DIY Christmas Decorations: 8 You Can Make on One Afternoon |

Most store-bought Christmas decorations look the same in every house. Handmade ones don’t, and most of them cost less than a single box of ornaments. The catch is time. A lot of online projects promise “quick and easy” and take a whole weekend with a glue gun.

These eight are realistic. Each one has a time, a rough material cost and the step that usually goes wrong. Several can be made at the same table on one afternoon.

DIY Christmas Decorations That Use Cheap, Natural Materials

The materials here are mostly from the grocery store, the yard or a basic craft supply: oranges, cinnamon sticks, pine cones, paper, felt, wooden beads, twine and jars. They look good together, so everything you make fits in the same room.

Costs below are rough estimates for materials bought new in the US; anything you already have makes them cheaper.

1. Dried orange garland

A finished garland of dried orange slices and bay leaves on cotton twine, laid in loops on a pine table — Three to four hours in the oven, mostly unattended.

Time: 20 minutes of work, 3 to 4 hours of oven time. Cost: about $5.

Slice three or four oranges a quarter inch thick, blot them dry, and bake on a wire rack at 200°F for three to four hours, turning every hour. Thread them on twine with bay leaves between them.

Where it goes wrong: slices that are too thick stay sticky in the middle and can mold. We have a full step-by-step guide to orange garland DIY.

2. Folded paper star lanterns

Three folded paper star lanterns in white and kraft paper lying on a pine table with a bone folder — A bone folder makes the creases sharp.

Time: 30 to 45 minutes each. Cost: a few dollars in paper.

A star lantern is a series of pleated paper sheets glued into a circle that opens into a star. Use paper around 80 to 100 gsm; thinner paper tears, card is too stiff. Score every fold with a bone folder before folding.

Use only battery tea lights inside paper. Never a real flame.

3. Cinnamon stick ornaments

Small bundles of cinnamon sticks tied with twine and a sprig of pine, loops for hanging, on linen — Three sticks, a sprig, a knot.

Time: 5 minutes each. Cost: about $1 per ornament.

Tie three cinnamon sticks together with twine, tuck in a sprig of pine or a star anise, and leave a loop for hanging. They smell faintly of cinnamon for weeks. Buy cinnamon sticks in bulk at a grocery store, not the craft aisle.

4. Pine cone garland

A garland of small pine cones wired to jute cord with a few wooden beads between them — Wire each cone under its scales.

Time: about an hour. Cost: almost nothing if you collect the cones.

Collect small pine cones, bake them at 200°F for about 30 minutes to dry them out and drive out any insects, and let them cool. Wrap thin florist wire around the base of each cone, under the lowest scales, and twist it onto jute cord.

Where it goes wrong: tying cones with twine alone. They slip and hang sideways.

5. Embroidery hoop wreath

A wooden embroidery hoop wrapped with sprigs of eucalyptus and cedar on one side, a linen ribbon at the top — Greenery on one side only. The empty half is the point.

Time: 20 minutes. Cost: about $5 to $8.

Take the outer ring of a wooden embroidery hoop, 10 to 14 inches across. Wire small bundles of eucalyptus and cedar to one side, overlapping them so the stems are hidden. Leave the other half bare. Hang it with a linen ribbon.

It works on a door, a window or a wall, and the hoop can be reused next year.

6. Felt ball garland

A garland of felt balls in cream, deep teal and walnut brown threaded on thread, with a needle beside it — A long needle and strong thread.

Time: 30 minutes. Cost: about $10 for a bag of felt balls.

Thread wool felt balls onto strong upholstery or embroidery thread with a long needle. Push the needle through the center of each ball. Space them evenly or bunch them in groups.

Where it goes wrong: a short needle. The felt is dense and a long needle is much easier to push through.

7. Wooden bead garland

A long string of raw and walnut-stained wooden beads with small tassels at the ends — Raw and stained beads mixed.

Time: 30 minutes. Cost: about $10.

String raw wooden beads on cotton cord, mixing in a few stained darker with walnut oil or diluted wood stain. Add a small yarn tassel at each end. It lasts for years and works on a tree, a mantel or draped over a mirror.

8. Snowy jar lanterns

Three glass jars with coarse salt at the bottom, a sprig of pine and a tea light glowing inside each — Salt, greenery, light.

Time: 10 minutes. Cost: almost nothing.

Fill clean glass jars an inch deep with coarse salt or Epsom salt. Tuck in a sprig of pine and set a tea light on top. With battery tea lights they can go anywhere; with real candles, keep the greenery well below the flame and never leave them unattended.

One Afternoon, Five Decorations

Several of these share materials and an oven, so they work well as one afternoon at the kitchen table. A realistic plan for about four hours:

First 20 minutes: slice and blot the oranges and put them in the oven at 200°F. Put the pine cones on a second tray for 30 minutes.
While they dry: fold two paper star lanterns and tie the cinnamon bundles.
After the pine cones come out: wire the pine cone garland.
Hour three: make the embroidery hoop wreath and fill the snowy jars.
Last hour: take out the oranges once they’re dry and translucent, let them cool, and thread the orange garland.

Materials list for all five: four oranges, a bag of cinnamon sticks, twine, florist wire, a 12-inch embroidery hoop, eucalyptus and cedar, white and kraft paper, glue, three jars, coarse salt and battery tea lights. Most of it costs under $40 in total, and the hoop, jars and paper stars can be reused next year.

What We Would Skip

Glitter. It spreads everywhere and doesn’t fit natural materials.

Hot glue on fresh greenery. It doesn’t hold well on damp stems. Use florist wire.

Real candles inside paper lanterns, ever.

Where We Would Start

The orange garland and cinnamon ornaments. Both use grocery store materials and both make the home smell like Christmas. For more, see our lists of DIY Christmas ornaments and easy DIY crafts, and our guide to a DIY Christmas wreath for the front door.

Questions We Get Asked

What are easy DIY Christmas decorations?

Dried orange garlands, cinnamon stick ornaments, jar lanterns and pine cone garlands are all easy and use cheap materials.

How long do dried orange slices last?

Several years if fully dried and stored in a dry box away from humidity.

How do you dry pine cones for crafts?

Bake them at about 200°F for 30 minutes on a lined tray, watching them closely, then let them cool.

Can you make Christmas decorations from things at home?

Yes. Oranges, cinnamon sticks, jars, paper, twine and greenery from the yard cover most of this list.

Are paper lanterns safe with candles?

Only with battery tea lights. Never put a real flame inside paper.

What Christmas decorations can I make with oranges?

Dried orange slices for garlands, ornaments and gift toppers, clove-studded oranges, called pomanders, and orange slices tucked into a wreath or mantel garland.