31 DIY Christmas Decorations
Christmas is the perfect time to get creative and make your own decorations. These DIY projects are budget-friendly, fun for the whole family, and add a personal touch to your holiday decor. Most of these ideas use everyday materials you probably already have at home, like paper, mason jars, and natural elements from your yard.
Whether you’re looking for ornaments, garland, or centerpieces, these simple projects will help you create a magical Christmas atmosphere without breaking the bank. Grab your crafting supplies and let’s get started!
1. Paper Snowflakes Cut from White or Colored Paper
Fold paper in half several times, then cut small shapes along the edges before unfolding to reveal intricate snowflake patterns. Use white copy paper for classic snowflakes or try colorful scrapbook paper for a modern twist. Start with square pieces of paper for the best results.
Make different sizes by using various paper dimensions. Tape them to windows, hang from the ceiling with fishing line, or use as table scatter for winter parties.
2. Pinecone Christmas Trees Painted with Green Paint
Collect pinecones from your yard and paint them with green acrylic paint using a small brush. Let them dry completely, then add tiny dots of white paint to look like snow. You can also sprinkle glitter while the paint is still wet for extra sparkle.
Hot glue a small wooden star on top or use yellow paint to make a star shape. Group several different sizes together to create a mini forest display on your mantle or dining table.
3. Mason Jar Snow Globes with Miniature Scenes
Fill clean mason jars with distilled water and add a few drops of glycerin to make the snow fall slower. Place small Christmas figurines, bottle brush trees, or miniature houses inside the lid. Secure everything with waterproof glue. Add artificial snow or white glitter to the water.
Screw the lid on tightly and flip upside down. Shake gently to watch the snow swirl around your tiny winter scene. These make wonderful gifts for friends and family.
4. Felt Christmas Stockings with Embroidered Names
Cut two identical stocking shapes from red, green, or white felt. Sew them together with blanket stitches, leaving the top open. Use embroidery thread to stitch names across the top cuff in contrasting colors. Add felt decorations like snowflakes, trees, or candy canes.
Make a hanging loop from matching ribbon or felt. The great thing about felt is that it doesn’t fray, making this project perfect for beginners. Kids can help with the decorating part too.
5. Paper Bag Luminaries with Holiday Cutouts
Use brown or white paper lunch bags and fold down the top edge about two inches to create a cuff. Draw holiday shapes like stars, trees, or bells on the sides and carefully cut them out with a craft knife. Place a battery-operated tea light or LED candle inside each bag.
Add some sand or rice to the bottom to keep them stable and weighted down. Line your walkway or porch steps with these glowing decorations to welcome guests on Christmas Eve.
6. Cinnamon Stick Bundles Tied with Red Ribbon
Gather three to five cinnamon sticks and tie them together with red or gold ribbon, making a pretty bow. These smell amazing and look rustic hanging on your tree or around the house. You can also hot glue them to picture frames, candle holders, or gift boxes for a festive touch.
Make different sized bundles for variety. The natural brown color works well with any Christmas color scheme, and the warm spice scent adds to the cozy holiday atmosphere.
7. Orange Pomanders Studded with Whole Cloves
Push whole cloves directly into fresh oranges, covering the entire surface or creating patterns like stripes or spirals. The oils from the orange and cloves create a wonderful natural air freshener that lasts for weeks. Roll finished pomanders in cinnamon powder for extra scent and decoration. Tie with ribbon to hang or place in bowls around the house.
This old-fashioned decoration fills your home with the warm, spicy scents of Christmas and makes your kitchen smell like the holidays.
8. Yarn-Wrapped Ornament Balls
Styrofoam balls wrapped in colorful yarn create ornaments with wonderful texture and warmth. The yarn adds coziness that plastic ornaments lack. Choose colors that match your tree theme or go bold with bright contrasts. The wrapping process is almost meditative – there’s something soothing about winding the soft yarn around and around.
Add beads or sequins for extra sparkle. The finished ornaments have a handcrafted, boutique look that suggests hours of loving work, even though they’re quite simple to make.
9. Paper Chain Garland in Red and Green
Cut construction paper into strips about one inch wide and six inches long. Make the first link by gluing or taping the ends of one strip together. Thread the next strip through the first loop before gluing its ends together. Continue this pattern, alternating between red and green strips. Make your chains as long as you need for doorways, mantles, or Christmas trees.
This classic decoration is perfect for kids to help make, and you can use any colors that match your holiday theme.
10. Salt Dough Ornaments Shaped and Painted
Mix two cups flour, one cup salt, and one cup water to make salt dough. Roll it out and use cookie cutters to make shapes like stars, trees, and candy canes. Use a straw to poke holes for hanging before baking at 200 degrees for two to three hours until hard.
Once cool, paint with acrylic paints and add glitter while wet. Thread ribbon through the holes to hang on your tree. These ornaments are practically free to make and kids love decorating them.
11. Wine Cork Reindeer with Twig Antlers
Save wine corks and paint them brown if desired. Break small twigs into pieces for antlers and hot glue them to the top of the cork. Use small black beads or dots of paint for eyes and a tiny red bead for the nose. Add thin strips of fabric or ribbon around the neck as a scarf.
You can also use toothpicks instead of twigs if you prefer. Make a whole herd to march across your mantle or use as place cards for Christmas dinner by writing names on small tags.
12. Fabric Scrap Christmas Trees on Wooden Dowels
Cut fabric scraps into triangle tree shapes of different sizes. You’ll need about three to five triangles per tree, getting smaller toward the top. Hot glue them onto wooden dowels or thin branches, starting with the largest at the bottom. Use festive fabrics like plaid, velvet, or Christmas prints.
Stick the dowels into small pots filled with sand or foam, or bundle several together in a tall vase. These soft, colorful trees add texture and warmth to your holiday decorations.
13. Ice Luminaries Frozen in Balloons or Containers
Fill balloons with water and freeze them solid, then cut away the balloon to reveal ice spheres. You can also use bowls or other containers to make different shapes. Before the water freezes completely, push battery-operated lights into the ice. Place these glowing ice decorations outside along your walkway or in your yard.
They’ll last for days in cold weather and create beautiful natural lighting. For colored ice, add a few drops of food coloring to the water before freezing.
14. Dried Orange Slice Garland Strung on Twine
Slice oranges into quarter-inch thick rounds and place them on baking sheets. Dry them in a 200-degree oven for about three hours, flipping once halfway through. They’re done when they feel dry but still flexible. Use a needle to thread natural twine through each slice near the edge.
Space them evenly along the string, leaving some twine between each piece. This natural garland smells wonderful and looks beautiful draped around doorways, windows, or along the mantle. The orange slices will keep their color for years.
15. Wooden Bead Christmas Tree Garland
Thread large wooden beads onto sturdy string or thin rope in a tree pattern. Start with one bead, then two on the next row, then three, and so on until you have the size tree you want. Leave small gaps between each row to define the tree shape. Paint the beads green beforehand or leave them natural for a rustic look.
Make several small trees and connect them with extra string to create a garland. These look great on mantles or stretched across doorways for a modern, minimalist Christmas decoration.
16. Christmas Crochet Wreath
Form a festive wreath using green yarn worked in dense stitches around a wire or foam base. Use single crochet or loop stitches to create texture that mimics evergreen needles. Add red berries made from small crocheted balls or beads scattered throughout.
Include a large bow at the bottom using red or gold ribbon, or crochet your own bow from matching yarn. You can also add small ornaments, pine cones, or bells to customize your wreath. Hang it on doors, walls, or use as a table centerpiece.
17. Mini Rosemary Wreath Garland
Craft a charming garland by making miniature rosemary wreaths. Gather fresh rosemary sprigs and shape them into small circles, securing the ends with floral wire or twine. Make several in varying sizes for visual interest. Once complete, string the mini wreaths together with ribbon, jute, or thin cord to form a garland.
You can leave them simple and rustic, or embellish with tiny bows, bells, or red berries for extra holiday flair. This garland adds a fragrant, elegant touch to mantels, windows, or holiday tablespaces.
18. Handprint Ornaments Made from Clay or Salt Dough
Press small hands into air-dry clay or salt dough to make lasting keepsakes. Use a straw to make a hole at the top before the clay hardens. Once completely dry, paint around the handprint with Christmas colors or leave natural. Write the child’s name and year on the back with permanent marker.
Thread ribbon through the hole to hang on the tree. These precious ornaments become treasured family memories and make wonderful gifts for grandparents. Each year, compare how much little hands have grown.
19. Popsicle Stick Snowflakes Glued and Painted
Glue popsicle sticks together in snowflake patterns using hot glue or craft glue. Try overlapping three sticks in the middle to make six points, or create more complex designs with additional sticks. Once the glue is dry, paint them white, silver, or leave them natural wood color. Add glitter while the paint is wet for sparkle.
Attach a loop of string or ribbon to hang them up. These are perfect for classroom parties or as gifts. Make lots of different patterns and sizes for variety.
20. Yarn Wrapped Christmas Tree Cones
Wrap foam cones or cardboard cones tightly with green yarn, securing the end with hot glue. Start at the bottom and work your way up, keeping the yarn close together so no cone shows through. Once covered, you can glue on small buttons, beads, or tiny ornaments as decorations. Add a star or bow on top.
Make several in different sizes and colors of yarn for a whole forest. These soft, textured trees are safe for homes with small children and add a cozy, handmade feel to your Christmas decorations.
21. Paper Bag Gingerbread Houses
Brown paper lunch bags become instant gingerbread houses with just some cutting and folding. The bag material has that perfect brown color that really looks like gingerbread. Cut out windows and doors, then decorate with paper “icing” details and candy cutouts.
When you put a small LED light inside, the windows glow warmly like a real house. The bag texture adds to the cozy cottage feeling, and they’re much easier than building actual gingerbread houses but just as cute.
22. Clothespin Reindeer with Googly Eyes
Take wooden clothespins and paint them brown if you want, though natural wood looks great too. Glue on googly eyes and use a small red pom-pom or bead for the nose. Break small twigs for antlers and hot glue them to the top. You can add a tiny bell around the neck with thin ribbon.
These cute reindeer can clip onto cards, packages, or even your Christmas tree branches. Make a whole herd to march across a shelf or mantle. Kids will love helping make these simple, adorable decorations.
23. Mason Jar Christmas Terrariums with Fake Snow
Layer fake snow or cotton batting in the bottom of mason jars. Add small bottle brush trees, miniature houses, or tiny Christmas figurines to create winter scenes. You can include small mirrors cut into irregular shapes to look like frozen ponds. Sprinkle in some fine glitter for extra sparkle.
Screw the lids on tight to keep everything in place. These little winter worlds look magical lined up on a windowsill or grouped together as a centerpiece. Each jar can tell a different Christmas story.
24. Felt Christmas Ornament Balls Stuffed with Batting
Cut two circles from festive colored felt for each ornament. Sew them together with blanket stitches, leaving a small opening. Stuff firmly with cotton batting or pillow stuffing, then finish sewing closed. Add a loop of ribbon or embroidery thread at the top for hanging.
Decorate with smaller pieces of felt cut into stars, trees, or other shapes and glued on. These soft ornaments are safe for households with small children and won’t break if they fall. Make them in all your favorite Christmas colors.
25. Paper Star Lanterns Folded and Assembled
Cut paper into long strips and fold them accordion-style to create dimension. Shape each folded strip into points and glue several together to form star shapes. You can use book pages, sheet music, or colorful scrapbook paper for different looks.
Place battery-operated tea lights inside to make them glow, or hang them as is for decoration. Make various sizes for visual interest. These delicate-looking lanterns cast beautiful shadows on walls and ceilings when lit, creating a magical atmosphere for Christmas Eve.
26. Burlap and Lace Garland
Combine strips of rough burlap with delicate lengths of lace to create a garland that’s both rustic and romantic. The natural tan of burlap provides an earthy, textured base, while white or cream lace adds a touch of elegance and softness. Simply layer and string the strips alternating along twine or ribbon for a flowing, cozy effect.
The interplay of textures catches light beautifully, and the neutral tones complement any décor while still feeling distinctly festive and special—perfect for farmhouse, vintage, or understated holiday styling.
27. Egg Carton Christmas Flowers Painted Festive Colors
Cut individual cups from cardboard egg cartons and trim the edges to look like flower petals. Paint them red, white, gold, or green and let dry completely. Once dry, you can add glitter or small dots of contrasting paint for extra decoration. Hot glue them onto branches, attach them to wreaths, or use them as gift toppers.
Make centers by gluing small beads or buttons in the middle. These recycled flowers are an eco-friendly way to add color and texture to your Christmas decorations.
28. Wooden Slice Ornaments with Painted Designs
Cut branches into thin slices or buy wooden rounds from craft stores. Sand them smooth if needed. Paint holiday designs like snowflakes, trees, stars, or write Christmas messages with acrylic paints and thin brushes. You can also use wood burning tools if you have them for a more rustic look.
Drill small holes near the top edge and thread with twine or ribbon for hanging. These natural ornaments look beautiful on a tree or tied onto packages. Each piece of wood has unique grain patterns, making every ornament special.
29. Coffee Filter Angel Ornaments
Coffee filters create the most ethereal, flowing angel gowns you’ve ever seen. The round filters naturally form beautiful, layered skirts when gathered and secured with a clothespin or wooden bead for the head. The white paper has a delicate, almost translucent quality that seems to glow when light hits it.
Add a gold halo made from pipe cleaner and you have angels that look like they’re floating. They’re so light and airy, perfect for hanging from tree branches.
30. Paper Cup Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Arrange 24 small paper cups in a triangle tree shape on a large poster board or directly on the wall. Number each cup from 1 to 24 with markers or stickers. Fill each cup with small treats, toys, or rolled-up notes with Christmas activities. Cover the opening of each cup with tissue paper held on with rubber bands, then poke small holes so kids can break through to get their surprises.
Add a paper star on top and you have an interactive decoration that builds excitement throughout December.
31. Bottle Bell Ornaments
Plastic bottle caps can be transformed into charming little bells with just a bit of paint and ribbon. Their rounded shape makes a perfect base, and when coated in gold, silver, or glitter paint, they shimmer like festive ornaments. Thread a ribbon or string through the top for hanging, and add a tiny bead or jingle bell inside for a gentle chime.
Lightweight and durable, these recycled decorations are eco-friendly, safe for kids to make, and versatile enough to hang on Christmas trees, garlands, or even gift packages. They’re a simple craft that combines sustainability with holiday sparkle.