D.I.Y Christmas Decorations

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Santa's Hitching Post

A parking space in your driveway might suffice, but there's nothing like an official hitching post to make travelers from the North Pole feel right at home.

Materials

* Thin wooden board
* Acrylic paint
* Duct tape
* Snow shovel
* Big red bow

* Jingle bells (optional)
* Rope
* Bucket
* Carrots and/or apples

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Instructions

1.

To assemble one, use acrylic paint to print the words "Reindeer Hitching Post" on a thin wooden board. Once the paint is thoroughly dry, securely duct-tape the sign to the handle of a snow shovel. Then tie a big red bow to the handle just below the sign. You can wire on jingle bells too for an extra-festive touch.
2.

Anchor the shovel firmly in a deep mound of snow. Finally, attach a length of rope (Santa will need this to tie his hooved helpers) and place a feed bucket filled with a few carrots or apples nearby.

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Candy Cane Signpost


Total Time Needed:
1-2 Hours



Here's a real treat for your tree: a candy cane-like ornament that points the way to Santa's place.

Materials

* Large craft stick (ours was 4 ½ inches long)
* Acrylic paint: white, green and red
* Craft knife
* Permanent marker
* Glue

* Small green felt holly leaves
* Red mini pom-pom berries
* White glitter
* 5-inch piece of ribbon

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Instructions

1.

Coat a large craft stick (ours was 4 ½ inches long) with white acrylic paint and another with green paint. Let them dry, then add stripes of red paint to the white stick.
2.

Use a craft knife to cut a 3-inch section from the green stick, notching each end to create an arrow shape, as shown. Write "North Pole" on the sign in permanent marker, then glue the sign to the red-and-white craft stick.
3.

Next, glue on small green felt holly leaves and red mini pom-pom berries. If you like, add dabs of white paint, then sprinkle on white glitter for snow.
4.

Finally, glue both ends of a 5-inch piece of ribbon to the back of the signpost for a hanger and let the glue dry.

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Christmas Choir


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Arranged on a windowsill or mantel, this caroling trio is just the prop to spread holiday cheer. These songsters also make a fun addition to the Paper Gingerbread Village.

Materials

* Tempera paint and paintbrushes
* 1 toilet paper tube
* 1 paper towel tube, cut into two different lengths
* Colored paper (for faces and mittens)
* Black marker and pink pencil

* Glue
* Sheet music (from a songbook or gift wrap)
* 3 child's socks
* String or raffia

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Instructions

1.

Paint the tubes and set them aside to dry. From the colored paper, cut out oval face shapes and draw on eyes and mouths with the marker. Use the pink pencil to color rosy cheeks. Cut out paper mittens for each caroler too.
2.

From the sheet music, trim two small rectangles and fold each in half to resemble a mini songbook. Glue the faces onto the tubes. Then glue a songbook between each pair of mittens and glue the mittens to the tubes.
3.

For hats, trim the feet off the socks and discard them. Fold an end of each sock tube into a cuff and stretch it onto a caroler's head. Tie the hat closed with string or raffia.

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Christmas Countdown Garland


Total Time Needed:
1-2 Hours

How many more days?" Answer the most popular question of the season with an Advent calendar-like garland full of surprises.

Materials

* Six 8 1/2-by 11-inch sheets of card stock
* Scissors
* Stickers

* Pen
* Ribbons
* Hole punch

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Instructions

1.

Cut six 8 1/2-by 11-inch sheets of card stock in half the long way to create 12 pieces (more if you want to count down more than 12 days).
2.

Fold each piece, overlapping the top over the bottom, to create a "countdown card" that opens and closes, as shown above.
3.

Write a surprise inside each card--some Yuletide trivia, directions to a treasure hunt for a small toy or candy, a holiday joke, or a treat like going out to dinner or staying up late.
4.

Then seal the cards with stickers, number the outsides, punch holes in the tops, and use small pieces of ribbon to attach them all to an evergreen garland.

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I Love These <3 :)


Christmas Dinner Place Markers



Total Time Needed:
1 Hour


These miniature bejeweled trees will dress your holiday table with a festive flair -- and provide a personalized spot for each of your guests.

Materials

* Green acrylic paint
* Paper cone water cups (without wax coating; 1 for each guest; available at office supply stores) or construction paper
* Clear or double-sided tape
* Glitter glue
* Craft glue

* Plastic gems
* White and gold paper
* Scissors
* Pen or marker

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Instructions

1.

Paint some of the cups green and let them dry (about 10 minutes). If you're using construction paper instead, roll it into cones, tape the seams, then trim the bottoms so they sit evenly.
2.

Decorate the trees with garlands of glitter glue and glue on plastic gems for ornaments. Finally, glue together different-size stars cut from the white and gold paper, write a guest's name on each pair, then tape or glue the stars atop the trees.

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Christmas Tree Circles


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour


A chip off the old block, these wooden ornaments preserve the piney memories of Christmases past.

Materials

* Handsaw
* Pine disk
* Copper wire
* Ribbon trim or cord

* Glue
* Artificial greenery and berries optional
* Marker or craft paint

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Instructions

1.

Saw a cross section from the bottom of your Christmas tree trunk before putting it into its stand for decorating (a parent's job). Alternately, you can saw a smaller piece from the middle after the holidays are over. This is your pine disk.
2.

Wrap a length of thin wire around the pine disk and twist it into a loop at the top for hanging. Tie on a ribbon, glue on some trim, or add greenery, berries, or other decorations.
3.

Write the year across the front with a marker or craft paint. If the wood surface is too rough, sand it down a bit before writing.
4.

For an extra remembrance, glue on a fun Christmas-morning snapshot before you store the ornaments away for next year.

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Scrapbook Garland


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Robin T. of Downers Grove, Illinois, was thrilled to find a use for the snapshots of her sons, Carter, age six, and Carson, four, that she couldn't bear to throw away.

Materials

* Silver ribbon
* Wire garland
* Pictures

* Siccors
* Whole punch
* Decorative paper

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Instructions

1.

To make her garland of the past year's memorable moments, Robin cut her photos into uniform circles, glued them to decorative paper bases, punched holes at the tops, and strung them on embroidery floss (or try our version, shown above, and attach the photos to a sparkly wire garland with silver ribbon).
2.

Add dates, places, names, and ages for a true memento of the year.

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Trinket Tree


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour

Made from trinkets and doodads, this festive tabletop decoration makes a great conversation piece for holiday guests.

Materials

* Hard plastic cereal bowl, 5 inches in diameter
* Tacky glue
* Corrugated cardboard circle, 8 inches in diameter
* Styrofoam cone, 12 inches tall
* Roll of twine, optional

* Trinkets and tiny toys
* Hot-glue gun
* Toothpick
* Gold spray paint

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Instructions

1.

Trinket Tree - Step 1 Use tacky glue to join the bottom of the bowl to the center of the cardboard circle. Once the glue dries, invert the bowl and glue the base of the foam cone atop the cardboard. Let the glue dry.
2.

To make the tree wider, wrap twine around the cone until you've achieved the desired width. Then glue the loose twine ends in place. If you prefer a tall, slim tree, go right to step 3.
3.

For a treetop ornament, choose one with a hollow portion, such as a bell, whistle, or seashell. Then insert one end of the toothpick into the top of the cone and set the tree topper over the protruding end.
4.

Glue the trinkets one at a time. Start with larger ones arranged around the base and build upward using increasingly smaller objects. Some items, especially weightier ones, may need to be hot-glued in place (a parent's job), but many should hold well with the tacky glue, which is more child-friendly.
5.

Place the adorned tree on newspaper in a well-ventilated area and apply several coats of gold spray paint (adults only) to the tree and base. Allow the paint to dry completely.

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Yuletide Clothesline


Total Time Needed:
1-2 Hours


With the toys all wrapped and the reindeer at the ready, there's just one more thing Santa needs to do before his big night: laundry.

Materials

* Scissors
* Felt
* Glue

* Tiny buttons
* Pom-poms
* Miniature clothespins

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Instructions

1.

To make your own tiny version of the Clauses's clothesline, simply cut elfin replicas of Santa's wardrobe (the mittens are just 1 1/2 inches long), including boots, coat, hat, and undergarments, from felt, then glue on tiny buttons and a pom-pom (on the hat) for trim.
2.

After the glue has dried, hang the garments on a string with miniature clothespins (available at craft stores).

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Circle of Light


Total Time Needed:
1-2 Hours

Brighten up the winter night with this festive outdoor wreath.

Materials

* Binder clips
* Outdoor holiday lights
* Tire

* Extension cord
* Weatherproof bow (optional)

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Instructions

1.

First, use one of the clips to attach the midpoint of the light string to the top center of the tire's inside rim. (This will help you to evenly distribute the lights.)
2.

Circle of Light - Step 2 Wrap each side of the light string around the tire so they meet at the bottom, then use the second binder clip to secure the nonplug end of the light string to the tire, as you did above.
3.

Use the extension cord to connect the lights to an appropriate electrical outlet, and tie on a weatherproof bow, if you like.

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This Just Looks Beautiful Hanging On Your Door :)


Crystal Wreath


Put your elves to work on a wreath with a magical snow-and-ice look. Made of plastic bags tied onto a hanger, it's a perfect outdoor decoration.

Materials

* White wire clothes hanger
* Wire cutters
* Needle-nose pliers

* About 100 plastic sandwich bags (the fold-over, not ziplock, kind)
* Bow (tripple bow how to on next post)
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Instructions

1.

Form the hanger into a circle, keeping the hook at the top.
2.

Using wire cutters, cut the hanger at the bottom center and wrap the ends around each other to form a circle with a 9-inch diameter. Use needle-nose pliers if necessary. Bend the hook down to form a loop for hanging the wreath.
3.

Crystal Wreath - step 3 Fold a plastic bag in half lengthwise and tie it around the hanger with a single overhand knot. Repeat, pushing the bags together until the circle is full. Add a bow.

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How to Tie a Triple Bow

Follow these simple steps to make a beautiful bow for your wreath.

Materials

* 3 yards of wired 1 1/2-inch-wide ribbon

* 8 inches of wire or a long twist tie

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Instructions

1.

How to Tie a Triple Bow Start with 3 yards of wired 1 1/2-inch-wide ribbon. Wind it in a circle about 6 inches in diameter. The ribbon should go around three times. Let the ends fall out of the circle.
2.

How to Tie a Triple Bow Gather the center and wrap it with about 8 inches of wire or a long twist tie.
3.

How to Tie a Triple Bow Starting with the innermost loop of ribbon, pull out one loop at a time from the bundle and fluff it up. There will be three loops on each side of the wire.
4.

Secure the bow to the wreath with the ends of the wire or twist tie.

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Faux Gingerbread Folk


Total Time Needed:
1 Hour


Here's a crafty way to make a batch of gingerbread people this holiday season, no mixing bowls required.

For a simple, printable pattern of this craft, try our fauxgbread.pdf.

Materials

* Scissors
* Brown felt
* Fabric glue

* Uncooked rice
* Lentils or beans
* White and colored puffy paints

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Instructions

1.

For each beanbag, help your child cut two matching gingerbread shapes from the brown felt.
2.

Faux Gingerbread Folk Step 2 Use the fabric glue to seal the two shapes together at the edges, leaving an inch-wide opening along the seam. Fill the beanbag with the rice, lentils, or small beans, then glue the opening shut.
3.

When the glue has dried, help your child decorate each one with puffy paint outlines, buttons, and facial features.

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Faux Gingerbread House


Total Time Needed:
Afternoon Or Evening

This festive corkboard cottage has a great selling point: while it's every bit as sweet as the classic cookie-and-candy model, it'll never get stale.

Materials

* 2 (12-inch square) cork panels (available at office supply stores)
* Ruler and pen
* Craft knife
* Hot glue
* Pencils
* Hole punch
* Craft foam in various colors

* White puffy fabric paint and and paintbrush
* Craft glue
* FOAM TREES:
* Wooden skewers
* Green marker
* Green craft foam

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Instructions

1.

Faux Gingerbread House - Step 1 Draw the house shapes on the cork panels as shown.
2.

Faux Gingerbread House - Step 2 Cut them out, using a ruler and a craft knife for the windows and door (a parent's job). Cut the window squares in half for shutters.
3.

Faux Gingerbread House - Step 3 Hot-glue the shutters and door in place, using pencils to prop them at an angle while the glue sets. Cut or punch out foam circles to resemble NICO wafers and candy dots. You can even paint some like starlight mints.
4.

Faux Gingerbread House - Step 4 Hot-glue the walls together. Add the roof pieces, then let the glue set. Cut out foam roof tile strips and glue them in place starting at the lower edge and slightly overlapping the layers.
5.

Faux Gingerbread House Step 5 Use craft glue to attach the candy circles. Paint the seams of the house, the roof peak, the shutters, and the eaves with white puffy fabric paint to look like they're covered with icing.
6.

Faux Gingerbread House - Step 6 To make foam trees, color a wooden skewer with a green marker. Next, cut out squares of green craft foam (ours ranged from 1/2 inch to 2 3/4 inches) and trim them as shown. Push the skewer point through a cork circle, then through the center of each foam piece. To finish, glue together 2 small stars, sandwiching the skewer point.
7.

Set out your finished house with our foam trees. To complete the scene, we added cork stepping-stones, fake snow, and a battery-operated tea light (available at craft stores).

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Felt Checkers Game


Total Time Needed:
Afternoon Or Evening


Kids learn a little bit of sewing when they make this game and bag to store it in. It also makes a great gift for any checkers fanatic.

Materials

* Scissors
* Pinking shears
* Two 12-inch squares white felt
* Two 12-inch squares black felt
* 12-inch square red felt
* Black sewing thread

* Needles and pins
* Sewing machine, optional
* 1/4 yard white "duck" canvas fabric
* 50-inch bright color nylon (or leather) shoelace
* Glue

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Instructions

1.

Felt Checkers Game - Step 1 Using scissors, cut thirty-two 1-inch squares of white felt.
2.

With pinking shears, cut two 9 1/2-inch squares of black felt, twelve 1-inch round red markers (about the size of a quarter) and twelve 1-inch round white markers.
3.

Arrange the 1-inch white squares in a checkerboard pattern on one of the 9 1/2-inch black squares, leaving a 5/8-inch border around the perimeter. Tack the pieces in place with glue, then hand- or machine-sew them on.
4.

Sew together the two 9 1/2-inch squares of black felt with black thread around the edges.
5.

Make the pouch by cutting the canvas into a pocket shape (with a straight-edged top and rounded bottom) that is about 8 inches long and 7 inches wide. Pin the fabric together, then sew up the sides.
6.

To make a drawstring top, lay the shoelace around the pouch, about 1 inch below the top edge. Fold the top edge down over the lace, pin in place and sew up, leaving a hole for each end of the lace to stick out. Turn the pouch right side out and decorate with felt designs.