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This season, with more people staying home to adhere to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance on holiday gatherings, many families find themselves with a bit more time on their hands.
Now may be the perfect opportunity to reconnect over some Christmas crafting around the kitchen table. These DIY Christmas decorations ideas will keep everyone busy and provide you and your family with years of treasured memories during an otherwise difficult time for many.
DIY Christmas decorations that won't break the bank
DIY Christmas decorations don’t have to use brand-new supplies to be beautiful. Upcycle a plain white plate with a fresh coat of paint in Christmas colors and display that on your table. You can also simply add a holiday bow to some taper candles on your dining room table.
“Don’t forget to browse the thrift store,” Tiffany Telles told Mom.com. “Simple projects like spray-painting old candlesticks or nutcrackers can bring a fresh holiday look to any room,” the mom of two suggested.
If you’re a Disney fan, bring some Disney magic to your holidays with DIY Christmas decorations on your front door. If you’re missing visiting the parks this Christmas, this Mickey Mouse wreath from Becca’s Magical Moments — made from some old Christmas bulbs and a hot glue gun — might just do the trick. These fun DIY outdoor Christmas lollipop decorations from the YouTube channel Kamekamehika are simple, inexpensive, and simple enough to do with young kids.
Christmas decorations for your holiday table
One way to bring some cheer to your holiday table is with a DIY Christmas sign decoration. Chalkola makes a variety of art supplies including chalk pens that are perfect for creating a festive Christmas cookie recipe chalkboard sign to adorn your holiday dessert table.
Pam Merritt, craft expert for online retailer Zulily, is a also fan of using what you have around the home. She shared these tips with Mom.com for creating easy handmade decorations for your table.
“I love any craft that upcycles anything you already have around your house. That’s why I love this simple holiday votive,” she told us. “Take any glass jar. Maybe it’s from spaghetti sauce, yogurt, or jam – but keep those glass jars because they make a great simple gift! Just clean that jar, then coat it in Mod Podge, then roll it in a little Epsom salt and glitter. Then, use a little glue, ribbon, and pinecones, and drop in a battery-powered votive.”
Merritt told us that DIY Christmas votives are also great for gift-giving. “They are sweet little gifts you can put on a windowsill of an older neighbor to bring them some cheer, or something you can put on a friend’s doorstop alongside some cookies.”
Personalized Christmas ornament ideas
Personalized, homemade Christmas ornaments are always a great gift and can be made with cutting machines like the Cricut or Silhouette. These DIY ornaments from Makers Gonna Learn are perfect for Cricut owners like me, who have had their cutting machine for almost a year and are still too intimidated to make anything.
Adventures of a DIY Mom shows how to make DIY woodburned Christmas ornaments that would look great on the Christmas tree. Finally, if you’re not the most creative, you truly can’t go wrong with an acrylic pour or dip ornament. These stunning acrylic pour dip ornaments from CraftyJenn on YouTube are fast, easy, and impressive.
Where to buy Christmas craft supplies
If you’re avoiding stores and shopping online as much as possible to help slow the spread of COVID-19, there are plenty of resources for purchasing Christmas decoration supplies online at a discount. Oriental Trading is an inexpensive site for personalized ceramic ornaments. Grab some acrylic paint pens and create one-of-a-kind gifts and ornaments for family and friends.
You can find a variety of pens, paints, brushes, and other art and crafts supplies online at the Blick website. Etsy is a great resource for bulk wood slices to make fun personalized ornaments with a wood-burning kit as well.
If you decide to make DIY Christmas decorations this year, Merritt reminds us not to put too much pressure on ourselves or our families. “Remember, the holidays and crafting are supposed to be fun. Do not feel the need to spend hours and hours to make something for the holidays. The best crafts are simple and don’t take a lot of time or supplies,” she told us. “And if something doesn’t turn out, don’t worry. It’s OK to laugh and try again.”
