12 Easy Christmas Crafts Anyone Can Make This Holiday Season (2023)

Credit: Johnny Miller

Personalize your holiday cheer with handmade ornaments, last-minute gifts, indoor and outdoor decorations, or an elegant yet easy-to-prepare family activity, all laid out in simple steps by the editors in our workshop.

The holidays are a time for everyone to gather 'round and appreciate they time they get to spend with one another. And what better way to do just that than starting a new tradition? We think making Christmas crafts together is a great way to enhance the holiday cheer.

Try some of these easy Christmas crafts to celebrate the season: Felt holly corsages are so easy to make that even smaller children can put them together on their own, but they are pretty enough for adults to wear, too. Pinecone elves and snowy dioramas make charming decorations that don't require extensive supplies—you can make use of the jars, paint, and toys at home, or naturally foraged materials in your own backyard. Paper snowflakes are always a classic activity that the whole family can make together: Each snowflake is as unique as the people who make them, so you can cut and fold them in a whole flurry.

None of these projects call for any particular skill, which makes them fun for crafters of all ages. Turn a set of stockings into an advent calendar that reveals special treats as you countdown to Christmas. And old toys gain new life when they are repurposed into Christmas tree ornaments. For a quick craft that's also sweet, candy canes easily transform into the tails of festive mice party favors. Most of these crafts take mere minutes or less to complete, which means you can deck the halls and make things merry all the more speedily.

Here, find inspiration in our editors' ideas—all of them are made to get everyone (you, included) into the holiday spirit.

gold painted Christmas stockings

The secret to dashing off this pretty basket-weave motif is the tool: Just dip the end of a one-inch foam brush in fabric paint, then tap, tap, tap it in three parallel lines. Change directions and repeat till you have a band across the top, or go with the flow down to the tippy-toes. (Tip: For straight, even rows, keep the felt brush parallel to the top or side of the stocking as you work, says Living home editor Lorna Aragon.)

Shop Now: The Container Store 6‐Peg Unfinished Maple Shaker Rack, $15, containerstore.com. Benjamin Moore Paint, in Pale Oak (on rack and wall), benjaminmoore.com. Celina Mancurti Linen Stockings, in Ivory, $42 each, celinamancurti.com. Blick Essentials Foam Brush, 1", 52¢, dickblick.com. Jacquard Lumiere Acrylics Fabric Paint, in Bright Gold, $4.39 for 67 ml, dickblick.com. Fabelab Soft Bunny Rattle, $20, fabelab.myshopify.com. Jellycat Bashful Raccoon, $26, rhbabyandchild.com. Folkmanis Puppets Miini Spotted Owl, $8.49, folkmanis.com. Mast Brothers Milk Chocolate Bars, $11 each, murrayscheese.com.

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Get the Holly Template

For a playful nod to the traditional Christmas pin, try these cheerful corsages. They're easy enough for a child to make but sophisticated enough for her mom to wear. Once you gather your supplies, it's a snap to make multiple corsages in a single afternoon.

Print the template, and cut out. From a piece of felt, cut one 2 1/2-by-5-inch rectangle for each pair of leaves. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise. Crease with an iron set to "wool." With the rectangle still folded, trace the template and cut out the shape using scissors; unfold. To make the four-leaf design, cross two felt shapes; using a low-temperature glue gun, attach at the center. For the two-leaf version, dab glue at the center of one felt shape, and fold, angling the leaves. Glue desired trimmings to the front and a bar pin or a barrette to the back. To it prepare as a gift: Cut a 4-by-5-inch piece of card stock. Punch two small holes, about an inch apart, into the center of the card. Attach the pin or barrette. Using a rubber stamp and a white ink pad, stamp a "tag." Lastly, write the recipient's name and a greeting.

Shop Now: Wool Felt, 18" by 18", starting from $8, magiccabin.com. Creatology Pink Mixed Pom-Poms, 1/2", michaels.com. Coobar Metal Silver French Barrette Hair Clips, $6.70 for 24, amazon.com.

pomanders with neon thread and cloves

In our modern twist to an old-world tradition, simple, graphic patterns pop when strung in neon cord. We created geometric patterns by weaving hot-pink, silver, and gold cords around embedded cloves for these thoroughly modern pomanders: Insert cloves into citrus at points of an arrow, diamond, or other shape, spacing them evenly around fruits' circumference. Tie one end of cord around head of a clove, leaving a 2-inch tail. Wrap cord around each clove head to form desired shape. Some designs (like diamonds) may require tying off cord after a couple of shapes and retying cord to another clove. Continue wrapping cord around cloves until you reach starting point. Tie together end of cord and tail left at start. Trim off any excess.

Shop Now: Ceylon Flavors Organic Whole Cloves, $7 for 3 1/2 oz., amazon.com.C-LON Bead Cord, Fluorescent Hot Pink, 0.5 mm, $4.50 for 92 yds., barrelofbeads.com.

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paper Christmas trees

Grouped, these handmade paper trees become a sweet winter scene. To make them, use a craft punch to create paper circles in graduated sizes (the ones shown here have six-, seven-, eight-, and nine-inch diameters). Cut the circles in half, roll them into cones, and secure them with double-sided tape. Then, cut a skewer to accommodate them. Snip the tip off the largest cone, slide it down the skewer, and secure it with hot glue. Repeat with progressively smaller cones, overlapping them by about a half-inch. For the top cone, do not snip a hole; just glue it onto the skewer. Then insert the skewer into the wood bead's hole and glue it into place.

Shop Now: Martha Stewart Crafts Diamond Lace Circle Edge Punch, $16.25, amazon.com. Woodpeckers Square Wood Bead, 1", $0.35 each, woodpeckerscrafts.com.

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snowy winter diorama

Capture the season under glass—and check lots of folks off your list easily and inexpensively with these mini wintry worlds that combine the cuteness of snow globes with the beauty of bell-jar terrariums. Using the lid as a base, form a snow-covered mountain or frosty iceberg with a mound of clay. (We used glitter to mimic the sparkle of snow.) Figurines such as these skiers and penguins can be found at hobby shops, and the jars can be bought in bulk.

To make one, mold clay into mounds of snow. (To create a pond, above, below jar, first mold clay onto mirror.) Let dry. Glue clay (or mirror) to the underside of the jar's lid. Brush clay with glue, and cover with glitter; let dry. Brush figurines with glue, and set in place; let dry. Line the inner rim of the jar with silicone adhesive. Carefully invert the jar over your scene, and screw to the lid; let dry.

Shop Now: Craft Smart Polymer Clay, in White, $12.49 for 1 lb., michaels.com. $8, Martha Stewart Super Fine Glitter, in Sugar Cube, $7, michaels.com. Darice Mirrors, 3", $2.50 for 5, createforless.com. Weck Mold Jar, 1/5 liter, $17.25 for 6, weckjars.com. Weck Tulip Jar, 1/2 liter, $19.75 for 6, weckjars.com. Preiser HO Scale Figurines, $16.29, hobbylinc.com. Liquid Nails Silicone Adhesive, $4, homedepot.com.

wreath made with a wire hanger

Deck the halls—or front door—with a petite bough, formed from a wire coat hanger and greenery left over from garland making. Using wire cutters, trim off the hanger top, as shown. Push the bottom of the hanger inward to shape it into an upside-down V. Wrap floral wire around entire hanger, forming a web in the space between the hanger wires. Wrap sprigs of greenery together with floral wire to create several small bundles. Wire greenery to the hanger, overlapping bundles to create a full appearance. For a festive finishing touch, add a ribbon bow.

Shop Now: The Container Store Chrome Metal Hangers, $9 for 4, containerstore.com. Panacea 22-Gauge Floral Wire, in Silver, $3, michaels.com.

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three gnomes bear skin throw on bench stockings on branch

These linen styles come together fast with a super-simple blanket stitch. To make a single stocking, print and cut out templates. Fold the linen in half. Pin on the template; cut out both linen pieces at once. Stack the linen pieces. Punch holes at 1-inch intervals around all but top edge of stocking. Thread needle with twine, and finish the edges with a blanket stitch.

Shop Now: Purl Soho Watercolor Linen, in Rock Salt, $20.80, purlsoho.com. RecollectionsWhite Twine Spool, $8, michaels.com.

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