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Christmas decorations always seem to warm the heart. When the department stores put them on display, you instantly become transported into another world. And the shelves these days cover every theme style you could imagine.
DIY Christmas decorations are just as great. And so satisfying to see the finished product. Do-it-yourself decorations are perfect for family activities around the holidays.
Traditions that are hard to break
I remember making them back in the 1980s as a child. They were school projects 1 year that my 2nd-grade teacher introduced to the class. And they’ve been some crafts that have stayed with me ever since.
Growing up, I didn’t have much of a selection of colors for some of them. Still, I worked with what I had. Now I’m sure some of you may have seen these before but I’m more than happy to share with those who have not.
Here are 3 Christmas decorations I learned and still create.
A simple Homemade Christmas Wreath
Making this DIY Christmas decoration is by far my favorite to do. It never gets old making it. And the best part is you can do it with your children as an arts & craft activity. It’s an inexpensive Christmas decoration.
What you need:
- A wire hanger
- 3 or more Garbage bags (depending on how many you make)
- A pair of scissors
- A ruler (optional)
- A red or green ribbon (optional)
- Christmas balls (optional)
- Good festive music
How to assemble your Christmas Wreath:
Step 1:
Begin by bending your wire hanger into a circle. Doesn’t have to be perfect. For an easier molding of the hanger, try a thinner hanger that’s a little more flexible. Also, if you’re doing this with younger children, you may want to mold their hanger for them. A little tip, if you leave the hook of the hanger, it makes for easier hanging.
Step 2:
Take your garbage bag and cut both sides of the bag down the seam. Next, you want to cut the top piece of the garbage back off. This piece is not needed. Usually, it takes about 2-3 bags.
For an additional effect to your wreath, try using a blue recyclable bag or a different color of your liking.
Once you’ve cut the sides, begin cutting strips. A good measurement is an inch tall and about 6-7 inches wide. Make as many as you can with each bag.
Step 3:
Here’s where the magic begins. This is the part the children will love. Take 1 strip and tie it around the hanger. No need to make a knot. Then slide the strip up to the top of the hanger, pushing together each 1 as you go.
Repeat the process until all the circled hanger is covered. Once it’s all done, you’ll want to twist each strip slightly for a fluff effect.
Step 4: (optional)
Now that your wreath is fully created, let’s add some decorations to it.
Grab your red or green ribbon and we’re going to tie it into a bow. Place the bow around the hook of the hanger. If you don’t know how to create a neat bow, you can find this tutorial on how to create an easy tie bow helpful.
For more of a decorative wreath, you can also add your favorite color of Christmas bulbs. Use your glue and prop them throughout the wreath. You can decorate your wreath with the same size or a mixture of small and big bulbs.
And there you have it. An inexpensive homemade wreath. These can also be created for birthdays, weddings, and other special occasions. But nothing beats having them during the Christmas holiday.
Festive Christmas Hangers
Although they’re not on display like the homemade wreath, they do make for an interesting conversation starter. Designate these DIY Christmas Decorations for hanging up your guest coats. I think these are great for the holiday host or hostess that have family and friends coming over.
What you need:
- A wire hanger
- A bundle of yarn (1 or 2 is fine; red, green, blue, or white)
How to assemble your decorative hanger:
Step 1:
Unravel some of your yarn and tie in a knot the end of the yarn to the bottom of the hook of the hanger. Be sure to tie it tight as you don’t want it to slide off. Also, if you’re using more than 1 color, simply tie the other color directly under the first color.
Step 2:
Once you’ve tied your yarns to your hanger, simply begin to wrap them around the hanger. As you go, make sure to slide the yarn together. You want to cover the wire completely. And if you’re working with multiple colors, you’ll want to wrap 1 color after the other.
Tip: For less tangling, try small balls of yarn or wrap the yarn around a small bottle to fit in and out of the hanger.
Homemade foam snowman
This is 1 of my favorite DIY Christmas decorations to create. And they make for a great addition to any Christmas sceneries you may have set up.
What you need:
- A bag of associated round Styrofoam (2 or 3 different sizes)
- 1 flat Styrofoam base
- 1 rectangle piece of black felt
- Black or Colored cushion pins
- Toothpicks
- Scissors
- Needle and black thread
- Tissue roll
- Cardboard (thin)
- Miniature plastic carrot nose (optional)
How to assemble your snowman
Step 1:
Grab 1 flat piece of Styrofoam, 1 large circle Styrofoam, and 2 toothpicks. Place the toothpicks and place one on each side of the flat Styrofoam. Next, place the large round Styrofoam on top of the toothpicks.
Repeat those steps for the next 2 rounded Styrofoam, using only 1 toothpick to anchor the final two.
Step 2:
Once you have assembled the body of your snowman, now it’s time to decorate. Let’s start with the easy stuff first.
Place your black round push pin through the front of the middle round Styrofoam. Repeat this process 2-3 more times, creating a line of pins to represent the buttons.
Next, use two black round push pins and you’re going to place them as eyes in the top round Styrofoam. And finally, use 1 miniature carrot nose for the mouth.
If you want to change it up, feel free to use different color pins. And you can also create a mouth as well. Remember this is your snowman, so be as creative as your heart desires.
Step 3:
Now here comes the creative skills. Grab your felt and cut 2 circles, (1-1in. large, 1-1/2in small) and 1 3-4 inch long strip. Cut the same size small circle piece from the cardboard.
Wrap the long strip into a cylinder. You can use a round piece of tissue roll to hold the form. Next, take a needle and black thread and sew the 2 seams together.
Once your seams are sewn, place the small circle felt on top and sew the edges around the cylinder piece of felt. Next, flip the felt inside out, facing the threaded side on the inside of the hat.
Poke a hole in the small circle cardboard and place 1 toothpick inside the hole. Finally, you’re going to add the large circle piece of felt. Now you can place a hole through the center of the felt and place the toothpick through. Or you can sew it to the bottom of the cylinder felt.
After you’ve decided, place the bottom part of the toothpick through the top of the head. And your snowman is done. I took some red yarn and braided it to make a little scarf for around the snowman’s neck.
Here’s an alternative way to create the snowman’s hat in this How to make a snowman hat.
Conclusion
Sometimes creating your own can mean so much more. And it’s another Christmas activity that the whole family and friends can take part in. They are perfect for those on a budget.
Creating DIY Christmas decorations doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes easy can be a fun and creative activity with the simplest things.
Do you remember making some of these in school? Have you started making your own decorations? Feel free to share in the comments below. And don’t forget to pin, like, and share this post for others to enjoy as well.
Until next time, this is Tammy saying keep strong, keep positive. And NOTHING’s impossible!!! Happy Holidays Everyone!!!
