With festive ideas a plenty, these eye-catching combos and unique decorations come with the feel good factor of being homemade…
1. Create a Christmas tree of cards
There’s no need for a Norwegian Spruce when you can build your own, without the worry of pine needles dropping. Just get your kitchen steps out and ask the kids to take turns handing you the cards as you pin them up.
2. Make your own crackers
Empty loo rolls have so much potential at this time of year to be used to make crackers and stocking fillers. Simply wrap them in brown paper, or last year’s Christmas wrapping, add a small trinket, Quality Street or joke, and tie the ends with string. Ta-da!
3. Design your own wreath
Grab moss and branches from the garden to tie together with Christmas tree offcuts, or the kids will love getting their paint pots out, once you’ve stencilled in their favourite snow scene on a circular cardboard cut-out.
4. Frame your baubles
So cute, so clever… chances are there’s an old painting lurking in the attic or gathering dust that you’d like to be rid of. Empty the frame and use the backing as a neutral base to pin your best baubles – a festive red ribbon completes the look.
5. Fill glass jars with chocolates and sweet treats
Take an empty jam jar or pickle jar and fill it with Maltesers. Slide in a band of coloured paper, tie ribbon round the lid and if you’re feeling extra crafty, make reindeer antlers out of pipe cleaners or fuzzy sticks. Rudolph would be proud.
6. Make Christmas decorations out of cardboard
Clothes pegs: Tick. Cardboard: Tick. Old fabric or wrapping paper: Tick. Marker pen and glue. Tick. These Christmas bells can be pegged to a ribbon to make a fireside garland, or branches of an indoor plant.
7. Craft a wreath out of paper chains
Such fun, and an easy one for children to get to grips with as the loops don’t have to be exactly the same size, and they’re easy to paste or sellotape together.
8. Paint a gingerbread house
This is a lovely idea to copy, and if you don’t have a spare canvas, think about covering a wooden pallet with an old pillowcase or sheet. Once it’s pulled tight and tucked in, you’ll be good to go and remember, glitter loves glue.
9. Dry oranges for Christmas tree decorations
These baked orange wheels can be threaded with coloured cotton or wool, and hung from the tree. And you can always put a couple aside for the grown-ups to garnish a well deserved G&T at the end of the day!
