6 DIY Christmas decorations

’Tis the season for handmade Christmas decorations. If you’re looking for simple family-friendly activities to keep the kids busy this holiday season, here are six do-it-yourself Christmas crafts that will make your house feel merry and bright.

Photo Credit: ink drop

Transform a leftover soup or sauce jar into a magical winter wonderland with a homemade mason jar snow globe project. Start by gluing the two lid parts together to ensure the snow globe doesn’t leak. Once completely dry, create a snowy scene on the underside of the lid by adhering whimsical miniatures like glittering Christmas trees and reindeer figurines. Mix 2 oz. of clear glue with 2 tablespoons of glitter in the mason jar and fill the rest with warm water. Place your decorated lid upside down inside the jar and screw the lid on tightly. Flip the jar and shake gently to combine the water, glue, and glitter to reveal a magical snowy effect.

Add some topical humour to your Christmas tree this year with a homemade toilet paper ornament. A tongue-in-cheek homage to the year 2020, these on-trend DIY Christmas decorations can take a few different forms: a hand-stitched needlepoint ornament,  an adorable knitted decoration, or even a crafty miniature toilet paper roll.

Shiny ornament wreaths made with brightly coloured Christmas balls make a fun over-the-door alternative to a traditional holiday wreath. These stylish DIY Christmas decorations feature Christmas balls in a variety of colours, textures, and sizes that can be customized to match your holiday decorating scheme. Purchase a wire wreath frame at your local craft store and use a hot glue gun or floral wire to adhere Christmas balls to the wreath. Fill in any gaps with tinsel garland, ribbons, and festive greenery.

Trim your tree with whimsical hand-painted characters made from clothespins. You just need paint, art supplies and a little imagination to turn a plain wooden clothespin into a smiling snowman, a red-nosed reindeer or a festive nutcracker. Once finished, you can clamp the clothespin directly onto the Christmas tree or thread a loop of string through the centre to hang the charming figures from the branches.

Homemade gingerbread houses are a classic Christmas family activity. To build the base of your house, follow an online template if you’re baking the gingerbread dough from scratch or keep things simple with a pre-made kit. Use a thick and sturdy royal icing to glue the walls and roof of the house in place and then start decorating with an array of candies and confections. Kids will love dressing up the gingerbread house with colourful gumdrops, sprinkles, Smarties, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and candy canes.

Festive homemade Christmas crackers make for beautiful table decor on their own, but when pulled apart they reveal tiny toys, silly jokes and paper crowns stuffed inside. To make DIY Christmas crackers, wrap an empty toilet paper roll in decorative wrapping paper and tie off one end with ribbon or twine. Stuff the cracker with treats and novelties of your choosing and secure them inside by tying a piece of ribbon on the other end. Your homemade crackers are sure to create some excitement at the Christmas dinner table this year.