Holidays & Occasions Christmas Christmas Decor 16 Easy DIY Christmas Decorations For Homemade Cheer Bring these DIY ideas to life with a little help from your elves. By Zoe Gowen Zoe Gowen After a notable obsession with yellow houses, historic homes, and glossy magazines as a child that lead to a degree in American Studies from Sewanee: University of the South followed by a jaunt through the Washington, DC art world, Zoë found her way as the Senior Home and Garden Editor with Southern Living. There she crisscrossed the region to produce inspiring interiors, entertaining, and holiday stories while also overseeing the Idea House franchise. After seeing more porches and Christmas trees than any other reasonable person can claim, she ventured out to pave new roads freelancing for various magazines and helping people bring magazine tearsheets to life inside private homes via interior decorating. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 17, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: ROBBIE CAPONETTO; DESIGN: KATHLEEN VARNER This holiday season, we're decking our halls in true homemade fashion with these crafty DIY Christmas decorations. As much as we love the kids' popsicle stick crafts (and we really do!), we think it's high time for the adults to show 'em what we're made of. We've got a few ideas up our sleeves that are easy as can be, but still reflect the sophistication of your home's surroundings. Don't get us wrong–we'll always welcome a hand from our minis, but Mama's taking the reins on this one. From snow globes to pomanders, these one-of-a-kind DIYs are sure to bring the wow factor to any space and make your holiday guests marvel. We wouldn’t be surprised if they ask you to help decorate their homes for the holidays next year with these delightful DIY creations that would make even Santa’s elves envious. 01 of 16 Hand-Painted Gift Wrap Alison Gootee “When you give someone a gift with a handmade covering, you’re offering them a piece of your heart,” says designer Julie Neill, who paints her own gift wrap every Christmas; she suggests embellishing the wrap to reflect your style. For a more whimsical look, mist the paint while it’s still wet with a spray bottle or lift and tilt the paper to allow the colors to travel around. “This helps it disperse across the page and marbleize,” she says. Once it’s dry, you can use colored pencils to layer in details like swirls and stars or get fancy with gold foil, metallic paint, or glitter. 02 of 16 Pomander Tree Hector Manuel Sanchez Styling: Christina Brockman Nothing makes a space feel more elegant, than a fresh citrusy fragrance. If you are looking for a great DIY with fabulous payoff, you will love these homemade pomanders. Once used to help keep clothes and linens smelling fresh, these decorations are a welcome addition of holiday cheer. Use a toothpick to poke holes into each orange in the shape of your design (you can either draw it on or freehand it); then push in the whole cloves. Set them aside to dry, and then let your imagination go wild. Trim a mini tree by gluing the base of a plastic foam cone (you can find these at a local crafts store or on Amazon) to a cardboard circle that’s 2 inches wider than the cone. Slide each pomander halfway onto a toothpick; then insert the pick into the tree, starting at the bottom. Apply hot glue to reinforce the connection between each orange and the foam. 03 of 16 By The Book Christmas Tree Robbie Caponetto We love the idea of recycling an old book into a new, elegant craft. Use those paperbacks that you read ages ago to make something your whole family will love. Add this tree to a sturdy setting in your favorite reading nook. 04 of 16 Pinecone Julep Robbie Caponetto; Design: Kathleen Varner We love a good mint julep during horse racing season, but you can use your cups year-round. Simply go to your yard and pick up a few pinecones and other clippings and place them in your polished vessels. Here, we added holly berries and magnolia leaves to create a uniquely Southern centerpiece that will shine on any bar cart or table. 05 of 16 Mason Jar Snowglobes Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner Who said Mason jars were just made for summer canning? This tiny winter wonderland is the simple statement your side table needs, and putting it together is simpler than you might think. Use glue to adhere a trinket or two to the inside of the jar lid. Let that dry about 24 hours. Fill the jar with enough water to fully submerge the trinket, and add three to five drops of glycerin and your desired amount of glitter. Use glue to adhere lid to the jar's metal screw band. Let that dry. Apply glue to the lid's inner edge, and screw it onto the jar. Let your Mason jar dry completely and you'll be ready to place this side-table stunner in its rightful place. 06 of 16 A Blue-And-White Display Hector Manuel Sanchez; styling: Taylor Colson Horton Your ginger jar-inspired decor can make the most stunning base for a smaller Christmas tree. Place a blue spruce in a chinoiserie cachepot and get a pack of battery operated lights for a charming display that will dazzle any grandmillennial. 07 of 16 Sparkling Cranberries Melina Hammer; Styling: Buffy Hargett Holiday decor can sometimes be delicious, too. While these sugared cranberries are slightly different than our usual adornments, they're sure to dazzle at your seasonal celebrations. You can make this sweet addition up to two days before your holiday party and you can use them to decorate cakes, cookies or place them next to your baked brie. Regardless of what you do with these shining gems, they're sure to dazzle your guests. 08 of 16 Dried Orange Ornaments Hector Manuel Sanchez; styling: Taylor Colson Horton There is nothing more beautiful than embracing the bounty of the season and turning it into a treasured tradition. Dried oranges have become all of the rage in recent years, as Southerners decorate their presents and cocktails with the colorful winter fruit. We'd invite you to embrace the combination of fresh pine and sweet citrus on your Christmas tree. To made these ornaments, dry slices of orange in an oven and then pierce the oranges with an ornament hook. 09 of 16 Christmas Trifle Arrangement Photo by Robbie Caponetto You might have fond memories of your grandmother transforming her beloved trifle or hurricane dish into an arrangement, and now it's time for you to take on the tradition. Add layers of limes, oranges, holly berries and fresh greenery to make the easiest DIY on this list. 10 of 16 Ornament Clusters Photo by Monica Buck Tie your smaller ornaments together with fishing wire or thread for a simple trick that creates a big impact. Place this new, larger ornament on your tree or make it a part of a new centerpiece. 11 of 16 Fresh Lemon Garland Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas and Buffy Hargett Miller Add some bright pops of citrus to the greenery on your mantel this year. It's a simple DIY that will freshen up your display and surprise your holiday guests. 12 of 16 Tie A Bow Around Your Coffee Table Laurey W. Glenn Why keep your Christmas wrapping just to your presents? Get a spool of your favorite ribbon and cross the strands across the sides and top of your coffee table. We used muted tones here for a festive finish that doesn't overwhelm, but take this trick to a new level with different textures and surprising colors. 13 of 16 Snowy Pinecone Wreath Laurey W. Glenn A Snowy Pincecone Wreath is a DIY project you and yours will love for decades to come. To make this wreath, you will need a snowy imagination and some strong glue. You might also want to follow our step-by-step guide. 14 of 16 Ribbon Decorated Tree Photo by Robbie Caponetto There is something so lovely about brilliantly colored ribbon on a backdrop of greenery. This easy DIY turns just basic Christmas tree into an eye-catching statement piece. Simply tie your ribbon around an embroidery hoop and place it at the top of your tree. 15 of 16 Magnify With Magnolia Laurey W. Glenn You know it's not a secret that we have a soft spot for magnolias, and this is a unique way to incorporate fallen leaves into our Christmas traditions. These trees can be a shining part of your indoor and outdoor decor. 16 of 16 Petite Wreaths Robbie Caponetto; Design: Kathleen Varner When it comes to the holidays, we want every nook and cranny to be filled with the spirit of the season. These petit wreaths will add a touch of greenery to place settings, coffee tables and side tables this season. To make one of these personal treasures, create a circle with florists wire (making sure to bend the wire back around itself to secure), add sprigs of rosemary, pine, or cypress with the needles all facing the same way. Next, attach the greenery with florist tape and top off your miniature masterpiece with a bow. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit