Andy Warhol Christmas: 15 Pop Art Holiday Crafts Inspired by His Playful Party Tables

An Andy Warhol Christmas is bright, playful and full of color, and it is easier to make at home than you might think. Long before his famous paintings, Andy Warhol (1928 to 1987) worked as a commercial illustrator in New York, and in 1959 he even decorated a children’s party table with crepe paper and gilded pop bottles. His love of bold color, repeated patterns and everyday objects turns into the happiest holiday decor. With paint, paper, a few thrifted bottles and an evening or two, you can fill your home with handmade pop art cheer. Every idea here is low cost and safe, with battery lights instead of real flames and adult help for hot glue, ovens and knives. Here are 15 Andy Warhol Christmas crafts to make your holiday pop..

An Andy Warhol Christmas Party Table

An Andy Warhol Christmas table is loud, happy and a little bit silly, which is exactly why guests love it. In March 1959, years before he became world famous, Warhol joined an exhibition of decorated table settings in Manhattan and made a children’s party table with a purple donkey, a crepe paper tail and gilded pop bottles. You can copy that spirit for the holidays with a white cloth, a few bottles painted gold, paper flowers and a pile of hot pink and teal ornaments. Add a fringed crepe paper garland along the edge and the whole room wakes up. Which color will you start with..

You will need: a white tablecloth, two or three clean glass bottles, gold spray paint used outdoors by an adult, crepe paper in pink, red, yellow and teal, florist wire, shiny pink and teal ornaments, confetti stars

How to make it: 1. Spray the clean bottles gold outdoors and let them dry. 2. Twist crepe paper flowers onto florist wire stems and set them in the bottles. 3. Scatter ornaments and confetti on the cloth and tape a crepe garland along the edge.

Pop Art Stenciled Ornaments

Plain ornaments become tiny pieces of pop art with bold paint and a simple stencil. Warhol loved bright, flat color and shapes repeated again and again, so pick three or four colors that clash in a fun way, like hot pink, lemon yellow and turquoise. Paint each shatterproof ball in one solid color, then dab on stars or dots through a small stencil in a contrasting shade. Hang them in groups of the same color for the boldest look. Kids and grown ups can make a whole box in one afternoon. Which color combo would you choose?

You will need: plain shatterproof ball ornaments, acrylic paint in bold colors, small star and dot stencils, a sponge dauber, a paper cup to stand the balls in, clear sealer spray

How to make it: 1. Paint each ornament in one solid color and let it dry in a paper cup. 2. Hold a stencil on the ball and dab on stars or dots in a second color. 3. Spray with clear sealer and add a ribbon loop.

Bright Repeat Print Gift Wrap for an Andy Warhol Christmas

Repeating the same picture in neat rows was one of the big ideas behind Andy Warhol Christmas style and all of his pop art, and it makes perfect gift wrap. Cut a simple tree shape from a craft foam sheet, glue it to a wooden block, and stamp it over and over on plain white or kraft paper. Switch between pink and yellow paint on every other row so the pattern pops. Tie each gift with a wide turquoise ribbon. One roll of plain paper and two pots of paint wrap a whole pile of presents. What shape would you stamp on yours?

You will need: a roll of plain white or kraft paper, craft foam sheets, a small wooden block, glue, pink and yellow acrylic paint, a foam brush, wide turquoise ribbon

How to make it: 1. Cut a tree shape from craft foam and glue it to the block. 2. Brush paint on the stamp and print in straight rows, changing colors each row. 3. Let it dry, wrap the gifts and tie with ribbon.

Gilded Bottle Vases Like His 1959 Party Table

Those gilded pop bottles from his 1959 table are the easiest piece of the look to copy. Save a few old glass bottles, soak off the labels, and give them two light coats of gold spray paint outside. An adult should do the spraying in fresh air. Once dry, fill them with red and white flowers from the grocery store and short clippings of pine or cedar. Line three of them down the middle of a bright pink runner and you have a centerpiece that cost almost nothing. How many bottles are hiding in your recycling bin right now?

You will need: three clean glass bottles with labels removed, gold spray paint, painter’s tape, a pink table runner, red and white flowers, pine or cedar clippings

How to make it: 1. Soak off the labels and dry the bottles well. 2. An adult sprays two light coats of gold outdoors. 3. Fill with flowers and greenery and line them up on the runner.

A Fringed Crepe Paper Party Garland

Crepe paper was a star of that famous party table, and a fringed garland gives any wall the same cheerful pop. Cut long strips of crepe paper about four inches wide, snip a fringe along one edge, and layer three colors on top of each other. Fold them over a length of string and tape them every few inches. Hang the garland in big swoops above the gift table or across the mantel. It costs a few dollars, looks amazing in photos, and folds flat for next year. Where would your garland look best?

You will need: crepe paper rolls in hot pink, yellow, turquoise and silver, sharp scissors, cotton string, clear tape, removable wall hooks

How to make it: 1. Cut four inch strips and snip a fringe along one edge. 2. Layer three colors and fold them over the string, taping as you go. 3. Hang in swoops from removable hooks.

Painted Tin Can Pencil Holders as Gifts

Warhol made ordinary kitchen cans famous, and a set of painted tin cans is a fun Andy Warhol Christmas gift with no labels or brands at all. Wash empty cans, check the rims are smooth, and paint each one a different bold color. Fill them with colored pencils, markers without logos showing, or paintbrushes for the artist in your family. Wrap a festive ribbon around the whole group and tie a big bow. It is useful, colorful and costs almost nothing. Who on your list would love a desk set like this?

You will need: four clean tin cans with smooth rims, chalk or acrylic paint, a foam brush, clear sealer, colored pencils and paintbrushes, wide Christmas ribbon

How to make it: 1. Wash the cans and check the rims for sharp edges. 2. Paint each can a different bright color and seal it. 3. Fill with pencils and brushes and tie the group with ribbon.

A Pop Art Portrait of Your Pet

Warhol painted many portraits in bright repeated squares, and the idea makes a wonderful Andy Warhol Christmas gift for the furriest member of your family. Print a clear photo of your pet four times, trace the outline onto a canvas divided into four squares, and paint each background a different bold color. Fill in the fur with a second clashing color in every square. It does not need to be perfect, the wild colors do all the work. Wrap it as a gift for a dog or cat lover and watch their face light up. Which pet would star in your portrait?

You will need: a square canvas, a pencil and ruler, a printed pet photo, carbon or tracing paper, acrylic paints in four bold colors, flat and small round brushes

How to make it: 1. Divide the canvas into four squares and trace the pet outline in each. 2. Paint each background a different bright color. 3. Fill the pet in clashing colors and add black outlines last.

Neon Painted Pine Cones for an Andy Warhol Christmas

Free pine cones from the yard turn into bold Andy Warhol Christmas decor with a little bright paint. Bake them on a tray at a low heat for half an hour to dry them out, with an adult handling the oven. Push each cone onto a wooden skewer, then dip or brush the tips in neon orange, turquoise, yellow and pink. Stand the skewers in a jar or foam block to dry. Pile them in a clear bowl, tuck them into a garland, or hang them on the tree. Have you got a pine tree nearby?

You will need: pine cones, a baking tray, wooden skewers, neon acrylic paint, a small brush or paper cups for dipping, a foam block to dry them in

How to make it: 1. An adult dries the cones in a low oven for 30 minutes. 2. Push each one onto a skewer and paint the tips. 3. Stand them up to dry, then display or hang.

Blotted Line Drawing Christmas Cards

Before the soup cans and the fame, Warhol worked as a commercial illustrator in New York and used a playful method called the blotted line. You can read more about his early years on his Wikipedia page. To try it, draw a simple shape like a shoe, angel or star in ink on smooth paper, then press a folded card on top while the ink is wet. The print comes out a little broken and dotty, which is the charm. Fill it with pink and gold watercolor. Who would you send the first card to?

You will need: smooth tracing or wax paper, a dip pen or fine brush, black ink, blank folded cards, watercolor paints in pink and gold, a soft brush

How to make it: 1. Draw your shape in ink on the smooth paper. 2. Press the card onto the wet ink and lift. 3. When dry, fill in with watercolor.

An Andy Warhol Christmas Color Block Tree

For an Andy Warhol Christmas tree, skip mixing every ornament together and try a tree in big blocks of color, like a pop art painting. Fill the bottom third with only hot pink ornaments, the middle with only yellow, and the top with only turquoise. Cheap packs of shatterproof balls in single colors make this easy and affordable. Finish with a bright star on top and a white tree skirt so the colors stay clean. It looks great in a white room and photographs beautifully. Would you try this on your main tree or a small one first?

You will need: a small tabletop tree, packs of shatterproof ornaments in three single colors, ornament hooks, a turquoise star topper, a white tree skirt or blanket

How to make it: 1. Hang all the pink ornaments around the bottom third. 2. Fill the middle with yellow and the top with turquoise. 3. Add the star and a white skirt.

A Silver Foil Wall Like His Studio

Warhol’s New York studio, known as the Factory, was famous for walls covered in silver foil and silver paint. Bring a little of that Andy Warhol Christmas sparkle home with a silver foil curtain behind your party table or on a bare wall. Hang a foil fringe curtain from removable hooks, or tape long strips of silver wrapping foil side by side. Add a string of battery fairy lights in front so the whole wall shimmers. It makes the best photo booth for holiday parties and takes ten minutes to set up. Where would you hang yours?

You will need: silver foil fringe curtains or wide silver foil wrap, removable wall hooks or painter’s tape, battery fairy lights

How to make it: 1. Fix removable hooks along the top of the wall. 2. Hang the foil curtains side by side. 3. Drape battery fairy lights in front for extra shine.

Andy Warhol Christmas Cookie Decorating

Cookie decorating gets a fun Andy Warhol Christmas twist when you treat every cookie like a tiny canvas. Bake a batch of plain sugar cookies in star and tree shapes. Mix royal icing in bold colors, then outline each cookie and flood the middle. Repeat the same design on a whole row but change the colors on each one, just like a pop art print. Line them up on a tray for a picture perfect display before anyone takes a bite. It is a great project for a family evening. Which colors would go on your cookies?

You will need: sugar cookie dough, star and tree cutters, royal icing, gel food coloring in bright shades, piping bags with small tips, sprinkles

How to make it: 1. Bake the cookies and let them cool fully. 2. Pipe an outline and flood the middle with icing. 3. Repeat the same design in different colors across each row.

Stamp Printed Napkins for an Andy Warhol Christmas

Printed patterns were at the heart of pop art, and stamping your own napkins brings that Andy Warhol Christmas look to the table. Cut a potato in half and carve a simple star, with an adult handling the knife. Dab fabric paint on the stamp and press it onto plain cotton napkins in a loose, happy pattern. Use two colors, like hot pink and orange, so the stars overlap a little. Iron them once dry to set the paint. They wash well and make a sweet hostess gift too. How many stars will fit on yours?

You will need: plain cotton napkins, a large potato, a small knife used by an adult, fabric paint in pink and orange, a paper plate, an iron

How to make it: 1. An adult cuts the potato and carves a star shape. 2. Dab on fabric paint and stamp the napkins. 3. Let dry and iron to set the color.

A Colorful Ornament Wreath

An ornament wreath is pure pop: shiny, colorful and impossible to ignore. Start with a foam or wire wreath form and hot glue shatterproof ornaments all the way around, with an adult running the glue gun. Use big balls first, then fill the gaps with small ones in every bright color you have. Weave a string of battery fairy lights through the gaps so it glows at night. Hang it on the front door or over a mirror. If you love more is more decorating, our maximalist Christmas decor ideas have plenty more. What colors would you mix?

You will need: a foam or wire wreath form, about 60 shatterproof ornaments in mixed sizes and colors, a hot glue gun used by an adult, battery fairy lights, wide ribbon for hanging

How to make it: 1. Glue the large ornaments all around the form. 2. Fill the gaps with small ornaments. 3. Weave in battery lights and add a ribbon to hang it.

A Gilded Paper Star Tree Topper

Finish the tree with a gold star that matches your gilded bottles. Cut two identical stars from thick card, score a line from each point to the center, and fold them into a three dimensional shape. Glue the two halves together, leaving a gap at the bottom to slip over the top branch. Paint it with metallic gold acrylic, then brush on a little glitter glue at the tips. It is light, safe and costs far less than a store topper. It is the perfect finishing touch for a pop art tree. Ready to crown your tree?

You will need: thick card stock, a pencil and ruler, scissors, craft glue, metallic gold acrylic paint, gold glitter glue, a soft brush

How to make it: 1. Cut two matching stars and score lines from each point to the middle. 2. Fold and glue the halves together, leaving a gap at the bottom. 3. Paint gold, add glitter at the tips and slip it on the tree.