smallest hands can manage. Most of them use what’s already in your craft drawer (or the recycling bin), and every one of them gives you a chance to start a meaningful conversation while glue dries on tiny fingers.
If your family loves leaning into patriotic crafting through the summer, our roundup of 15 Festive 4th of July Crafts That Will Instantly Spark Patriotic Cheer is a beautiful place to head next once memorial day quiets down.
12 heartfelt memorial day crafts for little hands and tender hearts
From paper plate poppies to tiny handprint flags, these are twelve of our favorite memorial day crafts to make with little ones — the kind that mean something while you make them, and stay sweet long after the day is done.
1. poppy flower paper plate craft
The poppy has long been the quiet symbol of remembrance — those little red blooms that grew over the battlefields of the first world war.
Cut a paper plate into petal shapes, paint it deep red, and glue a black circle in the center. Add a green pipe cleaner stem if you want to stand it up in a little jar on the windowsill.
While you’re working, this is a beautiful moment to share why we wear poppies on memorial day. Even toddlers can sense the reverence when you slow your voice down.
2. handprint American flag
This one is pure keepsake, sweet friend. Roll washable red and white paint into shallow plates, then stamp tiny handprints in alternating stripes across a sheet of cardstock to form the flag.
Add a small blue square in the upper corner with white star stickers, and write the date and your child’s name on the back. Tuck it into a frame and you’ll have something you’ll cry over in ten years.
If you love capturing how small they are right now, you’ll find more sweet ideas in our collection of 15 Cute Handprint Crafts for Kids You’ll Want to Treasure Forever.
3. bald eagle paper plate craft
My oldest is mighty fond of birds right now, and the bald eagle is his favorite by far. Paint a paper plate brown for the body, then glue on a white half-moon for the face and a small yellow triangle for the beak.
Cut wing shapes from brown construction paper and attach them to the back so they fan out a little. A pair of googly eyes finishes it off — though black marker dots work just as well.
For more paper plate magic, our 30 Easy Paper Plate Crafts for Kids is a treasure trove worth bookmarking for the long days ahead.
4. red, white & blue windsock
Wrap a clean toilet paper roll in red, white, and blue construction paper, then glue or staple long ribbon streamers along the bottom edge.
Punch two small holes near the top, thread a length of twine through, and tie it off so you can hang it from the porch railing or a low tree branch.
There’s something gentle about watching it dance in the breeze on a quiet may afternoon — a small reminder of freedom catching the wind.
5. USA flag paper plate craft
This one is so simple it’s perfect for the youngest crafters. Paint or color a paper plate with horizontal red and white stripes across most of the surface.
Then add a blue square in the upper left and let your little one stick on white star stickers (or stamp them) to fill it in.
It’s the kind of craft that toddler hands can mostly do on their own — which means a real cup of tea for mama while it comes together. A small grace, but I’ll take it.
6. “thank you” soldier card
This might be the most meaningful craft on the whole list, sweet friend. Fold a piece of cardstock in half and let your kids decorate the front with stars, stripes, hearts, or whatever their hands feel called to draw.
Inside, help them write a simple “thank you for serving” — even scribbles count when they come from a small heart with big gratitude. Mail it to a local veteran, drop it off at a nursing home, or send it through an organization like Operation Gratitude.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. — John 15:13
7. statue of liberty crown craft
Cut a long strip of green construction paper and snip seven triangular points along the top edge to form lady liberty’s crown.
Wrap it around your child’s head, tape it closed, and let them wear it proudly through the afternoon. You can stamp gold stars along the band if you want a little extra sparkle.
It’s a sweet way to talk about what liberty really means — and to watch a tiny human march around the kitchen pretending to hold a torch.
8. liberty bell craft
Stuff a small brown paper lunch bag with a bit of crumpled newspaper and tie the top with twine to form the curve of a bell.
Use a black marker to draw the famous crack down one side, and add a small construction paper handle at the top.
While you make it, you can talk gently about the bell that rang for freedom — a wonderful tie-in to history that older littles especially love chewing on.
9. patriotic star garland
Cut stars in three sizes from red, white, and blue cardstock — or use a star punch if you’ve got one tucked in your craft drawer.
Punch a hole in the top of each, then string them along a length of natural twine. Drape it across the mantel, the front porch railing, or the picnic table for sunday’s gathering.
It’s the kind of decoration that costs almost nothing and makes the whole house feel ready to honor the day.
10. red, white & blue handprint art
Stamp three handprints across a piece of white cardstock — one in red, one in blue, and a clean white one pressed onto a contrasting paper underneath.
If you’ve got more than one tiny human, do a row from each child and label them with names and dates. It becomes a sweet sibling keepsake all in one frame.
This is one of those projects you’ll pull out of a memory box ten years from now and just stand there for a minute, holding it.
11. “God bless America” craft
This one is dear to my heart. Take a piece of canvas paper or sturdy cardstock and write “God Bless America” across the top in pretty lettering — even imperfect handwriting feels right here.
Surround the words with handprint stripes, star stamps, or a hand-drawn flag. Frame it and hang it somewhere your family will see it all season long — maybe by the front door or in the kitchen above the table.
If weaving faith into your craft time is something you love, you’ll feel right at home in our gentle collection of 15 Super Simple Christian Crafts That Bring Bible Stories to Life.
12. memorial day footprint craft
Footprint crafts always undo me a little. Stamp a tiny foot in red paint, then again in blue, and let those little prints become the body of a flag — with white stripes added between them and stars on top.
Or make a single red poppy out of one footprint, with the heel as the bloom and the toes shaping the petals.
Date it on the back, tuck it into a memory box, and someday you’ll catch yourself wondering when those feet got so big.
why we slow down for memorial day in our little farmhouse
Memorial day is different from the fourth of july, sweet friend, though the two get tangled up sometimes. The fourth is a celebration of independence — fireworks and parades and freedom won. Memorial day is the reverent, quieter cousin. It’s the day we remember the cost.
I want my children to grow up knowing the difference. To understand that someone’s mama tucked them in for the last time so we could tuck ours in tonight. That kind of weight isn’t easy to teach a toddler — but a paper plate poppy and a thank-you card to a soldier? That, they can hold in their hands.
Crafting becomes a doorway. We make something simple, and while their hands work, their hearts settle into the meaning. We pray for the families who’ve lost someone. We say their names if we know them. We let the gratitude root in early.
If you’re raising your littles to walk in faith and gratitude, our collection of 10 Exciting Armor of God Crafts for Kids is another sweet way to weave meaning into your craft afternoons.
simple supplies you probably already have on hand
The beautiful thing about these memorial day crafts is they don’t ask much of you. A quick rummage through the craft drawer and the recycling bin is usually all it takes.
Here’s what comes up most often around our kitchen table:
- paper plates
- construction paper in red, white, and blue
- washable paint
- glue sticks
- child-safe scissors
- twine or ribbon
- star stickers (or a star punch)
- markers and crayons
- toilet paper rolls
- brown paper lunch bags
- a few pipe cleaners
If you’re missing something, don’t run out to the store. A little creativity covers it. No blue paint? Mix purple and white. No star stickers? Cut your own from foil tape. Out of cardstock? Cereal boxes work beautifully when painted over.
For more thrifty inspiration, our roundup of 15 Cute Recycled Crafts for Kids Made From Everyday Items is full of ways to make something lovely from what’s already in your home.
making memorial day matter beyond the craft table
Crafts are a beautiful starting place — but the meaning stretches further when we let it spill into the rest of the day.
A few gentle things we’ve started doing around our house: visiting a local veterans’ cemetery and laying a hand-picked wildflower on a grave. Pausing at three in the afternoon for the national moment of remembrance — even just a quiet minute together at the kitchen table. Watching an old documentary as a family. Sharing a meal with a neighbor who served.
You can also use this time to teach a few simple verses or songs — “the star-spangled banner,” “America the beautiful,” and a quiet prayer of gratitude before the cookout begins.
And if your little ones ask hard questions, don’t shy away. Answer them gently and honestly. They can hold more truth than we sometimes think — especially when it’s wrapped in love.
For more ways to fill the slow weeks of summer with meaning, our post on 10 Fun Summer Crafts for Kids They Will Want to Make Again and Again is a sweet companion to keep the creativity flowing.
gather your little ones and make this memorial day matter
You don’t need to do all twelve, sweet friend. Even one craft, made slowly and made with intention, is enough to plant something good in a little heart.
Pick the one that feels right for your family this year. Set out the paper plates and the paint, brew yourself a cup of tea, and let the afternoon unfold the way it wants to. The mess will wash off. The memory will stay.
And while you’re crafting, take a quiet moment to remember why we’re doing it. Some mama, somewhere, sent her child off to serve and they didn’t come home. We owe them this small, faithful pause.
Which of these heartfelt memorial day crafts is calling your name? I’d so love to hear which one you’ll be making with your tiny humans this year — drop a comment below and tell me, sweet friend. Your story might be exactly what another mama needs to read today.
Warmly,
Betty
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frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day?
It’s a sweet question, and one little ones often ask. Memorial day, observed the last monday in may, honors those who died while serving in the military. Veterans day, on november 11, honors all who have served — both those still with us and those we’ve lost.
A simple way to explain it to children is that memorial day says “thank you for laying down your life,” and veterans day says “thank you for serving.” Both are days of gratitude, just rooted a little differently.
What age are these memorial day crafts best suited for?
Most of these crafts work beautifully for kids from about eighteen months through elementary school, with a little adjustment to suit each age. Toddlers will love the handprint and footprint crafts and the simple paper plate flag. Preschoolers can manage the windsock, the poppy, and the eagle with a bit of help.
Older kids can run with the more involved projects like the liberty bell, the statue of liberty crown, and writing their own thank-you cards. There’s something here for every set of little hands.
How do I help my child understand Memorial Day without overwhelming them?
Keep it simple, sweet friend. You don’t have to explain the heaviness of war to a toddler. A gentle “today we say thank you to brave people who helped keep our family safe” is plenty for the youngest hearts.
For older children, you can share more — visit a memorial, read a story together, look at a photo of a relative who served. Match the depth of the conversation to the readiness of the child, and let the holy spirit guide the rest. Children can carry more than we think when truth is wrapped in love.
What can we do with the crafts after Memorial Day is over?
So many sweet options. The handprint art, footprint flag, and “god bless america” craft all deserve to be framed and displayed somewhere meaningful — maybe a hallway gallery wall or a memory shelf in the living room.
The thank-you soldier cards should be mailed off promptly. The garland and windsock can be tucked into a labeled box and brought back out for the fourth of july. Anything you don’t keep can be slipped into your child’s memory binder so you can flip through their crafts years from now and remember.
Any quick craft prep tips for busy mamas?
Yes, mama. A few that have saved me more than once: gather all your supplies the night before in a basket so you’re not hunting for the glue stick while a toddler unravels the toilet paper. Lay an old sheet or kraft paper down on the table to catch spills.
Pre-cut shapes for the smallest crafters so they can get straight to the gluing. Keep a damp cloth nearby for sticky hands. And give yourself grace if it goes sideways — the goal isn’t a perfect craft, it’s a peaceful, intentional moment together. The mess always washes off, sweet friend.
For another nearby holiday filled with sweet handmade moments, take a peek at our 10 Thoughtful Father’s Day Gifts From Kids That Feel Extra Special.
