The holiday season is here! A lot of people might feel pressure around the holidays, with the stress of what to buy for who, how much money they’re able to spend, cleaning and decorating before family and friends come over, hectic schedules before the year ends, etc. We all want the perfect, Christmas movie holiday where everything comes together in the end, but achieving it can take time and, not to mention, money. While I can’t help with gift giving, I can suggest some easy, inexpensive ways to make your space feel more festive. Whether you’re into arts and crafts or are just looking for some cheap and easy ways to bring in some holiday spirit, DIY decorations are the perfect option for multiple reasons. Not only will it save money like I mentioned before, but it can also give you something to be proud of (show off that talent)! Even if you don’t have the best artistic skills, these five simple DIY decorations will make everyone guess otherwise.
- The Snowman Door
Starting off simple, you can turn any door into a snowman. The best part is, you can use supplies that are most likely already in your home. All you need is: scissors, one sheet of black construction paper, orange construction paper (red will work too), and a pen or pencil. The first step is that you’ll draw circles the size you want the eyes, the mouth, and the buttons to be on the door. After you cut out the black circles, you can draw the nose on the orange construction paper. A simple triangle would work as a carrot, but if you’re feeling confident, you can go as detailed as you want. Once that’s cut out, all you have to do is tape him to the door! Regular scotch tape usually does the trick for something as light as paper. If you want to go one step further, you can add ribbon or wrapping paper for the snowman’s scarf. If snowmen aren’t your thing, you can do the same and make a Santa or even a reindeer. It’s a really cute and easy activity you can do with younger siblings, friends, family, etc. that will turn something as simple as doors into holiday decorations.
- Paper Chain Garlands
Another somewhat simple DIY decoration you can make are paper chain garlands. Also using construction paper, you can pick two or however many colors you want your chain to be. You can go with the classic red and green for Christmas, or put your own spin on it. After getting the paper, cut a bunch of strips you can turn into loops. Loop the first piece and secure it either with glue or staples then loop the second piece through the first piece of paper and secure it again. Repeat these steps until you get the length you want for your chain. Once you’re done, you have a nice garland you can put on a tree, hang around your home, or tape to an arch of a doorway! Another great way to add some color and cheer into your space.
- Paper Snowflakes
Snowflakes are the ultimate Christmas decoration, and what better way to put them around than to make them yourself! For these decorations, you don’t necessarily need construction paper, just a plain white sheet of paper will do. To start, cut the paper into a square and then fold it into a triangle. Once you fold it the first time, fold it again to make another, smaller triangle. From there, divide the paper into three parts and fold it two more times. At this point, it should almost look similar to a paper airplane. Then, you’ll cut off the pointed ends to make it flat. Now is when you can choose how you want your snowflake to look – you can cut triangles, curves, draw a patter – just be sure to cut halfway through the paper and not all the way to the other end. This way when you unfold it, you’ll have a nice patterned snowflake that will be unique and totally your own!
- Candy Cane Spindles
This DIY project pertains to those who have stairs in their home, but if that’s not you, no worries! A quick and easy way to make your stairs more festive – without going out and buying long, heavy Christmas garlands that you’re not even sure will fit the banister – is to grab red and possibly white ribbon (depending on what color your stairs are) and attach it to the spindles. It’s a quick activity that you can get done with in as little as five minutes. All you have to do is get the ribbon of your choosing, cut it into strips, and tape them around the spindles. You can choose what spacing you want, but doing every other spindle adds a nice touch without going overboard. It’s one of my favorite DIY decorations because it’s so simple and looks so festive this time of year.
- Pipe Cleaner Wreaths
Of course I had to add DIY wreaths to the list, it wouldn’t be the holiday season without them. Most wreaths can be pretty pricey however. Save your money and make your own wreath that will probably be better than the ones out there anyway. If it wasn’t obvious already, for pipe cleaner wreaths you’ll need pipe cleaners, cardboard, a pen or pencil, and glue. What’s fun about this one is you don’t have to stick with green pipe cleaners if you don’t want to; make your wreath into your favorite color! What you’re going to do is cut a circle out of cardboard, and I would make it rather thin since you’re going to wrap the pipe cleaners around it. Next, once you have your cardboard wrapped, you can grab more pipe cleaners and wrap them around your pen or pencil. You may have to do this a couple times so your wreath looks full and thick. Once you have your curled pipe cleaners, you can glue them to the cardboard. Using different colors and gluing them in different directions will really make the wreath look festive.
I’ve personally found that people like the decorations I made myself more than the ones I’ve bought, believe it or not. The best part about DIY decorations, there’s no right or wrong way to make them. Feel free to have fun with your decorations and make them unique. Your family and friends will love them, especially the thought that went into them. That’s priceless compared to what you can get in stores.