Making decorations can be a fun and inexpensive way to change up your home at Christmas time. Many of the trinkets on sale in shops are based off things in nature, meaning that it can be easy to incorporate them into your DIYs. Other easy accessible craft supplies can help you create magical ornaments at a small price.
Here are some Christmas decorations for you to make at home.
Citrus fruits have a long-standing connection with Christmas and in recent years, this history is being ignited through decorations. Dried orange garlands are an easy way to incorporate this tradition in a modern and stunning way. For this project, you’ll need some decent sized oranges, baking paper, paper towels, a sharp knife, twine, a dull threading needle and an oven.
Begin by preheating your oven as low as it will go. Next, slice the orange width-wise, starting at the bottom. Leave them on paper towels to dry. After you’ve sliced them all, place another paper towel on top and gently press down to soak up the juice. Repeat this a few times before moving them to the baking paper.
Bake the oranges for 4 hours, turn them over and bake for another 2, or until they are crisp and stiff. Some oranges may need more time and some may need less, just make sure to check on them every few hours. Leave them on a cooling rack overnight.
Before making the garland, ensure that the oranges are completely dried out. If any of the oranges have moisture, do not use them as they may grow mould. Measure out the length of your garland, with roughly ten inches on each end to tie. Finally using your needle, thread the twine through the top of your oranges around where the pith meets the fruit and hang the garland up.
You can also add leaves, pine cones, dried cranberries or whatever else you can think of to this garland. Dried oranges can be used for many other decorations around the house at Christmas time. You can even try hanging them off your tree!
2. Wine Cork Crafts
Christmas can be a time when we gather with our loved ones for a responsible drink or two. Why not use the excess corks as some quick and cute crafts?
Cork Reindeers are simple and adorable filler decorations for your shelves or tables. All you need are two corks, short twigs and some tools. Firstly, use a nail or an ice pick to poke four holes in one of the corks, two at each end, for the legs. Cut four twigs of similar lengths. Pour some glue from a hot glue gun into the holes and stick the twigs in. Take the other cork and punch two holes on top for the antlers and another one underneath for the neck. Try to angle the hole underneath so that the head sits properly. Finally, repeat the glueing process. You can decorate the tiny reindeers however you want – by adding a red nose, eyes or a pipe cleaner scarf. The possibilities are endless! You can even paint them.
Cork Christmas trees are another easy project to try. All you need are small, cut pine branches or tree branches and some glue. Simply poke a hole in the upright cork and place some glue and your branch into it.
3. Doily Christmas Trees
DIY Doily Christmas trees serve ultimate Winter Wonderland vibes. For this project, you will need three different sized doilies, a skewer stick or something similar, wooden beads or cotton wool balls, a hot glue gun, a glue stick and scissors.
Firstly, cut from one side of each doily to the centre of the circle. Glue ¼ of the doily, starting where it was cut. Fold this side over and stick it down to create a cone shape and repeat with the other two. Stick the skewer through the largest doily cone and place a wooden bead or cotton wool ball on top of it. Repeat this with the other two before turning the tree upside down and using the hot glue gun to secure the bead in place. Wait for them to dry before turning the tree up to display.
