Designed for all ages and skill levels, these creative crafts will inspire you to break out the hot glue gun.
When the Christmas season rolls around, there's nothing like getting into the holiday spirit by decorating the entire house, whipping up festive recipes and experimenting with a slew of Christmas crafts. Whether you consider yourself a skilled crafter or more of a beginner, we've rounded up Christmas crafting ideas that will inspire you to break out the hot glue gun. Picture this: a beautiful living room with hand-stitched stockings, a Christmas tree adorned with DIY ornaments and a front door decorated with homemade wreaths. Custom Tape Washi Tape Pricelist
No matter your aesthetic or skill level, we've included a mix of traditional, modern and whimsical craft ideas — so you can find something that sparks that Christmas joy. Find instructions and links to step-by-step tutorials for fun projects, like an air dry Christmas village, popsicle stick wreaths, candy cane pillows and felt gnomes. To help you stay on budget and take better care of the environment, we've found plenty of upcycling ideas that use what you've got at home (like old lightbulbs, lip balm containers or glass jars).
Whether you have toddlers or school-age children, we've sprinkled in a ton of easy Christmas crafts that you can make with your kids. Your preschooler will love the tea light snowman ornament, while older kids will have a blast cutting paper snowflakes. Added bonus: many of these clever crafts double as handmade Christmas gift ideas for your loved ones.
Nestle a DIY fire starter beneath dry logs in your fireplace or fire pit, then light the wick to enjoy a warming winter aroma. These are easy to recreate once you gather your kindling — think: small pinecones, evergreen twigs, dried citrus peel, cinnamon sticks and coffee beans.
Would you believe that these adorable drum ornaments are crafted from old toilet paper rolls? With a bit of paint, tape and ribbon, the once paper rolls are completely unrecognizable.
Before you throw out your wine or beverage bottles, consider this striking candle holder craft — plus, it's beginner-friendly.
Gather pantry items like popcorn, dried fruits, bay leaves or candy and turn it into a one-of-a-kind holiday garland. Once the holidays are over, remove the monofilament/ribbon and pop in your nearest compost bin.
Forgo traditional baubles for these elegant swans, which will look beautiful hanging from the Christmas tree. To create:
Transform a simple pine wreath by adding bundles of faux and dried foliage and flowers. The best part? When the season changes, you can replace bundles of winter foliage for spring florals.
With only a few supplies and about five minutes, you can turn a mason jar into a beautiful centerpiece. This blogger uses Mod Podge and kosher salt to create the "snow," then adds decorative touches like twine, evergreen sprigs, pinecones and berries. Hint: Find jars at your local dollar store or reuse old candle or tomato sauce jars.
Find the tutorial at A Piece of Rainbow »
Made from air dry clay, this modern Christmas village will look beautiful displayed on a mantel, shelf or console table this winter. Simply roll out the clay using a rolling pin, cut out your shapes using an X-Acto craft knife and allow the structures to air dry over night at room temperature.
Find the tutorial at Alice and Lois »
Print out an adorable photo of your pet or hilarious picture of a family member to craft a one-of-a-kind ornament you'll love displaying year after year. To start, you'll need a classic bauble.
Before you dispose of your old light bulbs, we've got a genius upcycling craft idea for you: rustic twine pears. All you need are a roll of twine, hot glue gun and pair of scissors — plus a small twig and piece of paper to act as the stem and leaf. Once you've gathered your supplies, do the following:
Bright and beautiful, this winter floral wreath is the perfect way to greet your guests. Follow this blogger's tutorial for paper poinsettias (hint: they're made from crepe paper), then assemble your flowers of various sizes and shades into a wreath form — securing with hot glue as you go.
See the tutorial at The House That Lars Built »
If you've recently wallpapered your interior and have a bit of leftover material, we've got the perfect craft for you — elegant ornaments made from small strips of wallpaper.
Buying stockings can get expensive, especially when you've got a growing family — why not make your own? Even amateur sewers can tackle these adorable stockings, which are made from soft felt. For decoration, this blogger adds yarn pom poms and small felt balls.
Find the tutorial at Tell Love and Party »
Swap traditional glass baubles for striking fringe ornaments, like this red display exuding a 1920s flapper aesthetic. Pick up tinsel fringe ribbon and a cord for hanging, break out the hot glue and follow these simple steps:
This oversized candy cane pillow will turn your house into a Christmas Candylane — and it takes only an hour to make if you own a sewing machine. Pick up red and white felt to create the classic stripe design, then fill the entire thing with fiber fill.
See the tutorial at Lovely Indeed »
Introduce color into your holiday decor with a collection of rainbow Christmas trees (these ones are made from cardstock). They rest on a gold painted wood base for an elegant touch.
See the tutorial at Love the Day »
Thanks to our easy-to-follow patterns, you don't need to be an expert crafter to recreate these whimsical paper snowflakes. Choose from various shapes and styles to add visual appeal to your windows, mantel or doorway. The best part? An all-white display looks great all winter, even after Christmas season is over.
If you look closely, you'll notice these adorable gnomes are actually made from eos lip balms. This blogger used small wooden balls for the head, then cuts out felt shapes for the hats, mittens and scarves. Hint: You can mix and match lip balm lids for a multicolored look.
See the tutorial at Tatertots and Jello »
Boho rustic is still a trending home style for 2023, and this gold bell garland is a gorgeous accent for the Christmas tree. It's made from a mix vintage rustic bells and mini brass bells, strung together with satin cord. For added detail, use a white paint pen to draw intricate patterns on each bell (including plenty of snowflakes).
See the tutorial at Made in a Day »
This gorgeous Christmas wreath proves we're never too old to play with popsicle sticks. To get started, you'll need about 40-50 small and 20-30 large craft sticks — either buy them green or paint them at least three different shades of the classic holiday hue. Glue the sticks to a 12" foam wreath, overlapping and mixing the shades of green as you go.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
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