The joy of Christmas is upon us once again and the time to get crafty and to find new and interesting ways to decorate our homes for the holidays is finally here. So what are your plans for this Christmas? Are you in the mood for something simple and casual or would you rather go all out and prepare something fancy and glamorous? Whatever the case is, we’re prepared with a whole lot of beautiful Christmas crafts you can try this year.
Christmas wreaths
We’ll start with something a little bit untraditional: a square wreath. It’s a design we found on Diys for which you only need a handful of twigs, some metallic spray paint, three Christmas ornaments, 2 ft of thin chain as well as some suede cord and a hot glue gun. The instructions are very simple and easy to follow.
This joyful wreath is also featured on Diys and to make one just like it you require a small round wreath made of sticks or beanches, J and Y wooden letters, some seasonal ornaments and floral wire. The wreath will be the letter O so you’ll want the J to be placed on its left side and the Y on the right. You can attach them with floral wire.
The wreath featured on Homemadeginger spells out “joy” as well but in a different way. First of all, the wreath is quite large. It uses a hula hoop as a base. After randomly wrapping some twine around it, a few branches of eucalyptus were tier around the hoop. At the end, the letters were added at the center, completing the design.
Planning something a bit more traditional or with a mid-century theme? In that case you’ll want the wreath to look similar to the one featured on Craftsandtell. Here are the supplies you’ll need for something like this: a styrofoam wreath form, silver tinsel, bottlebrush trees in various sizes and shiny ornaments.
Something similar is also described on Abeautifulmess. This wreath is decorated with fluffy silver tinsel wrapped around a wreath form. On top of that a bunch of mini disco ball ornaments are displayed. They’re glued to the wreath and their color matches the tinsel garland.
On the other hand, if you want to greatly simplify the design, make something a bit more modern. Start with a quilting hoop and use it as a wreath form. Decorate it with bottle brush trees, some snowflake ornaments, a few tiny deers and other forest animals and some ribbon. Use glue to attach the ornaments to the hoop and don’t forget to add add a few branches or some leaves. {found on pmqfortwo}.
There also other ways to keep things simple. For example, you could make a myrthe wreath like the one on Homeyohmy. You basically need floral wire, some greens, a gift card, ribbon and some twine as well some vine-wrapped wire which you use to create the wreath form. Cover this with greens, attach the gift card and then hang the wreath with ribbon. It’s a really cute gift idea.
Not all wreaths are round and not all of them as heavily decorated either. So how about a simple-looking triangular wreath? We found a perfect example on Fallfordiy. You can easily make something similar using three twigs, some twine or wire and a few greens.
Actually, when you think about it, there’s no need to use a wreath form when you can just casually put something together and skip all those rules. For instance, you can use a few berry branches and some wire to make ornaments that only remotely look like wreaths. Check out Faxandtwine for inspiration.
But what if you don’t want to use any of the traditional designs? In that case you can try something completely different and unconventional, something like this: a wreath made of PVC pipes. This can even become a permanent feature for your home. Here’s how you do this: first you cut some PVC pipes of different sizes into pieces, then you spray paint them all and after that you glue them together making sure to alternate the dimensions. It’s all right here on Abeautifulmess.
Cute gift-wrapping ideas
Some people are happy putting their Christmas gifts in festive bags but others like to spend time wrapping the gifts and decorating them in unique and interesting ways. If you belong in the second category, we speak the same language. So how would you like to make your own custom tags for this year’s Christmas gifts. You could make clay trees like the ones featured on Greenhealthycooking.
Speaking of tags, there’s also this nice idea on Annamarialarsson which suggests wrapping the gifts in brown paper and using white tags for contrast. The tiny ornaments and branches are also essential to the design in this case.
Ever used washi tape when decorating your gifts. It’s really simple and really versatile. For example, wrap the gifts in plain white paper and then cut washi tape triangles or rectangles and use them to decorate the gift. You can even make all sorts of interesting geometric patterns using tape. {found on Thefoxandstar}.
Since it’s Christmas, you could decorate the gifts with things like pine cones, fir tree branches and cinnamon sticks. In fact, that\s the idea suggested on Burkatron. Another idea suggested here is to use dried fruit as ornaments for the gifts.
Another nice idea is to paint your own wrapping paper. You can get some plain white paper and then decorate it however you want. You can use stamps, watercolors or markers. If you like the design you can make a printable version so you can use it with other occasions as well. {found on classicingray}.
Christmas tree decorations
This year we decided to skip the traditional Christmas tree design and to try something different. Over the years we’ve covered some really interesting projects focused on unconventional Christmas trees so here’s a bunch more. One option is offered on thecasualcraftlete. Here you can find out how to make plywood trees for your yard or garden.
How about a miniature Christmas tree made of macarons? That surely sounds very delicious. To make something like this you’ll require green macarons, a styrofoam cone royal icing, a glue gun, coconut, wrapping paper and toothpicks. Glue wrapping paper around the cone and then add the macarons using toothpicks. Use coconut as snow. {found on thirstyfortea}.
This isn’t the first time we’ve come across blackboard projects. However, it’s the first blackboard Christmas tree decorated in this manner. The project we’re talking about can be found on Designeatrepeat. The board was cut into a triangle and then the white lines were painted on using acrylic paint the colored ornaments are actually lip balms and they’re attached with velcro strips.
Have you ever knitted something other than clothes or scarves? What about a Christmas tree? That definitely sounds odd and unusual but when you think about it the idea is actually ingenious and fun. We found this on Tuttiguardanolenuvole. The ruffled tree covers a cone and it looks really cute. You can make it any color you want.
If you really want your Christmas tree this year to be unique, make it out of something unusual like license plates. Basically you could just arrange all the plates in a pattern that looks similar to a tree and even cut a few to make the star at the top. You can even add some string lights. {found on apieceofrainbow}.
You could have an actual fir tree decorated with tinsel and everything else and also want something addition for your mantel or shelves. For instance, you could make some cone trees. Use paper mache cones and spray paint them gold, then cut out some holes and insert battery operated lights. It’s an idea we found on Vitaminihandmade.
The Christmas tree-shaped shelving unit seems like a more permanent project. You could use this all year round or you could just take it out during the Christmas holidays. Either way, it’s an interesting alternative to the traditional tree. Find out how to make the shelf from the tutorial on thatsmyletter.
Planning to make a cake this Christmas? Wouldn’t it be nice to decorate it with miniature christmas trees? You could make some interesting cake toppers out of bottlebrush trees. It would be ideal to find some white trees but if that’s not an option you can just dip them in bleach and then wash them thoroughly. After that, dip them in pink dye. {found on theproperblog}
Not all Christmas trees are green, especially if they’re not the real deal. If you’d like to try something rustic this year, try the driftwood design featured on Sustainmycrafthabit. Here’s what you’ll need: A rod for the center of the tree, a sturdy base (a trunk for example), a drill with a bit larger than the center rod and a collection of driftwood pieces in various lengths.
Make a sweet Christmas tree decoration using a few thin twigs or branches, some twine, a star ornament and a few Hershey’s kisses. YOu’ll also need glue to put all these things together. Use the twigs to build a tree as shown on apumpkinandaprincess. Then glue the kisses on each branch and put a star on top.
It seems that bottlebrush trees have become really popular lately and they’re being used in a lot of interesting ways. For example, check out the projects featured on Acasarella. These Christmas crafts are pretty simple and suggestive so there’s really no need for detailed instructions. You need mason jars, bottlebrush trees and toy cars. It would be nice to also add some faux snow which can either be coconut or salt.
Remember those old snow globes that everyone used to have? You can make a modern version of those vintage designs. You’ll need glass domes or bell jars, LED fairy lights, small ornaments such as tiny house, brush trees and other things. You’ll also need some snow and white sequins. It’s all described in detail on Abeautifulmess.
No room for a large Christmas tree? How about a tiny one instead? It could look cute and beautiful and you could put in a burlap box or sack. Decorate the burlap however you want. You could use tape and paint as suggested on Thecasualcraftlete or you could try something different. Decorate the tree with pine cones and lace ribbon.
If you like clean and geometric designs, perhaps you’d enjoy the idea featured on Danslelakehouse. The triangle-shaped decorations are reminiscent of the traditional Christmas trees. To make something like this you’ll need a dowel, some wood boards for the frame, glue, tape, a saw, a drill, wood stain and Christmas ornaments.
Transform the tree into a canvas which you can display anywhere you want. You could take some white canvas, spray paint it black and attach it to a frame. Then you can outline the tree using a pencil. Place gold thumbtacks along the lines and the tree will start to take shape. This is an idea that we found on Asweetafternoon.
Christmas stockings
Not everyone has a habit of displaying stockings in front of the fireplace during Christmas so maybe these projects are not for you. In any case, we think stockings are cute so we’ll show you how to make a holder for them. It’s a project we found on modelbehaviors. The materials required include a wooden board, screws, hooks, a saw, a drill, table clamps, red and white paint and some tape.
If you’d rather not spend time crafting a stocking holder you could just hang them from a tree branch. It would look rustic, simple and chic. Go find yourself a branch that you like and add some screw-in hooks to it. You can also decorate the branch with some small bouquets of greens as shown on Themerrythought.
Of course, if all you want is to use the stockings as symbols and not as actual containers for small gifts, you could just make some out of paper. Make them look authentic by choosing suitable prints and colors and by decorating them with small toys, ribbons and other things. {found on thecraftsworld}.
Holiday garlands
Garlands are fun. You can hang them in front of the fireplace, on walls, on trees and in a variety of settings and places. However, we tend to take them for granted and we don’t even think of the possibility to craft your own unique garlands. You could make one out of greens, just as shown on Idlehandsawake.
Instead of the usual tinsel garland, you could try a stylish banner this year. The Noel design featured on Mesewcrazy is a great inspiration source. This one was made out of silk fabric, ribbon, gems, craft wire and clothespins. You can change the design and even the colors.
The felt garland featured on Themagiconions is really cute and also pretty easy to make. Actually, if you look closely those aren’t simple felt pom-poms but actually acorns. They’re small and adorable and you can make them out of felt balls in various colors and real acorn caps. Use hemp string and a needle to arrange them in a garland.
You could also string some pine cones and make a seasonal garland for the fireplace. It would be nice to make it look as if the cones are covered in snow and to do that you’ll need some white paint. Hang the cones with floral wire and make the garland as long as you want. {found on the magiconions}.
The star garland featured on Asweetafternoon looks really chic and, when you think about it, something like this would also be fun to make. The stars are made of paper and they are of two different types. You can use different origami designs to make a mixture of stars of different shapes, sizes and colors.
Have you ever worked with Perler beads? They’re pretty fun and versatile. Here’s how you can use them to make a Christmas garland. Take a round peg board and arrange the beads to form an ornament. Cover the board with ironing paper and iron the ornament until the beads melt and let it rest for a while. Remove the paper and, if you want, repeat for the other side as well. You can then melt some beds to make letters and display these on the ornaments. {found on vikalpah}.
If you really want your garland to shine, you could use some gold tissue paper to make large pom-poms. Cut the sheets in down and fold one in half and then fold it like you would for a paper fan. Secure the middle with a piece of wire and then give the pom-pom a fluffy look. {found on abeautifulmess}.
Handmade Christmas ornaments
It’s easy to buy all the ornaments you need from a store but this means that they’re not exactly special. If you want something unique, you better do it yourself. Looking at how cute these mini wreath ornaments on Diys are, we can almost feel the inspiration and all the great ideas that could make this Christmas special.
if you’re tired of the same old Christmas ornaments, look for alternatives. You might even find some in your own home. For example, if you have some plastic dinosaur toys, you can hang them in your Christmas tree but not before painting them. If the dinosaurs are white, that’s perfect because you can paint them any color you want. You can even put some glitter on them. {found on craftandcreativity}.
To make wood slice tree ornaments like the ones on Spalvotasdryzuotas you don’t need a lot of things. However, it might not be that easy to find wood pieces with the right dimensions. In any case, once you have everything ready you can start drilling holes in the wood slices so you can then string them using ribbon.
Polymer clay is ideal for making small ornaments and decorations. It’s the material used for the miniature hands displayed on Almostmakesperfect. In addition to the clay you need a sculpting knife, a rolling pin, gloss glaze and elastic string. The hands are easy to craft and if you’re think you’re up to it you can also try making some more complex designs.
The colorful alphabet ornaments featured on Craftpaperscissors were made of recycled cardboard. You can make something similar yourself out of an old shoe box. In addition to the cardboard you’ll also need an assortment of yarn colors and some baker’s twine. Cut out the cardboard letters and then wrap yarn around them.
Can’t find some decent Christmas ornaments in your favorite color? No worries. You can paint some yourself. Use clear glass ornaments and acrylic craft paint. Remove the metal cap and pour a little bit of paint inside. Then rotate the paint around keeping the top sealed. Pour any excess paint back into the bottle. Let it dry. {found on Diys}.
You can craft a lot of interesting things using tiny metal tubes and beads, including some unique Christmas ornaments like the ones featured on gloriafort. You can either recreate the design featured here or come up with one of your own. The star pattern is actually pretty cute.
Your ornaments could send a message and you can customize it however you want. What we’re suggesting is making decorative banners similar to the one on Housefulofhandmade. This one is made of small wood slices. For a similar project you’ll also need a drill, some string or twine and a marker.
You could also send a message with scrabble ornaments. The idea comes from Nur-noch. You can just glue a few scrabble tiles together to form words and then glue some ribbon or twine on the back so you can hang them. There are, of course, a variety of alternatives. For example, you can turn each individual tile into an ornament and mix and match the letters to form different words.
It would be a waste of material to just throw away your old Christmas ornaments. A much better idea would be to use them in your projects and to redecorate them to make them look interesting once again One idea is to decorate them with dried flowers. The result is incredibly beautiful and you can check some design ideas on Gardenmatter.
You can also give some plain ornaments a makeover by dipping them in sprinkles. It’s the idea featured on Adorablast. To get this particular look you need clear ornaments, rainbow sprinkles, glue, washi tape, ribbon, string and pegs. Put tape around the bottom and then coat it with glue. Dip it in sprinkles and let it dry by hanging it with clothespins.
The secret to the full and fluffy look of these Christmas tree ornaments is felt. Green felt is the main material. A little bit of brown felt is also needed together with some embroidery floss and a thick needle. Basically you need felt squares in 6 different sizes and some brown felt circles for the base of the tree. {found on hellowonderful}.
Beautiful Christmas ornaments can be made out of all sorts of simple things, including twigs or driftwood. In fact, arranging some driftwood pieces in the form of a Christmas tree is really easy. Look for pieces that have different lengths or cut them to the desired size. you’ll need a small drill bit to make holes at the center of each piece of wood so you can then hang them all with string. {found on sustainmycrafthabit}.
Acorns are cute but a little bit too small to be visible on the branches of a large Christmas tree. You can make some large acorn ornaments by using plastic Easter eggs and pine cones. Spray paint the eggs and then take apart a pine cone so you can glue the pieces on one half of the egg to make it look like an acorn top. This ingenious idea comes from Domesticallyblissful.
You can use ornaments even if you don’t have a Christmas tree. In fact, you can quickly put together one out of a thin wood board and some dowels. What you’ll get is a minimalistic Scandinavian-inspired decoration. Hang some wood slice ornaments on the dowels to complete the look. {found on ideas.sewandso}.
If you have some free time and plenty of patience on your hands, you could make some cute and intricate felt ornaments like the ones on Cutesycrafts. The required materials include felt in various colors such as baby blue, white, beige, green and orange, coordinating embroidery floss for each type and some ribbon to hang them with.
It would be great to find some plain white ornaments, preferably flat like the ones on Thebeautydojo. They’ll be like a blank canvas on which you can put anything you want. A nice idea can be to decorate with gold glitter and stamps. You’ll need some painter’s tape if you want to keep the lines clean.
Give your own ornaments a makeover without necessarily changing their style too much. You can still let them maintain their vintage appeal even if their look changes. In other words, we suggest gluing buttons onto the ornament to cover up its surface. It’s an idea that we found on Karensupontthehill.
In case tinsel garlands aren’t to your liking, being always so fluffy and brightly-colored, you’ll be happy to know that not all garlands are like this. In fact, some can be really simple and really chic, like the one made out of wooden beads and colored yarn. We found this design on curbly and we think it’s worth a try this Christmas.
Another idea you can try if you enjoy rustic ornaments is to decorate some wood slices. Use a wood burner or try another method such as markers or paint. You can either make your own slices or buy some ready-cut ones. If you need more details, check out Danslelakehouse.
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