Prepare to deck the halls with these easy holiday projects, and get the whole family involved in the Christmas festivities.
How to Make Christmas Decorations From Scratch
There’s nothing like holiday crafting to get you into the Christmas spirit. Plus, it’s a great way to spend time with the family and save money on holiday decor. But what if you’re the least crafty person on the planet? Don’t worry! These DIY Christmas decorations are easy enough for anyone to make. (Yes, even you—we promise.) Many of them are also made from upcycled and natural elements, adding an environmentally friendly spin to the season. So, brew some hot cocoa, turn on the holiday tunes, and discover how to make Christmas decorations from scratch!
Cupcake Wrapper Garland
Holiday cupcake wrappers are adorable and inexpensive. Pick out a sleeve of mixed-pattern liners to create this easy garland. First, flatten the cupcake liners, and fold them in half. Then, stack three folded liners to form a “tree,” and secure with hot glue. Add a paper star at the top, and secure the cupcake liner trees to a length of twine or yarn with staples or hot glue.
Christmas Ribbon Bauble
Use large styrofoam floral balls to create these easy DIY Christmas decorations. Simply stick mini Christmas ribbons onto the surface of the ball and glue a loop of string at the top for the hanger. Mix and match the ribbon to coordinate with your existing holiday decor.
Pasta Noodle Christmas Trees
This pretty little pasta tree looks a lot more difficult to make than it actually is. Roll a piece of cardboard into a cone, then hot-glue it together. Put a dot of hot glue at the base and stick on a noodle. Glue one noodle at a time concentrically until you reach the top. Once you’re done, spray paint it whatever colour you like. Don’t forget to add a bow-tie noodle for the star!
Cinnamon Stick Candle
There’s nothing like the spicy smell of cinnamon to put you in the holiday spirit. For this easy craft, you’ll need a large pillar candle (at least 9 inches tall), a bundle of large cinnamon sticks (about 8 inches long), ribbon, and a hot-glue gun. To start, put a small dab of hot glue on a cinnamon stick, and place it on the candle. Once you’ve placed the cinnamon sticks all the way around, tie some ribbon around it to help hold everything in place. Tuck in some faux berries, sprigs of evergreen, or mini pinecones to complete the look.
Citrus Pomander Candles
Citrus pomanders are classic DIY Christmas decorations. Take this popular craft one step further and transform it into a tea-light holder. To make one, slice a thin piece of skin from the stem end of the orange to create a base. On the opposite end, use a sharp paring knife to cut out a hole that’s just large enough to fit the tea light into. The tea light should fit down in the orange, with the top of the tea light even with the skin of the orange. Decorate the outside with cloves, then insert the tea light.
Citrus Ornaments
Instead of tossing citrus skins into the compost pile, transform them into ornaments. Use cookie cutters to trace shapes onto the skin, and cut them out with a sharp knife. Let them dry on a tray for a few days, then thread them onto a piece of string for a garland or pierce them with a metal ornament hook to hang on a tree.
Cardboard Gingerbread House
Skip the messy pre-fab gingerbread kit and make a gingerbread house out of cardboard boxes instead. It’s easiest to use a square box for this craft. To make the front and back of the roof, cut off the corners of two opposing flaps to form a triangle. Then glue the two remaining uncut sides to the triangles and then to each other. Use chalk markers or paint to decorate your cardboard gingerbread house.
Candy Cane Reindeer
Nothing’s better than a DIY Christmas decoration you can eat. Cut a 3-inch-long piece of brown ribbon. Then, glue two candy canes together, back to back. These are the antlers for your reindeer. Use wiggly eyes and a red mini pom-pom for the face. To hang on a tree, loop a piece of ribbon through the antlers.
Wood Burn Ornament
Wood burning is a versatile craft that looks amazing and is surprisingly easy to do. Either purchase wood slices or forage in your yard for a branch to slice down. Lightly sketch your design on the wood slices before you apply the heat with a wood-burner tool. Stick with simple geometric patterns, like snowflakes. The slices can be hung as ornaments or used as holiday coasters if they are large enough.
Reindeer Pot
Terra-cotta pots are an inexpensive crafting medium that you can do so much with. Create this adorable little reindeer with pipe cleaners, craft paper, wiggly eyes, and a pom-pom. Cut out ears from the craft paper, and adhere them to the pot with hot glue. Twist the pipe cleaners into antlers, and glue them onto the pot, along with the eyes and nose. For a finishing touch, embellish the top with paper twine and some beads.
Cardboard and Yarn Christmas Tree
Sometimes, the simplest DIY Christmas decorations are the best. This little Christmas tree is a cinch to create using yarn, cardboard, and glue. Cut out a simple triangle tree, then paint a layer of glue onto the cardboard. Wrap yarn around the tree, and let it dry. Glue a paper star at the top with a loop of yarn for the hanger.
Bottle Cap Snowmen
Make these mini snowmen by gluing bottle caps onto a length of ribbon. Use pre-made mini craft snowflakes, or cut small, white circular pieces of paper that will fit into the caps. Decorate the pieces of paper, then glue them into the caps. Another option: Paint inside the caps to create your snowmen.
Christmas Ornament Candle Holder
Mini Christmas ball ornaments are inexpensive and come in a variety of colours. Make this festive candle holder by gluing the tiny balls onto a foam wreath form. These pretty little candle holders make perfect hostess gifts as well as a lovely tabletop centrepiece for a party.
Ornament Vase Centrepiece
Another way to create an easy centrepiece is to fill a glass vase with ornaments. You can swap out colours to match your decor. This sophisticated-looking centrepiece is inexpensive, versatile, and super simple—genius!
Natural Garland
This natural garland is not only an easy-to-assemble DIY Christmas decoration—it’s also a great way to keep the kids busy and feel included. Have them gather sprigs of evergreen branches and pine cones from the yard. Add in slices of dried citrus, if you desire. Then clip them to a length of twine with clothespins. As the pieces dry out and become brittle, simply swap them out with fresh pieces.
Snow Globe
Snow globes are the perfect seasonal crafts to make with an upcycled glass jar. Place faux snow at the base, and then add a mini tree inside. Finish off the snow globe with battery-operated LED mini string lights to add a warm glow to any room.
Pine Cone Centrepiece
If you have a yard full of pine cones, use them to create this simple centrepiece. Just place various sizes of pine cones into a wide glass bowl. Then add cinnamon sticks and sprigs of pine for natural fragrance. If you don’t have access to pine cones, you can pick up an inexpensive bag at a craft store.
Ribbon Tree
Crayons and Cravings has the perfect project to make on a rainy (or snowy) day before Christmas: a ribbon tree. Use up all your bits of leftover ribbon to create this darling rustic decoration that matches your holiday decor.
Mason Jar Ring Wreath
Do you have mason jar rings piling up in your drawers? Use them to make mini wreaths. These wreaths look adorable tied to gifts or hanging on your tree.
