I love getting crafty at Christmas time, but sometimes I want to make things that look like I bought them at the store.
Or, at the very least, things that don’t look like the kids made them.
Don’t get me wrong, kid-made crafts are super adorable, but I’m always on the lookout for gift-worthy pieces and stuff I can make to decorate my home.
Especially ones that are cheap to make!
All you need is a little creativity and some ideas to get you started:
1. Bead Wreaths
These bea wreaths are super cute and can be personalized as Christmas gifts!
Take some twine and feed the beads on until you can make a circle the size you want then tie it off.
Add a ribbon and a sprig of greenery and you’re done!
2. Pom Pom Wreaths
Here’s another cute wreath idea!
Thread a needle and thread through some pom poms to create the wreath shape.
Finish with some ribbon so you can hang them on your tree.
These would be perfect to attach to gift bags.
3. Felt Ornaments
You don’t have to be a seamstress to whip together some felt ornaments.
Just grab some felt, cut out your shapes and do a blanket stitch along the edge.
To do the blanket stitch, bring the needle up from the back of the felt then insert it down.
As you pull the thread through, slip the needle under the loop so it catches along the edge of forms a straight line.
That’s it! Just repeat all the way around.
Then you can decorate your little ornaments however you want.
4. Painted Wood Slices
These are super easy and you can usually find the wood slices at the dollar store or order them online for cheap.
Just take them and paint them and you’re done!
When I made these, I added a little twine loop so I could hang them on my tree.
I also made some as teachers gifts one year.
5. Beaded Snowmen
To make these adorable Christmas ornaments, just take some twine and tie a knot before feeding it through three wooden beads.
Then tie a loop so you can hang them on the tree.
You can use colored twine for little bows and Sharpie to draw the face.
6. Beaded Christmas Trees
Here’s another bead craft!
This one looks complicated, but all you need to is thread wire through the beads then twist it into a Christmas tree shape.
Leave a bit on the end to glue on a little star.
Oh, and if you can find thick twine, you can thread the wire through that too.
It takes a bit more finessing but it looks really cute and rustic.
7. Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe
It’s a craft and a game!
All you need is some smooth rocks to paint with two designs (instead of scavenging outside for rocks, you can probably find them at the dollar store).
And if you can find a big slice of wood, that’s great!
If not, you can use a small cutting board, which you can probably also find at the dollarstore.
8. Sock Gnomes
Aren’t these super adorable?
To make them, you need is one solid colored sock and one festive sock (both in adult sizes).
Fill the solid sock with some rice about 6″ from the bottom then wrap a hair tie around the top and cut off the excess.
Cut the festive sock just before the ankle and turn the top piece of the sock inside out.
Secure the cut end with a hair tie, trim the extra, then turn it back right side out.
Cut out a felt beard and glue it to the front of the “body” then top with the “hat.”
Use a bit of hot glue to secure the hat and glue on a wood bead for a little nose.
Easy and cute!
9. Christmas Frames
Grab some frames from the dollarstore and add some blank paper (or a sutble patterned paper) instead of a photo.
You can leave the glass out then decorate the paper with lace, greenery, or whatever else you like!
Glue a ribbon on so they can hang on the wall or you can lean them on the mantel for an easy piece of decor.
If you can find little frames, they make super cute ornaments for the tree.
10. Foam Dice Marshmallows
How cute are these??
They’re made from those big foam dice you can find at the dollar store.
Just paint and decorate as a marshmallow and that’s it!
I love the stacked look but I’ve also seem people use big pieces of cork as graham crackers to make adorable little s’mores.
11. Glass Jar Lanterns
These look so rustic and elegant and all you need is a plastic wine cup and a jar.
Spray paint the cup and jar top to match, turn the cup over, and glue the jar to the bottom of the base.
Pop in a battery-operated tea light and you have a lantern!
You can decorate it with ribbon, flowers, or anything really to have it match your decor.
12. Cardboard Gingerbread Village
This would look really cute along a fireplace mantel or in the window.
Cut out a the shape you want for your village out of cardboard then decorate with white puffy paint.
The paint will give it that icing look.
13. Burlap Wrapped Candles
I made these one year in a pinch and now they have a place on my table every Christmas.
Just take some jar candles, wrap a piece of burlap around them and tie off with some twine.
Stick in a few springs of greenery and that’s it!
14. Plastic Bowl Bulbs
To make these plastic bowl bulbs, glue two plastic bowls together and paint them (for a stained glass look you can mix the paint with a bit of glue).
You can use the top of a jar for the top and some pipe cleaners to make the “hanger” part.
Super cute and great for outside decor!
15. Sock Snowman
Here’s another sock craft but this one is way easier to make than the gnomes.
Fill a sock with rice and use a hairtie about 2/3 of the way up for the neck.
Use another one at the top for the top of the head and make sure you leave a bit of sock at the top to fold down for the hat.
Decorate with buttons and a little scrarf and you’re done!
16. Plunger Snowman
I never thought you could make a Christmas craft out of a plunger, but here we are.
Wrap the plunger in thick white cord or thick white yarn. Do the same thing to a styrofoam ball.
Attach the ball to the top and decorate however you want.
I can see making a couple of these with the cord and putting them outside beside the door or along a path.
17. Tree Bough Gnome
I love making these every year!
Gather some pine boughs so they make a triangle shape, then top with a winter hat.
It doesn’t have to be a handmade hat…any Santa hat or winter hat would work.
Glue on some mittens and a nose and you have a cute gnone for your porch.
18. Snowman Hat Candleholder
I’ve seen these sell online for more than I’m willing to pay, but they’re really easy to make.
You can use a small terracotta pot with a base and paint it black.
Add a ribbon and some holly berries and it looks just like Frosty’s hat!
Pop a tea light inside and that’s it.
19. Yarn Wrapped Stars
These stars have a really cute rustic look.
Cut out stars from cardboard and then wrap in yarn.
I love this one because you can use whatever yarn you want, or even twine for that farmhouse look.
20. Christmas Bird Houses
Check your local dollar store for blank birdhouse in the craft section.
You can take them and paint them to look like little Christmas houses.
I’ve even seen them done as gingerbread houses for a little village.
Super cute!
Making Christmas Magic on a Budget
Christmas crafts don’t need to be expensive to look amazing, and once you try a few of these, you’ll see how simple it is to pull off that polished look on a tiny budget.
A handful of supplies, a little time, and you’ve got décor or gifts that feel thoughtful and high-quality.
Keep it fun, keep it cheap, and enjoy the cozy holiday vibes you just created!
