6 Wonderful and Simple DIY Christmas Tree Decorations You’ll Love Making

This is an especially great keepsake for those who traditionally get a real tree every year. Whether you make it a family event to traipse out to the bush and chop down your own, or purchase one from a tree lot, it doesn’t matter. Most nurseries will recommend trimming an inch or 2 off of the bottom of the tree to help it absorb water better; similar to the way you cut the ends off of fresh cut flowers.

Simply keep your Christmas tree round and drill a hole through one edge. Next, use your wood-burning kit and score the wood with a decoration, names or the year. Alternatively, you can use glue and sparkles, carve with a knife and paint the grooves or even have everyone sign it in permanent marker. These make unique holiday keepsakes. Every tree has different tree rings and these turn into beautiful and hearty ornaments that will last for generations.

This is fun craft with little kids as it captures the precious size of their hands as they are growing. If it becomes an annual part of your decorating scheme, you will create a family of reindeer or turkeys with every new size representing each year. Simply trace your child’s hand onto some brown construction paper. Make the thumb the nose and have the other 4 fingers be the antlers or the top of the turkey’s feathers. Glue on a googly eye or a red pom-pom for a nose. Attach a string and decorate your tree.

If this is too fragile and is not going to hold up (kids often want to run through the house with their creations afterwards), try using paint instead and do the handprint art on a piece of paper you can frame. This makes an excellent gift for Grandparents and family members.

This is a fun and tactile craft for any age. Simply mix up a batch of salt dough (flour, salt, water and cream of tartar if you have it). Squish and mix until it is the consistency of Playdough. Roll it out with a rolling pin and use your Christmas cookie cutters to stamp out some shapes. Use a toothpick and put a hole for the string in the top. Allow the salt-dough to dry either by placing it on wax paper and setting over your heat register or baking in the oven on low heat (150-200 degrees). These are fragile and can be painted and preserved once they have hardened.

Alternately, you may wish to make a winter scene with some 3-D salt dough items. Roll out some snowmen, free style some words such as “Peace, Joy, Love” and create your own Santa. Use a clear sealant spray varnish as your final step after your creation has been dried and painted.

This is a great way to recycle your old puzzle pieces instead of throwing them out. Simply paint them in some Christmas colors (gold, silver, red, black, green etc) and use permanent marker to put family names, couple’s names or even pet’s names on each piece. Glue the fitted pieces together and hang them to on your tree with a beaded string. If names are not your thing, make a matching set of ornaments by using corresponding buttons, beads, glitter glue etc. and your glue gun.

Having some extra love in the house over the holidays is always welcome. Take your favorite old baby clothes, baby blankets, or whatever favorite material you have laying around such as your mutilated sweater etc. and cut out some simple heart patterns. Join the right sides together and hand stitch them together. Leave enough of an opening to stuff the hearts with excess material. Attach an ornament hanger or a string and place on your tree. This is a great opportunity to reuse the nostalgic material you have around the house.

This is an easy and fun way to let your imagination go free and simultaneously clean out your bead supplies or sewing kit! Simply string some beads or buttons onto a pipe cleaner. Next, bend it into a circle wreath shape or a heart shape and attach to your tree. Try making letters to represent family members or spell short words. The beads will add some sparkle to your tree!

Have fun creating and crafting the memories that will be fun to hang up year after year!