You’ve got the tree and the tinsel, now all you need is the decorations. But what to make? Luckily we’re here with loads of DIY paper Christmas decorations inspiration to help you fold your way through December.
We’ve got 12 paper decorations in a range of difficulty levels so you can make your own handmade decor. Whether you’re into more traditional paper crafts or are looking for free Christmas SVG files for your Cricut, we’ve got you covered.
Let the twelve days of paper crafting begin!
21 DIY paper Christmas decorations for you to fold!
1. DIY vintage paper ornaments
Add a touch of vintage to your tree with Angela Dodson’s paper decorations. Learn how to make a dove of peace and a poinsettia ornament with scrap paper from your stash. Cover with glitter or sequins for extra sparkle!
2. 3D Christmas tree paper Christmas decoration
Have a go at this satisfyingly easy paper Christmas tree. Handimania has a lovely and relaxing tutorial which is perfect to try on a cosy winters night at home with friends and family.
3. How to make a poinsettia wreath for Christmas
Make a gorgeous Christmas wreath to brighten up your door this season with Clare Buswell's lovely tutorial. The wreath showcases the poinsettia flower, a strong symbol of Christmas, you'll make each flower using paper and combine them with shining red beads for the berries.
4. Leaf garland paper Christmas decorations
If you love a subtle Christmas look in your home, you'll adore this DIY leaf garland from Censational Style. It's made with delicate paper leaves and glittering winter berries.
5. Christmas lantern paper decoration
Create a warm glow in your home with an origami Christmas lantern. They're easy to fold, and make a great beginner project if you're interested in trying origami. Try using starry or Christmas papers to make them extra festive.
6. Christmas village paper decoration idea
Make your own Christmas village with this adorable idea from Crafting My Home. You'll create several little houses (using the free templates) all in different shapes and sizes.
7. Book page Christmas ornaments
Recycle old books into pretty paper Christmas ornaments with Gimmie Some Oven’s tutorial. This is a great way to give damaged books a new lease of life.
For an extra festive twist, you could choose Christmas classics like A Christmas Carol to make your ornaments from!
8. Paper Santa Christmas garland
Watch Santa dashing through the snow with Angela Dodson’s Christmas garland tutorial. Angela shows you how to make Santa in his sleigh with his eight reindeer. Don’t forget to pop a bright red sequin on Rudolph's nose!
9. 3D Paper Christmas Ornaments
That’s What Che Said is bringing bold, bright colour to your tree. They’ve created 16 free Christmas SVG files for Cricut for you to download.
All you need is a Cricut machine and some festive card and you can build your own colourful 3D paper baubles.
10. Origami paper stars
Make your home sparkle with stars using Sarah Matthew's tutorial. Learn how to fold your paper origami Christmas stars and hang them all around your home. They’ll look fabulous hanging on the tree, in a window or as a statement wall hanging like Sarah's.
Fold some more Christmas cuties!
If you’ve caught the paper craft bug then make sure you check out our origami Christmas decorations.
11. DIY paper house ornaments
Give your decor a cosy touch with Lia Griffith’s mini paper house ornaments. These tiny houses are quick and easy to make. Additionally, Lia Griffith offers a free SVG and PDF file for you to print and use as a template.
12. Origami Christmas tree
These mini origami Christmas trees won’t drop any needles and will last forever! Follow our step-by-step tutorial and fold your own origami Christmas trees from your favourite origami paper. Add some twine to the top to hang or display it on your Christmas table.
13. Paper Honeycomb Ornaments
Honeycomb ornaments are a staple Christmas decoration and they’re so easy to make! Persia Lou has created free Christmas SVG files for Cricut along with an easy to follow tutorial. Choose colours to match your festive theme and add twine to hang.
14. Make your own paper snowflakes
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a paper snowflake! Paper snowflakes make great window ornaments and can also be scaled down to hang on your tree.
It’s also a fab Christmas craft to do with kids. Gather your scissors and paper, and learn how to make a paper snowflake.
15. Paper snowflake tree ornament
Snowflakes + Christmas trees = the perfect DIY paper Christmas tree decorations. Combine the beauty of snowflakes with festive trees using Hello Wonderful’s free tutorial. They’re a top stash-buster project as you can use your scrap paper to make the different layers.
16. Fold origami Santa!
How cute is this origami Santa!? This jolly little fellow makes a wonderful DIY paper Christmas ornament. Once you’ve folded him, glue some string to the back to hang from your tree. Use different papers to jazz up his outfit – tropical Santa anyone?
17. Paper snowman ornament
Red Ted Art has loads of easy DIY paper Christmas ornaments available. This paper snowman is by far our favourite! Learn how to make your own friendly snowman ornaments with her free tutorial.
18. Christmas star decoration
Make your tree stand out with this oversized Christmas star decoration! Sue Hughes' easy-to-make star is one of the simplest tutorials we have in our round-up and is a joy to make.
Use your favourite Christmas papers, follow her step-by-step guide and adorn your tree with stars.
19. DIY paper pinecones
These beautiful paper pinecones make a wonderful, alternative addition to your Christmas tree. They're the perfect transitional paper Christmas decoration, seeing you through from autumn to December!
Learn how to make paper pinecone decorations here on Gathered.
20. DIY paper Christmas garland
You’ve got your DIY paper Christmas decorations, now you need a garland! Learn how to make a sustainable Christmas garland from recycled cards and use them to decorate your tree this December.
21. Hanging Christmas garland
Create a sparkling trail of stars with Inspired by Charm's lovely tutorial. The great thing about this tutorial is you can use up any scrap paper, or even old newspapers for a rustic look.
Make your home sparkle with paper Christmas decorations
The possibilities are endless when it comes to paper decorations. We’ve come a long way from the traditional paper chain! You can craft impressive DIY paper Christmas ornaments with only your hands and some colourful papers.
If you’re lucky enough to own a Cricut then the world of paper ornaments is even more expansive. The free Christmas SVG files for Cricut we’ve included in this round-up can be saved and reprinted year after year. This is great because as your style, home and taste change you can use the files to print ornaments which match your aesthetic.
Whatever type of paper ornaments you choose to create, there’s no doubt that they’re fun and relaxing to make!
Discover more Christmas tree decorations with Gathered
From DIY paper Christmas decorations to fabric ornaments! Now you've played with paper why not try your hand at fabric? Check out our DIY Christmas ornaments here on Gathered.
Read more
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- 33 best Christmas quilt patterns for the holiday season
- 24 of the best DIY advent calendar kits
- 50 impressive Christmas tree ideas to make your home sparkle
