No matter how many pretty or expensive ornaments you might have, you’ll find that as the years go by, it’s the slightly naff PVA-glued homemade Christmas tree decorations that you love unboxing each year. So whether you’re spending Christmas alone or want to take some time this festive season to make your own Christmas tree decorations with your children, here are ten ideas for easy homemade Christmas decorations, from fingerprint ornaments to pinecone reindeer.
Need some ideas to spark festive inspiration? Check out our massive range of Christmas cards and gifts to get you in the seasonal mood.
1. Cupcake case Christmas tree
If you’ve had a go at some Christmas baking, put your spare cupcake cases to use to create these festive paper Christmas decorations. Get your little ones folding, glueing and painting the trees, and then they can decorate them however they like using sequins, buttons or by drawing with pens. Don’t forget a star for the top – then just add a little loop of ribbon and your tree is ready for, well, the tree!
Image source: Sitters
2. Pinecone reindeer
DIY Christmas tree decorations are great if your tree has more of a rustic feel – these cute pinecone reindeer from One Little Project won’t stick out too much alongside more natural wooden and red ornaments. Make the most of a cold December weekend, and take the kids on a wintry walk to search for pinecones and twigs. Once you get home, you can sit down for an afternoon of crafting, and make your own Christmas tree decorations using your foraged pinecones, googly eyes, pom-poms and felt.
Image source: One Little Project
3. Fingerprint heart ornaments
Let your kids really make their mark on your tree with these sweet homemade Christmas tree decorations – one day, you might look back and wonder how their fingers were ever that tiny! This how-to guide from CBC Parents uses inexpensive clay made from bicarbonate of soda, but you can use air-drying clay, cut into circles using a cookie cutter. These are super easy homemade Christmas decorations for children to make, as they just need to press their thumbprints into the dough to make a little heart, and you’ll have lovely keepsakes for your tree or for gifting to grandparents.
Image source: CBC Parents
4. Spiral Christmas tree
Paper Christmas decorations are great to make with children – you might just have to be in charge of cutting out the spiral in this DIY design. Afterwards, encourage the kids to decorate the charming spiral trees using pens and glitter glue. Even better, these hanging homemade Christmas tree decorations can be stored flat and brought out for future years without risk of breaking!
Image source: Pinterest
5. Toilet paper roll snowmen
If you’re looking for thrifty Christmas tree decorations to make with children, try these sweet snowmen from Craftaholics Anonymous. They’re super easy to make, and kids will love personalising them. Make sure they’ve got a choice of ribbons and pipe cleaners to pick from to create scarves and earmuffs! The earmuffs create a convenient little loop for hanging on the tree, or you could create a little Christmas scene where the snowmen can hang out.
Image source: Craftaholics Anonymous
6. Embroidered snowflake ornaments
Another beautiful design from Craftaholics Anonymous, we have these embroidered felt snowflake ornaments! This idea is a super simple one again, requiring you to gather some embroidery floss and a needle, some felt, stuffing, a pen, and finally some scissors.
Start by cutting two felt circles and drawing your design onto one of the pieces. Next, embroider your design, sew the pieces partially together, and stuff your ornament (remembering to sew it shut once all the stuffing is safely inside). These lovely little ornaments make perfect gifts for family and friends, plus they look fantastic hung on your tree or around your home!
Image source: Craftaholics anonymous
7. Adorable button snowmen
If you love the idea of a tree filled with adorable snowmen, we’ve got just the design for you. For this idea, you’ll need to source wooden craft beads, plain buttons, baker’s twine, and some red felt.
First, draw some adorable faces on your white craft beads, then thread your twine through your beads and buttons, securing them tightly in place.
Finally, it’s time for the all-important finishing touches. Stack some black buttons to resemble a hat, and add a festive red felt scarf to keep your jolly snowman warm!
Image source: Country Living
8. Festive bows
If you’re wondering how to make Christmas tree decorations without all the fuss, we’ve got the perfect option for you. All you’ll need to do is gather any leftover ribbon you’ve got from your Christmas wrapping, and create some super festive bows to tie on your tree!
You can keep things simple with a gold and red colour scheme, or go all out like this design from House Beautiful with an array of bold colours. Plus, for an extra glimmer of festive sparkle, why not decorate your ribbons with sequins and glitter?
Image source: House Beautiful
9. Pipe cleaner ornaments
Another super simple (yet effective) option is to craft festive decorations out of pipe cleaners! The whole family can get involved with this one, from younger kids to teens and adults. To create ornaments like these from Good Housekeeping, simply twist pipe cleaners into stars, snowflakes, and festive characters, threading baubles through too if you wish!
Image source: Good Housekeeping
10. Christmas paper chains
An old classic – these timeless paper Christmas decorations are easy to make, look effortlessly festive on the tree, and will keep the kids occupied. All you need is scissors, paper, and glue to create loops that fasten onto each other to create colourful chains. If your children are too little for scissors, you can pre-cut your paper into strips – and make it extra fun for them by using strips of wrapping paper featuring their favourite characters, from Paw Patrol to Disney Princesses! Bonus save-the-planet points if you can recycle the leftover scraps of last year’s wrapping paper.
Image source: Good to Know
It’s easy and fun to make your own Christmas tree decorations, and your kids will be delighted to see their hard work displayed on a twinkling tree! Whether you get crafty with paper or break out the glitter glue, the wobbly homemade Christmas tree decorations will bring a smile to your face, and you’ll make some wholesome memories that will last for years to come.
If you’re looking for more DIY inspiration, head over to the thortful blog and check out our guide on how to make your own Christmas stocking.
