12 DIYs of Christmas
There’s something about the holiday season that makes me crafty… well craftier than usual. Over the years, we’ve tried a bunch of different crafts — some better than others, but these 12 are our favorites. You’ll find many of these DIYs around our house this time of year.
DIY Paper Stars
This is probably one of my favorite holiday DIYs and if I’m being completely honest… we left ours up from Christmas last year. I just love them so much.
What You Need:
How To:
Stack 6-8 brown paper bags on top of each other (& make sure they’re all facing the same way)
Glue the bags together in an upside-down “T” shape
Trim the top of bags
Cut unique designs into bags
Grab the top and bottom bag and pull them together, opening up the bags
Glue points of the top and bottom bag together to secure the bags open in the star shape
Use a double-sided table to secure to the wall or use a hole-punch and thread a string through the hole to hang the stars
Best & Easiest Christmas Cookies
We discovered these cookies on TikTok a few years ago and have added them to our annual tradition list. Even if you’re not a baker, you can make these.
What You Need:
slice-and-bake holiday sugar cookies of choice
How To:
stack the sugar cookies on top of the chocolate chip cookies
follow the instructions for baking
that’s literally it.
Egg Nog Latte
As coffee lovers, we love switching up our morning drinks based on the season and Christmas is one of our favorites. Eggnog is a controversial holiday tradition, but we love it. This simple and delicious recipe is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit.
HOT
ICED
DIY Clothespin Snowflakes
These turned our way cuter than I anticipated. They’re so simple to make and could be used as ornaments, gift toppers, or just cute decor.
What You’ll Need:
How To:
break apart the clothes pins
glue the clothes pins together by pairing the back, flat sides
glue the points of six clothes pins together to form a snowflake
Holiday Simmer
One of my favorite thing about the holidays is the scents. The warm, cozy, welcoming smells of Christmas. One of the ways to achieve that delicious aroma on command is by creating a holiday simmer. There are no rights or wrongs, per say, so feel free to experiment. Here’s what we did:
What You’ll Need:
citrus of choice
grapefruit
oranges
blood oranges
lemons
apples
cranberries
rosemary
pine needles
How-To:
slice all of the citrus, apples, and herbs
bring a large pot of water to a boil
drop the citrus, cinnamon sticks, apples, herbs, and cranberries into the pot
reduce to a simmer and leave for as long as you want
Woodsy Ornament Wall Hanging
I’ll be honest, this one drove me a bit mad, but I was really happy with the results. I saw something similar on Pinterest that I am now convinced was photoshopped. But messing around with what looked right was a fun, creative exercise.
What You’ll Need:
drift wood/branch
ornaments
Yarn Mini Christmas Trees
This is an older DIY that I still use to decorate with each year. I love that you can customize them to match your decor colors.
What You’ll Need:
optional: tree decorations
How To:
run a bead of hot glue down the vertical seam of the foam cone
wrap the yard around the cone, securing it to the hot glue each time you wrap it around
secure the end with hot glue
decorate as you desire
Creative DIY Wreaths
There are so many cheap, plain wreaths that you can get almost anywhere. These plain jane wreaths give you the opportunity to customize your wreath each year, without having to buy a new one. Here are a few ideas for how you could decorate yours:
baked citrus
ornaments
holiday florals
Scrap Wood Christmas Village
I love the look of Christmas villages, but frankly, the “in” style changes so often and they’re not the most affordable solution. I opted for a free Christmas village made out of scrap wood I found in our workshop. Just cut the wood to a desired size and shape and then have fun with paint and stain to create your dream village.
Wooden Bead Ornaments
I love the look of wooden beads. They’re so organic and clean. The minimalist look is also warm and inviting. I ordered a big case of differently-sized wooden beads for jewelry making. Make sure they have the holes already in them. Then I just fed them onto some twine to create a custom ornament.
Baked Citrus Garland
Like the holiday simmer, this DIY just smells good. Pick your favorite (looking) citrus and bake it until it’s dried. I usually use oranges, blood oranges, and grapefruit. The secret is to cook it low and slow — and when I say slow… I mean it.
How To:
preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
thinly slice citrus and pat dry with a paper towel
lay on non-stick baking sheet
bake for 3-5 hours, flipping every 30 minutes-1 hour
thread the dried citrus onto a garland to hang
Modern Fillable Ornaments
I discovered these modern transparent ornaments at the dollar store and my creative wheels started spinning. There are so many things you could fill these with to make your very own, ever-changing ornament design. Here are a few ideas for what to put inside:
LED tea light
dried citrus
holiday florals or greenery
fake snow scene
notes, photos, paper
You could also paint the inside or add mod podge, glitter, or other crafts.
