Decorating With Fresh Christmas Garland

front porch snow winter decor

Credit: Adam Albright

These DIY crafts ideas will make your Christmas festive and affordable. Whether you're looking to create handmade decorations like ornaments, wreaths, or holiday signs, we'll show you how to make homemade Christmas decorations to make your season merry and bright!

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Buffalo Check Artwork

Credit: Brie Passano

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Polar Bear Door Decoration

front porch snow winter decor

Credit: Adam Albright

This homemade Christmas decoration idea starts in your kitchen! To create the polar bear wreath, glue two metal mixing bowls ($27 for five, Wayfair) together. A quick coat of paint and some felt pieces transform them into a cheery winter door hanger.

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Gingerbread House Village

gingerbread forest cookie woodland scene on tabletop

Credit: Jacob Fox

Dress up your holiday mantel with a sweet gingerbread house village. A few simple royal icing embellishments turn this DIY indoor Christmas decoration into a wintery forest of trees, cottages, and animals. To prop up cookies for display, bake scraps and cut into small triangles. Let cool. Attach the "kickstands" to the backs of cookies using icing.

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Christmas Mantel Village

diy christmas decor with cardboard village

Credit: Jay Wilde

This creative homemade Christmas decoration starts with inexpensive paper chipboard sheets ($1, Michaels)! Make your own Christmas village and display it on your holiday mantel with simple evergreen springs and a classic wreath.

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DIY Ornament Wreath

red door with red ornaments and greenery

Credit: Jason Donnelly

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Recycled Holly Garland

whimsical holiday egg carton garland

Credit: Carson Downing

This DIY holly garland comes together with recycled materials and a few coats of paint. Start saving your egg cartons now, because you'll need several to make a long garland.

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DIY Poinsettia Wreath

Wreath with poinsettias hanging on wall

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Who says your Christmas decor has to be bright reds and greens? We're loving the non-traditional tones in this gorgeous DIY poinsettia wreath that's made with gold hoops, dried greenery, and fresh flowers. Simply wire the cut blooms to a gold macrame hoop.

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Farmhouse Mailbox

vintage mailbox hung vertically with greenery and plaid ribbon

Credit: Jay Wilde

You don't have to buy a cartload of new materials to decorate your home for Christmas. Grab a few essentials (like buffalo check ribbon and Christmas bows) and get to crafting. We transformed an ordinary mailbox into a pretty vase for some fresh greenery in just a few minutes.

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Evergreen Swag Wreath

Door wreath made of evergreen, holly, and pinecones

Credit: Jay Wilde

A plain evergreen swag wreath anchors this homemade holiday decoration. To create your own Christmas swag wreath, attach pinecones, red berries, and faux eucalyptus with florists wire. Finish with an oversize red pom-pom bow.

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Sweater Cozies

Faux-Knitted Vase Wraps

Credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Add warmth and comfort to your traditional decor by repurposing old sweaters. Make container cozies by cutting off the cuff end of a sweater sleeve and whipstitching the bottom into a circle. Turn down the sweater edge and sew on jingle bells ($4, Michaels).

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Chalkboard Christmas Sign

Credit: Greg Scheidemann

It's the most wonderful time of the year! A carol-theme chalkboard lets you display your favorite holiday lyrics with pride. You can find chalkboard paint at your home improvement store, paint a board of your choosing, and dress it up with a rustic frame.

Editor's Tip: Once you've decided how to decorate a chalkboard for Christmas, put the extra paint to good use with these easy chalkboard projects.

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Snowflake Window Cling

Credit: Scott Little

To create a unique snowflake window cling, lay plastic wrap over our free pattern and trace with white dimensional paint. For extra sparkle, add clear glitter to the design. These snowflakes stick to any glass surface, and they're a classic all winter long.

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Embellish Your Wreath

wreath almond and cranberry flowers

Credit: Joseph Keller

Seasonal crafting can be as simple as exploring your pantry. To enhance a moss-covered wreath, glue almonds and cranberries into a star shape, then attach them to a wreath. This creative Christmas wreath adds character to your decor without breaking the bank!

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DIY Reindeer Forest Scene

Mini Holiday Forest

Credit: Jay Wilde

Display a herd of reindeer among a forest of handcrafted bottle-brush trees. Pull apart short strands of sisal rope, twist them with wire, then use spray paint to create bushy tall-trunk trees. Paint a herd of miniature plastic reindeer, add glitter and beaded details, then use a cribbage board to display the trees and Christmas creatures.

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Pine and Felt-Ball Garlands

Credit: Scott Little

Christmas garlands aren't just for the mantel anymore—use branches around the house for a cohesive Christmas atmosphere. Drape a felt-ball garland alongside the pine over a full-length mirror to add playful texture to existing decor.

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Poinsettia Christmas Decoration

Small Christmas tree and poinsettias on table

Credit: Marty Baldwin

This homemade Christmas decoration is as easy as assembling some seasonal plants! To create the display, place a colorful poinsettia and a tabletop Christmas tree in a wooden box. Decorate the tree and the box with a simple cream garland and finish with bright ornaments.

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DIY Advent Calendar

Tag Advent Calendar

Credit: Scott Little

Personalized Advent calendars make the countdown to Christmas even more meaningful. Start your own Advent board by wrapping foam core with linen and framing the board. Dress up plain gift tags by printing numbers and adding a small bauble or gift to each tag.

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Silver Cording and Pine Display

Credit: Scott Little

Spell out a seasonal greeting by pinning silver cording to a linen-wrapped piece of foam core. Miniature cedar pine dresses up your antiques with extra holiday cheer.

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Monogram Christmas Ornament

H ornament

Credit: David Tsay

Decorate a homemade Christmas ornament for every member of the family! Wooden letters can be customized to fit your family members' personalities or used to bring a little matching sparkle to your twinkling tree. Just brush on a layer of decoupage medium, add glitter to the surface, seal, and hang using holiday ribbon.

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Framed Christmas Decoration

Have a Merry Little Christmas overlapping hanging pictures

Credit: Adam Albright

Homemade wooden Christmas decorations don't have to be complicated to make! To create this festive display, simply frame vintage tea towels or striped linens ($10, Williams Sonoma). Hang the finished frames in an overlapping display.

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Metallic Magnolia Wreath

metallic leaves ornament

Credit: Adam Albright

Metallic spray paint takes a DIY magnolia wreath to glamorous new heights. Place the wreath in a protected, well-ventilated area, then go over it with light strokes of silver spray paint. Consider pulling out a few leaves and flipping them over to the unpainted side to expose a different color and add dimension to the finished wreath.

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Stacked Nesting Boxes

Credit: Scott Little

Holiday boxes can be a decorating gift of their own. Stack nesting boxes on each other, then secure them with ribbon. To make your own, cover a variety of boxes in papier-mache. This decor can easily be dismantled and stored when the season ends.

Editor's Tip: If displaying these outside, ensure the display is in a covered space or plan to bring inside if a white Christmas is in store.

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Ornament Pillows

Credit: Scott Little

Removable pillow covers let you effortlessly transition your throw pillows from season to season. For the Christmas edition, cut scraps of assorted fabric into ornament shapes, and use iron-on medium weight interfacing to secure them to the pillow front, stitching on ribbon.

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