51 Christmas Crafts to Brighten Up Your Holiday Decor (and Fill Your Winter Hours)

Maintain a cheerful outlook with the help of a “curtain” fashioned from retro bell-shaped ornaments.

What You’ll Need:

• Ribbon
• Scissors
• Retro bell-shaped ornaments (or any old ornaments)

How-to:

1. Cut a length of ribbon one foot longer than the length of the window. Securely tie the ribbon to a tension rod fitted in the frame.
2. String the bells through the ribbon, knotting them in place about five inches apart vertically on the ribbon. Repeat this with new lengths of ribbon across the width of the window, staggering the ornaments.

Reuse empty paper towel rolls as homemade ornaments with this easy Christmas craft, which uses crafting tools you probably already have.

What You’ll Need:

• Craft knife
• Paper towel roll
• Green paint
• Paint brush
• Glue
• Red pom poms (sparkly pom-poms optional)
• String or twine
• Scissors

How-to:

1. Cut five half-inch wide circles of a paper towel roll using a craft knife.
2. Paint the cardboard rings green, and let them dry.
3. Glue the rings together in the shape of a leaf. (See our photo for a guide.)
4. Glue red pom-poms into the center as berries.
5. Tie string around the top cardboard ring to create a hanging loop.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

If you’re hosting an intimate dinner or a large sit-down meal for the whole family, make each person feel welcome at their spot at the table with personalized place cards. The pinecones sit upright, so you can just place them on top of a nice linen napkin. When guests leave, repurpose the gilded pinecones by arranging them inside a glass hurricane or bowl and setting it on an entryway table.

What You’ll Need:

• Pinecone
• Gold spray paint
• Scissors
• Cardstock

How-to:

1. In a well-ventilated area, spray pinecone liberally with spray paint, making sure to hit all the nooks and crannies.
2. Use scissors to cut rectangles from cardstock. Trim a triangle from either side to create the banner look.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Collecting an entire Christmas Village takes many years—and costs a pretty penny in the process. Instead, create your own glowing village out of those glass hurricanes you have tucked away.

What You’ll Need:

• Clear glass hurricanes
• Multi-colored tissue paper
• Scissors
• Double-sided tape or glue
• Colored masking tape
• Cardstock
• LED tea light

How-to:

1. Wrap a clear glass hurricane with colored tissue paper. Cut to fit. Secure with double-sided tape or craft glue.
2. Cut two small squares and a rectangle (Optional: round the edges on the top half of the rectangle to create an arched doorway for your house) from colored masking tape to create windows and doors. Stick the tape onto the tissue paper.
3. Cut out a cone to serve as the roof of your house. To do so, trace a circle (your circle should have a circumference that’s a little larger than that of your hurricane) from cardstock and cut. Cut out a small triangle from one side of the circle. Bring the two points together, rounding one edge under the other. Secure with double-sided tape or glue. Set aside.
4. Place the LED tea light inside the house, and set the cone on top. Add fake snow and trees, if desired.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Great for trees large and small, ornament hangers, spare hooks, and more spots in need of a little holiday cheer, these DIY tassel ornaments can add some subtle Christmas magic to any space. For more festive ornaments, collect bright string and yarn to use for the tassels.

What You’ll Need:

• Twine, string, masonry twine, and other household cords
• Cardboard cut into 3.5-inch strips
• Scissors

How-to:

1. To start, wrap a string around a strip of cardboard about 20 times.
2. Tie a string around the middle of the loop you’ve created. The loop should now look like a figure-8.
3. Fold the figure-8 in half, then wrap a string around the top of the loop, creating the head of the tassel.
4. Cut the bottom of the loop to create the tassel's fringe.
5. Embellish the top of the tassel by wrapping with contrasting strings.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

If you love the look of the Christmas tree in your favorite holiday movie, then it’ll be fun to thread this traditional garland while watching it…and hang the final creation on your own tree. Make one of each for a vintage look that will really impress.

What You’ll Need:

• Baker’s twine
• Sewing needle
• Popped popcorn
• Cranberries

How-to:

1. Thread the baker’s twine onto your sewing needle.
2. Stick the needle through a piece of popcorn or a cranberry. Continue threading, keeping an even amount of space between each piece of food. (You can make an all popcorn garland, all cranberry garland, or alternate popcorn and cranberries.)

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Hanging ornament clusters, also called a Christmas ball drop by some, make an elegant adornment for entryways, light fixtures, or banisters.

What You’ll Need:

• Assorted ball ornaments
• Multi-colored ribbon (we suggest silver and gold)
• Scissors
• Wide ribbon (optional)

How-to:

1. Select eight to 12 multi-colored ball ornaments.
2. Cut a ribbon for each ornament, at varying lengths to create dimension. Tie one ribbon to each ornament, leaving a tail about two inches long. Use scissors to curl the tail.
3. Secure all of the ornaments together, by tying the ends of the ribbons together.
4. Make a bow out of wide ribbon and add to the top, if desired. Hang from a secure light fixture or to a door in place of a wreath.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Dress up a kitchen staple—old or new—with a little paint and string. Use this craft as a tree ornament or hang it in the kitchen for some seasonal culinary decor.

What You’ll Need:

• Wooden spoon
• Paint
• Paint brush
• White yarn or string
• Scissors
• Hot glue and hot glue gun

How-to:

1. Paint the back of a wooden spoon with Santa’s face, and use the entire handle for his hat. Don’t stress about your artistic ability—a white beard, smiling face, and red hat is good enough. Let the spoon dry.
2. Tightly wrap white yarn or string around the end of the handle to mimic the top of Santa’s hat.
3. Glue a string to end of the handle to create a loop.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

This craft is easily adaptable to suit any holiday decor style. Love the soft but fanciful look of silver? Try metallic pinecones and a tinsel ribbon. Or maybe you’re a traditionalist who’d rather decorate with red and green? Go with a red and white ribbon and natural or white paint-dipped pinecones. Once you’ve finished the craft, wrap it around the banister, twirl it around your tree, or simply lay it across a mantle or console.

What You’ll Need:

• Pinecones
• Ribbon, string, or yarn
• Hot glue gun and glue

How-to:

1. If desired, paint or decorate your pinecones.
2. Place a dot of hot glue on the base of one pinecone. Press the ribbon, yarn, or string down on top of the glue to secure. Repeat, evenly spacing the pinecones, until your garland is at the desired length.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

These fragrant balls of citrus might remind you of something you’d see at your grandmother’s house, but a few bright white pins modernize the vintage Christmas decoration. We recommend the traditional diamond pattern with a white center—or try your hand at creating a monogram or initial.

What you’ll need:

• Oranges or clementines
• Cloves
• White glass head pins

How-to:

1. Plot out your design (or designs) before inserting cloves and/or pins into the citrus, so you don’t end up with excess holes.
2. Push cloves and pins, one at a time, into oranges or clementines. Display in clusters with sprigs of evergreen in a bowl or on a tray. (Pro tip: If you have trouble inserting the cloves, try piercing the skin of the fruit with a toothpick first.)

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Sure, you could buy an Advent calendar—but making your own is so much more fun (and fills more time). Make one for the family to share, or give each family member their own and fill them with sweet treats to last the whole holiday season.

What You’ll Need:

• 25 small glassine bags
• Patterned papers
• Foam board (at least ½-inch thick)
• Map tacks
• Spray adhesive
• Permanent marker
• Scissors

How-to:

1. Cut out 25 small rectangles from the patterned papers. Make sure they can fit inside the small bags.
2. Write numbers 1 to 25 on the front of the glassine bags. Insert treats or gifts into each envelope and conceal them by placing the paper cutouts in front.
3. Wrap the patterned paper around the foam board using spray adhesive.
4. Use the map tacks to attach the envelopes to the board.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

Chances are the kids don’t need any help getting in the holiday spirit, but choosing a few easy crafts to do together can make the whole season feel even more festive. This one gives kids the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of their labor every day for 25 days. The only catch is you’ll have to have the forethought to plan this DIY project in November.

What You’ll Need:

• 12 or 24 plain white boxes
• Wrapping paper or kraft paper
• Numbered stickers
• Treats for each box

How-to:

1. Wrap boxes with paper.
2. Number boxes 1 through 12 or 24, depending on how you celebrate the season. Put a treat in each box and stack.

Transform over-the-top tinsel garland into a tasteful trimming with a few quick snips.

What You’ll Need:

• Old tinsel garland
• Clear glass ornaments
• Scissors
• Ribbon

How-to:

1. Cut four-inch strands from the garland, then feed them through the opening of a clear glass ornament until full.
2. Attach a ribbon to the ornament’s loop to create a napkin holder or a gift topper.

With a few simple adjustments, an unused natural wood disposable plate gets new life as a centerpiece for your holiday table. Traditionalists might consider using natural pinecones instead of ones that have been painted red.

What You’ll Need:

• Disposable bamboo plates (or balsa wood)
• Scissors
• Craft aluminum
• Red pinecones (homemade or store-bought)
• Hot glue gun and glue

How-to:

1. Cut bamboo plates into strips, about 1 inch wide. (You can use balsa wood, though the strips won’t have the same natural curve the plates do.) Glue together to form the shape of a branch.
2. Cut leaf shapes from craft aluminum. Fold in half, then unfold to get create a crease down the center. Glue two leaves to the end of each branch.
3. Glue one red pinecone atop each duo of leaves. Place in the center of your table and surround with small votives.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Done with plastic straws? Put any leftovers to good—and not in our oceans—use by repurposing them as Christmas ornaments with this easy craft.

What You’ll Need:

• Colorful plastic straws
• Small zip ties
• Scissors
• Pin or needle
• String

How-to:

1. Cut off the bendy portion of each straw.
2. Use a small zip tie to secure 12 straws together at the center, like a bouquet. Trim the end of the zip tie.
3. Thread another small zip tie through the first zip tie and secure another 12 straws at the center. Trim the end of the zip tie.
4. Use a needle or pin to pierce a hole through end of one straw. Thread a string through the holes and tie to make a loop.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

You don’t need to purchase real plants to enjoy the season’s most prevalent flower. (In fact, the live version can be poisonous to curious pets!) Instead, create embellishments for each place setting using a few simple craft supplies. These look lovely as present toppers, too.

What You’ll Need:

• Bumpy pipe cleaners
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Beads, marbles, or jingle bells
• Pom poms
• Ribbon
• Scissors

How-to:

1. Fold each bumpy pipe cleaner in half on a slight angle, pressing down so the two “petals” appear to be next to one another. Repeat four times to create a poinsettia with eight petals. Glue each set of two together in the center to create the flower shape.
2. Glue a bead, marble, or jingle bell to the center.
3. Glue six pom poms around the center embellishment.
4. Cut a piece of ribbon to about 4 to 6 inches. Flip flower and glue the center of the ribbon to the underside. Tie around folded napkins.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Dreaming of trimming a colorful tree, but sick of those gorgeous vintage glass baubles falling and breaking? So are we. The kids will have a ball filling plastic ornaments with their favorite finds. Try ribbons, strips of leftover wrapping paper, pom poms, tinsel, garland, or even tiny toys. There’s no glue involved, so this is the perfect craft to set up for the kids to complete while you’re taking care of other household chores.

What You’ll Need:

• Clear plastic ornaments
• Ribbon, strips of wrapping paper, pom poms, and more colorful items for filling

How-to:

1. Remove caps from ornaments.
2. Fill each with ribbon, wrapping paper, or other fillers.
3. Replace the caps and hang the ornaments.

Meet the modern version of mistletoe: Dangle a few fluffy skeins of yarn from doorways, knobs, or hang on the tree.

What You’ll Need:

• Styrofoam balls
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Glue

How-to:

1. Wrap a styrofoam ball with yarn. Stick to a single shade or criss–cross assorted hues together.
2. Leaving a loop loose for hanging, glue down the ends of the yarn.

If the season of plenty has led to plenty of wine-drinking, repurpose a few of those wine corks (and have an enjoyable few hours of crafting) with this homemade ornament craft.

What You’ll Need:

• Wine corks
• White paint
• Toothpicks
• Scissors
• Needle
• Black marker
• Glue
• Red pom poms
• Pipe cleaners (brown or glittery ones are best)
• Small bell
• Ribbon
• Screw eye
• String

How-to:

1. Paint two wine corks white. Let them dry. While you’re waiting, trim the toothpicks—the four legs won’t need to be much shorter, but the toothpick that connects the head and body can be cut in half.
2. For the head, pierce the bottom of one of the corks with a needle so that the toothpick will fit. Draw on eyes and a mouth with a black marker, and glue a pom pom on the end for a nose. Then, pierce two holes in the head for the antlers, near the eyes.
3. Bend the pipe cleaners into antler shapes (you may need to trim them) and insert them into the head.
4. For the body, pierce four holes in the bottom of the cork for the legs, and once on top for the neck. Connect the head and body using the short toothpick, and insert four toothpicks as legs.
5. Tie a tiny bell around Rudolph’s neck. Insert a screw eye into the body cork, and tie a loop of string through it.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

Repurpose old Christmas ornaments and hanging trinkets with this colorful DIY chandelier.

What You’ll Need:

• 16 glass ball ornaments or hanging trinkets
• Eye-hook hardware or plant hook
• Ribbon
• Blu-Tack (or another reusable adhesive)

How-to:

1. Mount eye-hook hardware to the ceiling (or use a preexisting plant hook).
2. Tie two three-foot-long ribbons to the hook, knotting a glass ball at each end. Then cut four more ribbons two inches shorter than the first; tie them to the eye-hook so they surround the center balls. Attach ornaments to the ends.
3. Build the next tier (again, two inches shorter than the last) with four more ribbons to create an upside-down pyramid.
4. Use Blu-Tack to secure each ball to the one next to it. After the holidays, store the arrangement in a large box stuffed with tissue paper.

It may be too chilly to hang sheets to dry outdoors, but you can still put those clothespins to good use with this smart craft.

What You’ll Need:

• 8 clothespins
• Glue
• Paint
• Paint brush
• Screw eyes
• Silver string

How-to:

1. Disassemble the clothespins. You can discard the metal and just keep the wooden pieces.
2. Glue two wooden pieces together, back-to-back. It will no longer look like a clip, but should be rounded on one end and pointed on the other. Repeat with all 16 wooden pieces. Let them dry.
3. Once they’ve dried, glue all eight pieces together in a snowflake shape. It doesn’t matter which ends make up the center, but we chose the rounded ends in the middle.
4. Once dry, paint the entire snowflake—we used blue gauche.
5. Insert a screw eye into one of the spikes, and attach a loop of silver string.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

This adorable craft is reminiscent of something you might have brought home as a child, but is pretty enough to set on an entryway table or dessert buffet.

What You’ll Need:

• Honeycomb balls in two sizes
• White craft glue or hot glue gun and glue
• Black cardstock
• Red cardstock
• Scissors

How-to:

1. Expand the larger honeycomb ball and place it on a flat surface. Expand the smaller honeycomb ball and glue it to the top of the larger one.
2. Hold your black cardstock sideways, so the paper is horizontal. Cut off the top ½ of the paper. Bring the ends around to meet one other (this forms the top portion of the snowman’s hat). Secure with glue. From another sheet of black cardstock, trace and cut a circle (this forms the brim of the snowman’s hat). Glue the two pieces together.
3. Hold the red cardstock sideways, so the paper is horizontal. Cut two strips. Glue one around the base of the hat. Trim any excess.
4. For the second strip of red cardstock, use scissors to make small cuts to either end. Then, approximately one inch from one end, cut ¾ of the way through the strip, being careful not to cut all the way. Wrap the strip around the place where the two honeycomb balls meet. Place the uncut end into the cut on the other end to secure.
5. Using the scraps of black cardstock, cut out eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Secure to the top honeycomb ball with glue.

Craft developed by Blake Ramsey.

Who says Santa is the only one who gets to wear the fancy headwear? Party hats are required at the kids’ table.

What You’ll Need:

• Patterned paper
• Glue
• Hole punch
• Ribbon
• Pom poms

How-to:

1. Create the cone-like shape by adhering one side of the sheet of paper to the other side with glue.
2. Punch two holes on opposite sides of the base of the cone (the base is the wider portion).
3. Finally, string ribbon through and add a pom pom on top.

Neutral toned candles deserve brightening up. Begin with a grouping of three or five pillar candles. Wrap a few with thick grosgrain ribbon; accent the others with gold push pins.

What You’ll Need:

• Plain pillar candles
• Think grosgrain ribbon
• Glue
• Gold push pins
• Scissors

How-to:

1. Wrap ribbon around the base of a few candles; glue to hold.
2. Stick push pins into candles in a festive pattern. Arrange candles into a pretty grouping.

Terrariums are a great way to show off little bits of greenery, and this festive spin results in a green piece of holiday decor that deserves a place of honor on a side table or console.

What You’ll Need:

• Trifle bowl
• Moss
• Fake snow
• Pinecones
• Artificial berries
• Christmas tree branches (these can be artificial or real)

How-to:

1. Layer moss, pinecones, artificial snow, and the berries and tree branches in the trifle bowl.

Craft developed by Morgan Levine.

Plastic greenery tends to look, well, plastic. But place boughs of holly, evergreens, or mistletoe in clear glass jars or vases and they make for a glossy yet understated table decoration. Group various sizes and shapes together for a stronger statement.

What You’ll Need:

• Plastic greenery
• Clear glass jars or vases

How-to:

1. Place greenery in jars or vases, cutting to fit as necessary. Arrange on table, shelf, or other visible spot.

It's a big night for Santa. Rumor has it that he really enjoys those plates of cookies waiting for him but.... sometimes even his belly gets full. So send Santa off with his own goody bag (in case he gets hungry on the road) with this easy Christmas craft. The kids will love the idea of giving the man in the big red suit a little something special this year.

What You’ll Need:

• Festive treat bags
• Scissors
• White paper
• Glue or tape
• Crayons, stamps, and stickers

How-to:

1. Cut a rectangle from white copy paper to fit the craft bags, then glue or tape it on the bag.
2. Have each child write sweet messages for Santa with crayons, stamps, or even stickers. Fill the bag with cookies—and don’t forget to add some treats for his reindeer, too.

Swapping out seasonal snapshots is a fast, no-fuss, and affordable way to update those favorite photos over the holidays—and you’ll get some fun Christmas crafting out of it, too.

What You’ll Need:

• Solid-colored picture mats (available at craft stores)
• Stickers, markers, washi tape, and other decorative items

How-to:

1. Decorate picture mats.
2. Place each in a frame with a photo to help make everything feel a little more festive.