Christmas Decorations
DIY ideas. Not for Sale!
2024 January
Turn sturdy cardboard clothing labels into something beautiful and practical. A simple craft you can do with children.
2023 December
Finally got to display these DIY baubles.
2023 February
Turn your old Christmas cards into 3-D baubles for next Christmas: an easy fun activity to occupy your children.
My 2022 stash of ribbons from Christmas crackers and Christmas cake which I plan to re-use for next Christmas!
These scraps of ribbon look pretty neat when ironed out. Still do not know what I would do with these!!
2022
We have a box full of Fabric Gift Bags, mostly experimental ones that I had made over the years. When retrieving bags earlier in the month, I discovered that I had made some more "baubles" from Christmas cards received in 2021.
Cut Christmas cards into "bauble" shapes.
With the bauble shape as template, put it over the names of the senders.
Stick the two pieces together with some glue. Punch a hole at the top and thread a string through. (You might need to cut out the names separately if the "template" does not fit over the names.)
Voila! Not only have you got a new bauble, you will even be able to see who sent the card in the first place. So, perhaps you might wish to add a date to it,
2021
They are showing a version of Scrooge on TV. I must confess I am a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to some things.
When we got our first Christmas tree, I made decorations by glueing holographic paper (from a stationery shop) to card on both sides, cutting out shapes, punching holes and stringing them ('gold' thread bought at the local market, you can try a craft shop or haberdashery) up to decorate the tree. The off-cuts were cut into triangles of random sizes, strung together and thrown over the tree. Yeah, never let anything go to waste. I also bought some mini clothes-pegs in silver from a store somewhere to hang up bits and bobs.
Pipe-cleaner Snowflakes
I discovered that a local stationer sold glittery pipe-cleaners. At first I used single pipe-cleaners to twist them into six-pointed snowflake shapes, and added a piece of thread to hang these up the tree.
Later I discovered I could cut each into two and using three half-strips, I could make a more sturdy snowflake (an oxymoron, I know). The trick is to bend them into two and secure the whole thing in the middle.
Pipe-cleaner Any Shape
Pipe-cleaner Garlands
My collection of pipe-cleaners grew! I made garlands and twisted them into star/snowflake shapes using a chopstick. A pencil would also do.
Felted Baubles
Usually I don't get to sit down properly till Christmas Eve. I then block everything out to felt a new bauble. Sure, these are not works of art, but I like to add a new (meaningful) bauble every year.
2023
For some reason, I wanted to felt a snowman this year, and because Christmas Eve was a Sunday and we were busy at church, I had to do this earlier in the week.
Very proud of myself for succeeding with this by simply looking at a similar snowman in a catalogue.
2022
We gave my husband's 90+year-old aunt the book Away with the Penguins from The Leprosy Mission Shop. So it seemed right that I should try to felt a penguin this year. Followed instructions in a booklet, but added the scarf myself.
2021
Tried to make an owl, but some think it is a cat!! With a beak?
2020
Coronavirus!
2019
This project grew and grew. Baby Jesus in his manger.
2018
Camel (or wannabe!)
2017
This is my first felting project. There is another 2017 bauble somewhere.
What are your ideas?
On Christmas Day we often have guests who need to entertain themselves while we finish cooking. I give them a selection of 3-D puzzles as well as pipe-cleaners to come up with decoration ideas. There have been lots (doves, love hearts, bells, etc) but I would have to show their faces for which I do not have permission.
Do take some photos of your creations, or those of your friends, and I might put those up next year. The best creation stands to win something from the shop. I have not decided on what yet.
Send your photos to The Shopkeeper and tell us how you made those items. Please make sure there are no marks that would make a person or location identifiable. Thanks.
May you find the joy and peace of Christmas this Christmas despite all the doom and gloom around us.
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