Christmas in 2020 will look quite different for many of us, but DIY Christmas decorations are a lovely way to make your time at home that little bit more special. We’ve gathered some of our favourite DIY and craft examples for you to have a go at yourselves.
Christmassy pine cones
Christmassy pine cones are easy to decorate and can be used just about anywhere in the home. You can buy the pine cones themselves easily online (though be careful how many you order in one go!).
One option is to follow Cosmopolitan’s suggestion and use a ribbon to turn plain pine cones into Christmas decorations, or you could get arty and brush them with silver or gold paint for a more colourful look. This kind of activity is a great one for young kids, as you don’t need precision to make the pine cones look fantastic.
Your painted pine cones can then be hung on the tree or used as ornaments around the house. For example, you could mix them in with baubles in a glass bowl or jar to create a beautiful centrepiece for the fireplace, or scatter them around other decorations and ornaments.
Handmade wrapping paper
You might not think of wrapping paper as a Christmas decoration, but if you leave a few beautiful presents under the tree in the weeks before Christmas, they’re sure to make the room feel more festive.
The best part is that you really don’t need many materials to make handmade Christmas wrapping paper. You can create designs like the one pictured with just brown parcel paper (or cardboard boxes) and a paint pen. Paint pens are available from most places that sell stationary or art supplies and come in a range of colours. You could also substitute glitter markers or other craft pens, depending on what you’re comfortable with.
The beauty of Christmas decorations is that you don’t need to be Vincent Van Gogh to make something that looks good. If you don’t fancy a big drawing, try writing festive messages and decorating with simple stars, holly shapes and Christmas trees.
Make your own place settings
Along similar lines, House Beautiful has the fantastic suggestion of a DIY black paper tablecloth. Again, all you need is a large enough sheet of paper and a paint pen (for this one, white does work best). You can then decorate place settings for your guests, which should be more manageable this year with smaller gatherings.
If you have kids, this could be another craft to encourage them to be involved in. They could decorate their own place setting, or contribute to patterns and designs across the table cloth. After all – it’s a family Christmas! It’s not about making the most artistic table cloth in the world, but about bringing the family together in an experience that you can all enjoy.
Edible Christmas tree decorations
The best DIY decorations are edible! Everyone in the family can get involved with these, however artistic they might be. Making these decorations is as simple as making Christmassy biscuits, which could be plain biscuits, gingerbread or whatever else you fancy baking.
The key to turning your biscuits into edible decorations is to cut them into novelty shapes and ice them, using bright colours if you want to make them stand out even more. You also need to remember to punch a small hole in the top to tie a string through, as you can see in the picture.
With the string tied, you can hang the biscuits on the tree and look forward to days of telling the kids not to eat them…
Handmade Christmas tree ornaments
Sticking with the Christmas tree theme, Sugar & Cloth has a great method for wooden ornaments that anyone can make. All you need are wooden cones, which can be bought online or from craft stores, craft paints and – if you want to follow the method to the letter – liquid gold leaf for extra sparkle.
With those items gathered, it’s as simple as painting the tree and decorating it with the gold leaf. The ornaments can then be used wherever you like around the house, from the fireplace to the table centrepiece.
DIY painted wine bottles
Our final DIY decoration is a brilliant upcycling idea from Michelle James Designs on Pinterest. If you have a wine bottle or two lying around, you can turn them into novelty Christmas decorations with a bit of spray paint and whatever craft supplies you can get your hands on.
The key for the base colour is metallic spray paint – which is another craft item that can be bought online or from good shops – you can follow the Santa and snowman designs pictured here, or try your own. How about a gold reindeer or green Christmas tree?
The rest of the design is down to whatever you can dream up. Coloured paper is a great tool to have, while items with different textures like buttons, string, ribbons and cloth can all add to the effect. Use whatever’s in the drawer or whatever takes your fancy in the craft shop to complete your designs.
Merry Christmas from KLG Rutland
We firmly believe that Christmas 2020 is still an opportunity to enjoy quality time with our loved ones, share gifts, watch the Queen on the telly and gather friends and family from around the world on our laptops and phones (even if Grandad can’t quite stay awake for the virtual quiz). Each and every one of our homes should be a special place at this time of year.
From all of us at KLG Rutland, merry Christmas and a happy new year. We’ll be back on the blog in 2021.