Christmas is a special time for many people. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of the holidays, with mom baking in the kitchen, and my brother and I fighting over who gets to put the star on the tree.
The holidays are such a great opportunity to create memories, but with so much going on all the time, it's tempting to just head to your nearest dollar store, buy a bunch of generic Christmas home décor items and call it a day. But if you don't plan on going away for the holidays, why not spend some time making your own? It's also a great way to spend some time with your kids making these together!
1. Personalize your wreaths
Credit: Julia Volk
First off, you'll need to decide what kind of wreath you want. You can simply buy an undecorated artificial one from your local craft store (which is what I do) or you can make a fresh one from scratch using leftover tree trimmings. Whichever one you choose, it's the decorations that really make it special. You can let your kids choose their favorite Christmas picks to add to it, or you can add things that represent each member of your family. For example, wooden blocks with the first initial of each of your names is a fun way to personalize your wreath. Don't be afraid to use your imagination! You can either tie the decorations on using green flexible wire or affix them using a glue gun (although I don't recommend using a glue gun on fresh wreaths).
2. Decorate your tea light holders
Credit: Kai Karl
The great thing is that you probably already have tea light holders stashed in your cupboards already. Jazz them up a bit and they'll be all set for Christmas! They're super easy to decorate. All you need to do is to tie some festive string or ribbon around the holder and that's it! You can use craft twine and string on some festive jingle bells or my favorite, red and green Christmas plaid ribbon tied in a bow. Just make sure the ends are short enough so that there's no chance of anything being accidentally set on fire!
3. Spruce up your pine cones
Credit: Samantha Hurley
The great thing about pine cones is that they're free! Pick up a few next time you go take the dog out for a walk, or just pick them from your backyard if you happen to have a pine tree.
Remember to wash them and let them dry. Trust me, seeing bugs crawl out is not fun! Put them in a small wooden box or basket and accessorize with a Christmas bow and a few sprigs of tree trimmings. If you really want to make it fancy, you can even spray the pine cones with gold or silver spray paint. Just make sure to spray in a place with good ventilation (outside is best on newspapers) and let the pine cones dry thoroughly.
4. Gingerbread house are both decorative and edible
Credit: White77
I love gingerbread houses! Not only do they smell amazing, they look so festive and so fun to make. If you love baking, you can make it from scratch, and bake the different pieces you need. Or alternatively, you can buy one of those gingerbread house kits. The one I bought included everything I needed: gingerbread pieces, icing, and candy. The only thing I needed to prepare myself was a base to put the house on (I ended up buying those cardboard cake boards from Michaels). It looked so pretty on the sideboard in my dining room. The hardest part was making sure my cat didn't try to munch on it!
5. Christmasize your kids' toy cars
Credit: Annie Spratt
How cute is this? I bet your kids would love working on this with you! You can buy those miniature trees at just about any craft or hobby store (you know, the ones where they sell miniature train sets and also items that recreate the entire town). The miniature boxed gifts you can easily make from some cardstock or old file folders. Just wrap them up in Christmas wrapping paper. Tie them onto the top of the toy cars with a ribbon and ta-da! A super fun and unique way to decorate your fireplace mantel.
Give these a try and let me know what you think. If you have any easy handmade Christmas home décor ideas, please share them with us!
