Grandma Moses Folk Art: 14 Christmas Gifts Anyone Can Paint, Even Starting at 78

Grandma Moses did not pick up a paintbrush in earnest until she was 78 years old. Arthritis had made her beloved embroidery too painful, so the New York farm wife turned to paint instead, and her cheerful snowy village scenes went on to warm millions of homes. She even said one of her first paintings was a Christmas gift for the mail carrier, because it was easier than baking him a cake. Her story is proof that it is never too late to start. These gifts are inspired by her bright, simple folk art style: red barns, white churches, sleds and evergreen hills painted on boards, ornaments, mugs and trays. No art training needed, just a few brushes, some acrylic paint and a free afternoon..

Grandma Moses Style Cutting Board With a Snowy Village

Start with the gift that captures her whole style in one piece. A plain wooden cutting board becomes a little snowy village with a red barn, a white church, tiny sledders and rolling white hills. Folk art is forgiving: wobbly lines and simple shapes are part of the charm, so nobody expects perfection. Paint the back only and keep the cutting side bare, then hang it in the kitchen as decor. It makes a gift that looks like an heirloom from day one. Which village scene would you paint first..

You will need: a wooden cutting board, acrylic paints (white, red, green, blue, brown), small flat and round brushes, a pencil, clear matte sealer.

How to make it: 1. Sand the board lightly and sketch hills and buildings in pencil. 2. Paint the sky and snowy hills first. 3. Add barns, church and trees, then tiny figures. 4. Seal with clear matte sealer and keep this side for display only.

Wood Slice Barn Ornaments

Wood slices are the easiest canvas for beginners because they are small, cheap and already look rustic. Paint a pale sky, a white snowy field and one little red barn on each slice. Add a few dots of white for falling snow. Drill a small hole at the top, loop red twine through, and you have a set of ornaments that look straight out of a country Christmas. Make a dozen in one evening and give them in sets of three. Who on your list would hang these on their tree?

You will need: wood slices with bark, acrylic paints, small brushes, a drill with a small bit, red twine, matte sealer.

How to make it: 1. Paint the sky and snow base on each slice. 2. Add a red barn and pine trees. 3. Dot on falling snow with a toothpick. 4. Have an adult drill the hole, then seal and add twine.

Folk Art Christmas Cards Like the Ones Grandma Moses Inspired

Her paintings became some of the most popular Christmas cards in America, with one printer making 16 million of them, according to her Wikipedia biography. You can paint your own version at the kitchen table. Fold watercolor paper into cards, paint a simple snowy farm with a horse and sleigh on the front, and write your message inside. Even rough little paintings feel special because nobody gets a handmade card anymore. How many cards could you paint this weekend?

You will need: watercolor paper or blank cards, a watercolor paint set, a round brush, a cup of water, envelopes.

How to make it: 1. Fold paper into cards. 2. Paint a light blue sky and leave white paper for snow. 3. Add a barn, trees and a tiny sleigh. 4. Let dry flat under a heavy book overnight.

Sledding Scene Serving Tray

A plain wooden tray from the craft store turns into a showpiece when you paint a sledding hill inside it. Picture tiny figures zipping down a white slope past a red farmhouse and a row of pine trees. That busy, happy feeling of a winter day was a favorite theme in folk art of her era. Seal it well and use it for cookies and cocoa all season, or hang it on the wall. It is a gift that gets used every December. Who would you fill it with cookies for?

You will need: an unfinished wooden tray, acrylic paints, small brushes, a pencil, food safe or clear sealer.

How to make it: 1. Paint the tray base light blue and white. 2. Sketch a hill, a house and trees. 3. Paint the house and trees, then tiny sledders as simple dots and lines. 4. Seal several coats and let it cure.

Grandma Moses and the Mail Carrier Ornament

This one comes straight from her story. Grandma Moses once said she made a painting as a Christmas gift for the mail carrier. Honor that idea with a tiny wooden mailbox ornament painted red with a snowy farm on the side, then give it to your own mail carrier, delivery driver or a neighbor who always waves. Craft stores sell little wooden mailboxes for a dollar or two. It is a small thank you that feels big. Who delivers a little joy to your door every week?

You will need: small wooden mailbox shapes, red and white acrylic paint, fine brushes, ribbon, a small screw eye.

How to make it: 1. Paint the mailbox red and let dry. 2. Paint a tiny snowy farm on one side. 3. Add a white flag. 4. Twist in a screw eye and tie on a plaid ribbon.

Painted Tin Bucket With a Winter Farm

Galvanized buckets are everywhere at the hardware store, and they become charming porch decor with a painted winter farm wrapped around the side. Rough up the metal with fine sandpaper first so the paint grips. Paint a long scene: a red barn, a white fence, a few cows and snowy hills. Fill it with fresh evergreen branches and pine cones and set it by the front door. It makes a great hostess gift too. Where would you set yours?

You will need: a galvanized bucket, fine sandpaper, metal primer, acrylic or enamel paints, brushes, outdoor sealer, evergreen branches.

How to make it: 1. Sand and wipe the bucket. 2. Spray metal primer outdoors. 3. Paint the farm scene around the side. 4. Seal and fill with greenery.

Mini Canvas Barn Magnets

Tiny canvases are less scary than big ones, and they make adorable fridge magnets. Paint one little red barn in the snow on each, glue a strong magnet on the back, and package six together in a small box. They are perfect stocking stuffers for teachers, coworkers and grandparents. Make each one slightly different by changing the sky color or adding a fence, a tree or a sled. Kids can make a set too. How many would fit on your fridge?

You will need: mini canvases (2 or 3 inch), acrylic paints, fine brushes, strong round magnets, craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Paint the sky and snow. 2. Add a red barn and a tree on each canvas. 3. Let dry fully. 4. Glue a magnet to the back of each one.

Painted Wooden Spoons With Holly

Wooden spoons are cheap and useful, and a painted handle turns them into a sweet kitchen gift. Paint only the handles with red berries, green holly leaves or tiny snowflakes, and leave the bowl of the spoon bare for cooking. Tie three together with ribbon and a recipe card for a favorite holiday cookie. It is a gift that gets used every time someone bakes. Which recipe would you tie to yours?

You will need: wooden spoons, acrylic paints, fine brushes, painter tape, clear sealer for the handles only, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Tape off the spoon bowl. 2. Paint the handle with holly leaves and red berries. 3. Seal the painted part only. 4. Hand wash only and tie in a bundle.

Snowy Village on an Old Window Pane

Old windows from salvage shops or yard sales make stunning folk art canvases. Paint one big snowy village across all the panes, so the frame divides the scene like a little gallery. Use enamel or glass paint and work from the back for a glossy look from the front. Lean it on a mantel or hang it on a wall with greenery. This is a project for a quiet weekend and a gift that will be treasured for years. Does anyone you know have an old window in the garage?

You will need: an old wooden window frame with glass, glass or enamel paints, brushes, glass cleaner, a pencil sketch on paper.

How to make it: 1. Clean the glass well. 2. Tape a sketch behind the glass as a guide. 3. Paint details first and background last when working from the back. 4. Let it cure for several days. Check old frames for peeling paint and have an adult handle any repairs.

Grandma Moses Inspired Flower Pot With a Skating Pond

A terracotta pot painted with a frozen pond and tiny skaters is a cheerful gift for any plant lover. Seal the inside first so water does not ruin the paint. Then paint a band of snowy hills around the pot with a blue oval pond and little stick figure skaters. Add a houseplant, an amaryllis bulb or paperwhites, and it becomes a living gift that blooms right after the holidays. Which plant would you tuck inside?

You will need: terracotta pots, acrylic paints, brushes, waterproof sealer, a plant or bulb.

How to make it: 1. Seal the inside of the pot. 2. Paint the outside base white and light blue. 3. Add a pond, trees and tiny skaters. 4. Seal the outside and plant.

Hand Painted Gift Tags on Kraft Paper

Even the gift tags can feel handmade. Cut tags from kraft paper or cardstock and paint a tiny barn, a tree or a sleigh in the corner of each. Leave room for the name. They take only a few minutes each, use leftover paint from your bigger projects, and make every present under the tree look special. Grandma Moses painted on whatever she had at hand, so feel free to use scrap paper too. How many presents will get a painted tag this year?

You will need: kraft paper or cardstock, a hole punch, twine, acrylic or watercolor paint, a fine brush.

How to make it: 1. Cut tags and punch a hole at the top. 2. Paint a small scene in one corner. 3. Let dry. 4. Thread twine and write the name.

Painted Keepsake Box for the Grandchildren

A small wooden box with a painted lid becomes a family treasure for photos, letters or a first tooth. Paint a snowy farmhouse with a big evergreen and a blue sky on the lid, add the year on the inside, and give it to a grandchild. Grandma Moses painted until she was 100 and lived to 101, so a gift in her spirit says that every season of life has something to create. What would you want a grandchild to keep inside it?

You will need: an unfinished wooden box with a hinged lid, acrylic paints, brushes, a fine paint pen, clear sealer.

How to make it: 1. Sand and paint the box a solid color. 2. Paint the scene on the lid. 3. Write the year inside with a paint pen. 4. Seal the outside.

Folk Art Bookmarks for Book Lovers

Bookmarks are tiny, so they are a great way to practice before bigger pieces. Cut strips of watercolor paper, paint a tiny winter scene on each, and add a yarn tassel at the top. Tuck one into a used book you know a friend would love, and the gift is complete. They mail easily inside a card too. These make sweet presents for book clubs, teachers and librarians. Which book would you tuck yours into?

You will need: watercolor paper, scissors, watercolor paints, a fine brush, a hole punch, yarn for tassels.

How to make it: 1. Cut strips about 2 by 7 inches. 2. Paint a small winter scene. 3. Punch a hole at the top. 4. Make a yarn tassel and tie it on.

Grandma Moses Style Village Mug

Finish with a gift for cocoa season. A plain white mug and porcelain paint pens let you draw a little snowy village that wraps all the way around. Keep the design below the rim so lips never touch the paint. Bake the mug in a cold oven, following the pen instructions, to set the design. If you love painting late in life, our George W Bush painting story proves Grandma Moses was not the only late bloomer. Who would you fill this mug for?

You will need: a plain white ceramic mug, porcelain paint pens, rubbing alcohol, an oven.

How to make it: 1. Wipe the mug with rubbing alcohol. 2. Draw the village below the rim. 3. Let dry 24 hours. 4. Bake as directed on the pens, starting from a cold oven.