68 DIY Christmas Decorations That Will Get Your Home Holiday-Ready
Time to get crafty!
If most of your holiday budget is going toward gifts, you may want to consider DIY Christmas decorations this year. If you just let out a big moan because getting crafty stresses you out, rest assured that these are easy and, dare we say, calming. At the very least, they’ll help keep your hands busy.
Whether you want to focus on ornaments, table settings, mantel decorations, or all three, you’ll find more than a few helpful guides from the world’s most impressive crafters below. From gift wrap made of brown paper bags and topped with fresh evergreen sprigs to Rudolph-inspired Mason jars filled with chocolate malt balls, the DIY Christmas decorations we’ve found are perfect for the holidays this year. Not to mention, if you go the DIY route, you'll be saving a lot.
We totally understand there are so many directions to consider that it’s easy to get overwhelmed by options. This is why we rounded up our favorites—68, to be exact—to give you some inspiration. We even included super-easy DIY Christmas decorations that you can craft in less than five minutes. Think: a glimmering ornament in the shape of a wreath made entirely of pipe cleaners. Luckily, everything you need—including tools—is available on Amazon, so even if you’re procrastinating until the last minute to get started, you won’t run out of time waiting for the goodies to arrive. Don’t wait too long, though as Christmas is less than two weeks away!
DIY Greeting Cards
Make your season's greetings extra special by making them yourself. Start with a simple, plain card. Next, cut out triangle-shaped pieces of your favorite wrapping paper, glue them onto the card, et voila! If you want to go the extra mile, splatter some white paint to emulate snow.
DIY Gift Wrap
If you're short on wrapping paper, there's no need to give your loved ones unfinished gifts. Instead, wrap them in brown paper (got any old shopping bags? Those will work!) and finish them off with a few sprigs from the trees outside. Peep the full tutorial at A Piece of Rainbow.
DIY Decor
Spruce up your mantel with a few pieces of charming decor, like this bottle brushed tree strapped to a toy car via candy cane-colored twine. The kids will love it.
Chocolate Reindeer
Who says Christmas decor can't be edible? Not us. Grab some Mason jars, fill them with chocolate malt balls (throw in a few red chocolate-covered cherries, and decorate them to look like reindeer. Catch the full tutorial on Life as Mama.
Edible Decor
Another piece of tasty decor is Ella Claire & Co.'s sugared rosemary sprigs and cranberries. Scatter them across the dining table (don't forget the tablecloth) a few minutes ahead of dinner, and your setup will look as festive as it is delicious.
Best-Smelling Gifts
Homemade potpourri may sound like something your grandma would hand out as party favors, but potpourri is trending in a big way! Everyone may prefer different scent, but who doesn't love the smell of Christmas? Get the guide on Boxwood Avenue. Give it a rustic feel with a plain linen tied with string.
Green Garland
At first, this decorative garland, which would look great in the entry of any home, looks complicated to make, but it's much easier than you'd expect. All you need is a set of multi-colored tassels, oversize letters, and wooden beads.
Easy Cards
If you're short on time but still want to make your cards yourself, snag some pompoms and string, and design some abstract Christmas-themed scenes.
Tasty Table Settings
Whether you're having five or 25 people over for your Christmas dinner (or brunch), save your guests the stress of having to figure out where to sit by creating your own seat assignments by tying three candy canes together.
Reindeer Gift Bags
Thank your guests for swinging by with handmade gift bags. Stuff them with red tissue paper, pop on some googly eyes and a pompom, and you're good to go. If you need some help, check out the tutorial on Kara Creates.
Sustainable Wreath
Keep it simple this year with an eco-friendly wreath that will take you no more than 10 minutes to make. Attach some greenery to a brass ring and finish it off with a little bell or two. Get the tutorial on Star Seeds.
Instant Hot Coco
Another edible gift is the DIY hot chocolate kit from Hoosier Homemade. Grab some plastic (or glass, if you're feeling fancy) tubes and fill them with different hot coco toppings, including marshmallows and peppermints.
Easy Table Setting
A rustic Christmas is always a good idea, so if you're hosting the festivities this year, fold some burlap into a pocket and neatly tuck in the napkin, silverware, and maybe a sprig or two of fresh pine, à la Love of Family and Home.
Bottle Trees
Skip the fancy candle holders and opt for a DIY set made out of old bottles. All you need is some paint and a vision. Get the inspiration at DIY Candy.
Toilet Paper Snowmen
Would you even believe us if we told you this pair of adorable snowmen by It's Always Autumn is made of toilet paper? If you have little ones in the house who wouldn't mind lending out their hats and scarves to these faux twin snowmen, this is perhaps the easiest Christmas DIY you can master.
DIY Driftwood Tree
Those who live by the beach, start gathering up some driftwood and your favorite ornaments. Loop the ornaments onto the branches and then connect the branches with super-thin string, and you've got a makeshift Christmas tree that doubles as a work of art.
Rustic Tablescape
Who knew burlap would be such a useful material when it comes to DIY Christmas decorations? It's a great way to keep your decor simple and affordable. For your table, wrap it around the base of a large votive then fill the votive with loose evergreen leaves, and top it off with a pillar candle. Need some guidance? Check out The Summery Umbrella's helpful hints.
Rudolph Garlands
Fill any empty wall space with an easy-to-make garland decorated with Rudolph-inspired pompoms. See Designs by Miss Mandee's tutorial for some inspiration and any tools you may need.
5-Minute Ornaments
It's hardly Christmas without ornaments for the three. If you want to decorate your tree with a few hand-made ones, you may want to consider these popsicle stick sleds by The Mummy Front. They're easy and on-theme!
DIY Dried Citrus
Dried orange slices always make for good (and delicious) Christmas decorations. Whether you use them as ornaments or on a garland, they'll add a colorful touch to your regular display. Simply slice up an orange into thin discs and pop them in the oven at 170 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. Just be sure to flip every hour or so.
Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Mary Elizabeth Andriotis is House Beautiful's Associate Editor, where she covers historic homes, entertainment, culture, and design. She has written for publications including House Beautiful, Vogue, Architectural Digest, Teen Vogue, NYLON, and Town & Country. She enjoys visiting historic house museums in her free time.
Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.
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