Christmas comes but once a year, and there’s plenty of ways to get crafty during the festive season – in fact, you can find over 400 projects in total from this articlealone!
Here at Gathered we love a bit of Christmas crafting, but even if you’re not normally a maker, there are plenty of reasons to try getting hands-on this year.
DIY Christmas decorations to start today!
You’ll find loads of amazing Christmas crafts here on Gathered. We’re going to start by looking at the benefits of making your own DIY Christmas decorations, before going on to some of our favourite homemade Christmas decorations to inspire you! We’ve also got plenty of guides and roundups to help if you’re after specific DIY Christmas decor or a particular craft medium.
You can use these handy links to jump to the type of content you’re looking for.
- 10 Homemade Christmas decorations and decor ideas to try today!
- DIY Christmas decorations in your favourite craft
- DIY Christmas decor ideas
Benefits of making DIY Christmas decorations
The festive season can be a stressful and expensive time, and with the adverts starting earlier every year, it’s also very easy to feel overwhelmed and pressured by a projected idea of what you ‘should’ be doing.
Sure, you can go out and spend loads of money on plastic decorations that you’ll only use for a tiny part of the year, but this isn’t going to guarantee you enjoy Christmas any more than usual. Equally, what’s ‘trending’ this year online and in high street shops might not actually be to your tastes, so why be limited by what’s available in store or online?
With so much stress and pressure, we personally find that a bit of Christmas crafting is not only good for the soul, but also helps to slow things down. Spending time creating your own homemade Christmas decorations allows you to really embrace the festive feeling, as well as giving you a mindful activity in the cold winter evenings – and it also makes a great family activity!
Many people remark how they don’t really feel ‘Christmassy’ until they start wrapping presents, but you can get this same feeling by taking the time to make your own DIY Christmas decor.
Trust us, you’ll feel a lot more festive after a week of making DIY Christmas decorations than you will from a single evening putting up your shop bought ones… plus you’ll hopefully have saved a bit of cash too!
10 Homemade Christmas decorations and decor ideas to try today!
1. DIY Christmas crackers
Christmas crackers are an essential part of most people’s Christmaas dinner celebrations, but you can save money (and the planet) by making your own recyclable Christmas crackers.
You can upcycle old wrapping paper, brown packing paper or any other recyclable paper, and of course the best part is you get to include your own gifts and jokes, so you can even personalise your crackers!
- Check out our Make your own Christmas crackers tutorial
2. Create DIY Christmas decorations from pine cones
When you’re out on your pre-Christmas winter walks, keep an eye out for pine cones, as we’ve got loads of ways to make DIY Christmas decorations out of them!
From pine cone ornaments to pine cone wreaths, even the least crafty of people can get creative with them… plus, the best thing is they’re completely free!
- Take a look at our list of Pine cone crafts on Gathered
3. Make a twinkling Christmas embroidery banner
Here’s a gorgeous Christmas decoration that is perfect for those of you who like a bit of stitching.
This beautiful Christmas light banner uses hand embroidery as well as fun free-motion machine embroidery (although you could technically do this with hand embroidery if you don’t have a machine).
You could even customise it with your own festive message, and it would look lovely hung on a door instead of a traditional wreath.
- Give our Christmas embroidery banner pattern a try
4. DIY Christmas paper chains
Here’s a make that is great for children, in fact it takes us right back to our childhood! We can vividly remember making paper chains in our youth, and it’s a simple festive project that doesn’t require too many supplies.
We have a fab free pattern and video tutorial which shows you how to make basic paper chains as well as a lovely paper chain card holder for your Christmas table.
- Teach the little ones How to make Christmas paper chains with our easy tutorial
5. Make your own Christmas elf doll
You’ll soon start to see these little elves turning up in the shops, but you can save the pennies and craft your own this year with our fantastic free pattern.
It will look fabulously festive sitting on a shelf above the fireplace, or you could add a loop to use it as a tree decoration. The best part is your little elf can report back to Santa whether the kids have been naughty or nice, so they better behave!
- Get the sewing supplies and make our Free Christmas elf doll pattern on Gathered
6. DIY JOY Christmas sign
If you fancy making a piece of DIY Christmas decor that will really impress your friends and family, then how about this awesome JOY sign.
It combines your favourite fabric scraps with papier mache letters that are readily available online or from most good craft stores. You’ll also find a link at the start of the post for our tutorial on how to make illuminated letters – why not combine the two!
- Find the DIY JOY Christmas sign on Gathered
7. Gingerbread house
Want to show off your sewing skills this Christmas? Your guests will be ever so impressed when they see this adorable fabric gingerbread house, especially if you use it as a table centrepiece.
It’s a relatively simple project but one that will require some machine sewing experience. Trust us, the kids are going to love it!
- Get started on our Gingerbread house sewing pattern on Gathered
8. DIY candle centrepiece
Want to really show off with a stunning centrepiece? Then this candle and plant combo has got to be one of the classiest homemade Christmas decorations.
Using Oasis inside the pot allows you to position your candle and plant pieces accurately and securely, plus we love the addition of rosemary to give it a lovely scent – you could try adding cloves and cinnamon sticks for super-festive smells!
- Try our tutorial on how to Make your own candle centrepieces for tables
9. Make your own Christmas tree skirt
One of our most popular Christmas patterns on Gathered is our gorgeous tree skirt pattern. It not only looks fantastic, but also makes cleaning up those dropped pine needles a lot easier.
This gorgeous design is a fun project that will test your patchwork sewing skills and really complete your handmade home.
- Get the Free Christmas tree skirt pattern right here on Gathered
10. Draw your own festive decor
Scrap the spray-on snow and create your own amazing DIY Christmas decor by using window paint markers. Paint or chalk markers are great for drawing on glass, and most will wipe off easily with a cloth or a bit of hot soapy water.
In our guide we’ll not only cover everything you need to know about how to use paint markers, but we’ve also included 10 festive ideas to inspire your Christmas drawings. Your house will be the envy of the whole street!
- Get inspired with our How to use window paint markers tutorial
DIY Christmas decorations in your favourite craft
1. DIY Paper Christmas ornaments
Whether you’re a passionate papercrafter or are looking for simple projects that don’t need a lot of equipment, we’ve got 12 fabulous paper-based projects that are suitable for a whole range of abilities.
Try our origami Santa pattern or origami paper stars, try folding paper houses or honeycomb ornaments, or keep it classic by learning how to make paper snowflakes!
- Check out our DIY paper Christmas ornaments on Gathered
2. Christmas felt crafts
Felt crafts are a brilliant option for beginners, as most projects use a bit of simple hand sewing (or even glue), without the need for a sewing machine or special stitches.
You’ll be amazed at the range of different DIY Christmas decorations you can make with some simple felt sheets. From amazingly easy mistletoe to fabulous felt fairy lights and even a stunning felt wreath, have a browse and find your favourite festive project.
- Take a look at the Christmas felt crafts on Gathered
3. DIY Christmas decorations to sew
If you’re more of a confident stitcher, we’ve got plenty of amazing DIY Christmas decorations that you can sew.
Mitten ornaments, fabric stars and dove decorations will all look wonderful hanging from your tree, but there’s so much more to sew such as Santa sacks and Christmas stockings!
- Crack out your festive fabrics and browse these Christmas decorations to sew
Sew a Scandi gnome
One of the biggest Christmas trends in recent years is the adorable Scandinavian gnomes (also known as Gonks or Tomte), and if you want to make your own we’ve rounded up a range of Free gnome sewing patterns.
4. Macrame Christmas decorations
Enjoy crafting with cord? Relish working with rope? Then you’ll be happy to learn that there’s some fantastic DIY Christmas decorations you can make with macrame.
You’ll find over 20 projects in our roundup, including fabulously festive stars, snowflakes and even macrame Christmas trees. There’s also some fabulous macrame wreaths that we’d be proud to display on our front door!
- Get inspired by the Macrame Christmas decorations on Gathered
5. Christmas crochet patterns
Christmas is always a popular season with crocheters, a fact supported by the huge amount of festive patterns available. In fact, you’ll find over 100 patterns in our roundup of Christmas crochet patterns.
You’ll find a huge range of crochet ornaments to decorate your tree, as well as Christmas amigurumi characters to decorate your home or make as gifts, and even epic Christmas blankets to snuggle up with on cold winter nights.
- Find loads of Christmas crochet patterns with Gathered
6. Christmas knitting decorations
It’s not just crocheters that are obsessed with Christmas projects, there’s plenty of patterns for those who prefer two needles to one hook.
There’s lots of fun homemade Christmas decorations you can knit for your tree, including snowmen, stars, stockings and sprouts! You can also knit your own DIY Christmas decor too, like making yarny wreaths and bunting, or even make yourself the main attraction by knitting your own Christmas jumper!
- Take a look at the Christmas knits to cast on with Gathered
7. DIY needle felt Christmas decorations
Christmas getting you all tense? Then a needle felt project might help you work out those frustrations – just remember to be careful while you’re getting all stabby!
Needle felting is the perfect craft medium for making homemade Christmas decorations, as it’s great for creating a range of shapes and cute characters – even just a needle-felted sphere can make a lovely woolly bauble!
- Get crafty with these Needle felt Christmas decorations
DIY Christmas decor ideas
Crafting up a whole tree-full of ornaments is just one part of your DIY Christmas decor! Here’s lots more ways to use your crafty skills this Christmas.
1. Christmas tree ideas
What’s your favourite kind of Christmas tree style? Do you like coordinated colours, or themed decorations? Perhaps you like to keep things minimal, or go all out with maximalist decorations?
Even if you’ve never thought that much about it before, there’s loads of different ways to decorate your tree! From pink trees to pom pom decorations, fragrant ornaments to fancy floral trees, you’ll be surprised at what you can do when you think creatively. We’ve rounded up 50 fantastic ideas to help you get your Christmas tree looking tree-mendous this year!
- Get inspired by these 50 impressive Christmas tree ideas
Recycle your Christmas tree
Once Christmas is over and it’s time to take down your masterpiece, make sure to dispose of your tree properly – check out our guide on how to recycle your Christmas tree.
2. DIY Christmas tree alternatives
Not a fan of real Christmas trees? Or perhaps you’ve already got your main tree sorted and want some extra ones to make the whole home feel even more festive? Whatever your reason, there’s plenty of ways to create alternative Christmas trees with some clever crafting.
If you’re looking for small Christmas tree ornaments to decorate your home, you could try making mini fabric Christmas trees or pine cone Christmas trees. Or if you want to go full size, how about a stunning disco ball tree or even one made from balloons?
Our personal favourite are the fabulous cardboard Christmas trees – so simple but so effective!
- Try one of these 32 clever DIY Christmas tree alternatives
3. Christmas door decoration ideas
When people come-a-calling this Christmas, the first thing they’re going to see is your front door – so make sure yours is looking stunning with some festive decor!
You’ll find plenty of fun ways to wow your guests (and neighbours) in our list of door decorating ideas. Wrap your door with a festive bow, use vinyl stickers to greet guests with a Christmas message, go big with bells or create your own banners and signs – there’s plenty of inspiring ideas to choose from.
- Make a great first impression with these 21 fun and festive door decorations ideas from Gathered
4. DIY Christmas window ideas
Now that you’ve got your Christmas door decoration sorted, of course your next project is to give your windows the winter wonderland treatment.
You may remember sticking paper snowflakes in the window as children, but we’ve got some DIY Christmas decor ideas for windows that adults can enjoy crafting. There’s stunning projects like the glowing paper star and festive planters, as well as bauble ideas and gorgeous garlands.
- Take a peek at these DIY Christmas window ideas
5. Winter wreath ideas
Whether you’re hanging one on your front door, above a fireplace, on a wall or anywhere else you fancy, a festive wreath has to be the ultimate Christmas decor piece.
We’ve got 20 fabulous DIY wreaths that you can make in a variety of crafts. Keep it classic with our winter wreath tutorial using seasonal foliage, have fun making a felt wreath, or go eco with our recycled plastic wreath.
- Get making with these Winter wreath ideas on Gathered
6. DIY Christmas garlands
Go all out with garlands this year! They make a brilliant alternative to tinsel on your tree, but can also give your whole room a festive feeling when strung up on a plain wall.
We’ve pulled together some of our favourite free tutorials as well as some fun DIY garland kits, so why not take a look and enjoy a bit of Christmas crafting!
- Which of these DIY Christmas garlands will you make?
7. DIY Outdoor Christmas decorations
OK so your tree is decked out in homemade Christmas decorations, you’ve got a wreath on every door and your windows are looking wonderful – so what’s left? Your outside space of course!
Share the festive spirit with the neighbours by getting crafty with your outside space. We’ve got some wonderfully creative ideas to try, such as making giant baubles or glowing gift boxes, or even a spectacular candy cane made out of PVC plumbing pipes!
- Give these DIY outdoor Christmas decorations a try!
Even more Christmas inspiration
If you just can’t get enough of the most wonderful time of the year, keep the creativity going with Simply Christmas magazine!
Make yours a very crafty Christmas
Getting crafty at Christmas time is the perfect way to get that festive feeling! Spending some quality time making can be a great way to relax during what can be a stressful time, but it’s also a great activity to do with the family… Plus it can be a great way to save money too!
Craft your own Christmas cards
Show off to your friends and family this year by getting creative with these DIY Christmas card ideas from Gathered.
