Easy handmade Christmas decorations

Something I haven’t written about before is my love of crafting, and I’ve been through a few phases in recent years.  I get obsessed with something and make hundreds of them and then get bored and move onto the next one!  Pinterest is a devil for giving me ideas and I’ve now got cupboards fully of crafty bits which I may never use again.  But you never know…  They really come in handy though when my son has a homework project or needs a costume for World Book Day.  My phases have included cardmaking, jewellery, homemade cosmetics, crocheting and lots more.   Many of them have been used for festive creations, and although this website has taken up most of my spare time this year I’m looking forward to opening my Christmas decoration boxes to enjoy the crafty things I’ve made for the house.

Handmade Christmas

I love handmade Christmas decorations, and every year I make something new.  My tree isn’t fashionable or stylish – it’s a mish-mash of things I’ve collected over the years which all mean something to me.  I’ve got a star which I bought in Delhi on a business trip, a scooter ornament given to me by a late friend and snowmen that my Mum knitted.  Every year I unpack increasingly tatty items that my children made at school, which only a mother could love!

Let’s be clear – I am not the best sewer, knitter or maker of anything but that’s part of the charm of a handmade keepsake.  I usually make plenty and give them to friends and family and teachers – and I’ve sold some of them too!

Here are some of the things I will be putting up again this year, which might inspire you to include some handmade treasures to build up a nostalgic collection of your own.

Festive felt fun!

Felt is so simple to sew with.  You don’t need to make a hem and it’s very forgiving when cutting different shapes.  It’s cheap to buy from local craft shops or you can get a bundle on Amazon for under £7 to give you plenty of colours to play with.  Thick threads to sew the layers together work really well and Amazon do an array of 50 for less than £7 here.  If you raid your button tin (hasn’t everyone got one of those?) then you can decorate them, or use old beads or sequins.   I go to a local craft shop (the Eternal Maker in Chichester) which does an incredible selection of different sizes and shapes of buttons, but Hobbycraft is great too.  Or buy a bag of assorted buttons from Amazon for just a couple of quid as an add-on item.

This Christmas tree is a really simple shape which just needs a few buttons and ribbon to make a colourful tree decoration!

As well as tree decorations, felt is ideal for festive brooches!  We gave one to my son’s reception teacher and she wears it every year.  Brooch fixings are easily sewn on the back, and you just need a bit of padding to plump out the felt.  Brooch fixings are really cheap in bulk, but you can get ten as an add-on item for less than £2.50 here.

Here are some ideas for simple Christmas shapes which children love, and are ideal for nurses and teachers too for a festive touch to their uniform or outfit!

Button Christmas tree

One of the easiest Christmas decorations is a button tree!  Collect some green and brown buttons to make the tree shape and then thread some cotton through each layer, finishing with a knot at the bottom.  It’s easy for children to make too, and great for their fine motor skills!

Knitted Snowman and Santa

These cute guys were made by my Mum!  I asked her for the pattern and she said she just makes it up, but the snowman is particularly straightforward, and they both sit on a plastic cup to hold them up.  I found a really easy pattern for some similar snowmen if this inspires you to get your needles out!

Bunting

Bunting is really easy, as long as you’ve got a sewing machine.  Here’s a tutorial but if I can do it then anyone can.  It’s so effective to hang around the room or on the mantlepiece.

I love using festive fabrics for my handmade Christmas decorations and the Eternal Maker in Chicheser always has great bundles.   Etsy is a great source of lovely festive fabrics and they are great value, around £3-4 for half a metre.  Check out my shopping feed below, and here is a gorgeous example.

Crochet Baubles

This year I’ve set myself the challenge of making something new, and I’m going to have a go at these crochet balls.   A friend of mine makes them and I really love them!  Crocheted items have a lovely retro feel and remind me of my childhood.  My friend sells them on her Etsy store and I think they are really cute.  Crocheting is such a lovely thing to do and I found this pattern online for a couple of ways of making these Christmas balls, in case you’re inspired to give them a try.  But maybe the easier option would be to buy some from the Splendid Vintage store for just £4.50 each or three for £12.

Wooden Decorations

Here is something a bit different which my younger son made a couple of years ago.  Although these wooden trees can’t be made at home, there are often local museums or other places where children can make lovely decorations which can be enjoyed for years to come.  Near where I live in West Sussex is Amberley Museum, which has woodturning sessions where children can make various items which they then colour in with felt tips.  It’s run by volunteers who are really patient with the youngsters who learn a traditional skill as well as making a festive decoration.  Here’s a link to their Christmas weekend special days where you can find out about seeing Father Christmas too!

Christmas traditions

When I’m putting up the tree I always put The Snowman on TV, as the music makes me feel so festive and warm.  It’s such a sweet story so it has become a real tradition now.

Another of our Christmas traditions is a jigsaw puzzle!  I found one in a drawer recently and we did it as a family which was so nice as a break from TV.  It wasn’t one of those really difficult ones and we really enjoyed it!  There’s a link in the carousel below if you fancy giving one a go.

Here are links to the festive crafting goodies and other Christmassy things mentioned above to help with your own handmade Christmas decorations.  I’d love to hear about your own traditions so please comment below with ideas for future years.

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