Here are 12 homemade Christmas decorating crafts to get you in the Christmas spirit without feeling the crunch of your end-of-the-year budget!
1. "Joy" vases (from wine bottles): to hold cranberry branches or tree trimmings. I inverted the colours as we have a very beige house, so three deep red vases with white branches and fairy lights greet us in the foyer! I simply cleaned the wine bottles (soak to remove label and use olive oil to rub off glue residue), spray painted them red and cut out stencils and sprayed them with white paint. I skipped the candy cane look and used more cursive letters. Flick through the fonts in your word processor to find one that suits your style and print them out to use as stencils!
2. Angel ornaments (from corks and ribbon scraps): you can try to make them each identical but by using ribbon scraps it saves you buying more ribbon and gives your angels a beautiful eclectic look. Simply hot glue gun elements onto the cork. Be sure to glue on your loop by which to hang them before gluing on the large bow at the back (aka the wings).
3. "Merry" hearth decor (from cardboard and tree cuttings): a beautiful way to add a splash of Christmas in the house even if you don't have a fireplace/mantel. I chose a less comical font. I simply stenciled them onto an old cardboard box, spray painted them ivory. A thick ribbon alternative like burlap or fabric strips would look nice as well!
4. Burlap bows (from coffee bags): I have quite the burlap collection from my local cafe and love to use it (as you will find out). This year I'm making small bows to go on the Christmas tree to mimic the paper bows that adorn my parent's tree. Here is some instruction on how to tie the perfect bow. For a ruffled look, simply pull a center string from the burlap strip from either side before tying the bow.
5. Paper snowflakes & stars (from recycled paper): these are a cheap and simple way to dust the house with some Christmas! Never know how to fold the paper or does your snowflake design look amateur? Check out my uncle's website: www.daves-snowflakes.com. My dad's family has been making snowflakes for years as a Christmas tradition and my uncle has managed to put together tons of beautiful designs that you simply print out and follow! They'll make you look like a pro. After some practice, upgrade to foil paper for silver or coloured stars. My parent's tree is home to dozens of these beautiful ornaments each year. Store them in an old thick magazine or book to keep them year after year!
6. Twine balls (from burlap string, cotton twine, coconut fiber): i'm making these (minus the glitter) to string my lights through to add a special touch to the tree!
7. Fabric balls (from old fabric scraps): a great way to add a punch of colour and design. Again, if you don't have fabric around the house, check out the Salvo's for old shirts before heading to the fabric store.
8. Advent calendar (from toilet paper rolls): open before you judge! I saw this when I was putting together my Nine Lives of a Toilet Paper roll article. It looks great!
9. Ball ornaments (from old books): again, i'm not a glitter person, so that i would forgo, but i love the worn look!
10. Traditional woven star (from wheat): so this one again comes from my parent's Christmas decor box. It's a traditional German ornament. Don't let the tutorial or some of the advanced designs scare you off. Start by checking out the basic designs and giving them a try!
11. Fabric stockings (from old flannel or fabric): you may need a sewing machine for this but i love the idea of cable knit stockings! I'll be adding a burlap liner that will be folded over the top of a plaid fabric. If you don't have any old shirts in a fabric you like, check out your local Salvo's/Sally Anne for a large men's sweater to get you started!
12. My Christmas wreath: if I were in Canada, here's what I would be making but alas, pinecones don't fall from palm trees so i'm left with mastering this beautiful burlap wreath.
For more of these homemade crafts and Christmas decor, check out my Pinterest board!
Merry Christmas!