Turn Old Into New: Creative Decorations You Can Make Around The House
When it comes to Christmas decorations, most people use the same ornaments year after year. Christmas ornaments have great sentimental value attached to them, which makes throwing them away (no matter how beat up they may be) an impossibility.
Whether they’re old family heirlooms or some cute little clay angel that your child made, these decorations are irreplaceable and certainly have a place in your home and in your heart. This Christmas, however, why not deck the halls with some new, homemade holiday decorations? Homemade Christmas decorations are a great way to reinvigorate your home just in time for the holidays, lifting your spirits in the process. Here are some simple holiday craft ideas to get you started.
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1.) Pine Cone Ornaments: When decorating your Christmas tree this season, give your old heirloom ornaments some much needed company by making some new ones! Making ornaments out of pine cones is a timeless idea and oh so easy to make. Simply dip your pine cones in a non-toxic white, silver or gold paint and tie on a little ribbon. Dip half of a pine cone into some white paint and you have a snow-kissed pine cone! Drizzle your pine cones with some glue and sprinkle them with gold or silver glitter. These new ornaments will breathe new life into your Christmas tree.
2.) Tree Branch Centerpieces: The best kinds of holiday decorations are those with a personal touch! Gather some fallen small-size tree branches from your backyard and paint them silver or white. Now put them in a big white bowl, sprinkle them with glitter, fake snow, pine cones, mistletoe - whatever you want! Instant table centerpiece! Use evergreen tree branches for an extra fragrant centerpiece!
3.) Christmas Card Collage: Don’t you just love Christmas cards? What do you do with them after you’ve read them? They look great displayed on your mantle or kitchen counters, but why not try something different this season? Making a Christmas card collage is easy and a fun family project. Once everyone is done reading them, glue them on a piece of poster board - making sure that the decorative front or inside of the card is visible. Either glue them close together or leave some white space in between cards and add some of your own decorative accents. Buy a roll of clear contact paper and stick your Christmas cards to the inside (sticky side). You can either frame your collage or prop it up somewhere in your home.
4.) Homemade Holiday Potpourri : Even if you haven’t started all of your holiday baking quite yet, you can at least get the house smelling fresh and Christmassy. Tie a few cinnamon sticks together into a little bundle, using a red, green or gold ribbon. Make a few bundles and put them in clear glass jars, in bowls or on plates and place them throughout your home. Cinnamon sticks will add a nice, fresh, Christmas scent to your home. Refresh the scent of your cinnamon sticks by sprinkling on some cinnamon-scented oil.
5.) Terra Cotta Candy Dishes : Who doesn’t love Christmas sweets! With guests coming over, it’s always a good idea to have some strategically-placed candy dishes throughout your home. Get creative this holiday by buying some cheap little terra cotta planters and decorating them with paint, ribbon, glitter and whatever else you have around. Once the paint has dried, fill them with candy canes, Sno-Caps, red jellybeans, and various other hard candies. Not only will the colorful Christmas candy add some flavor to your room, but the painted pots will also be a nice touch.
Decorating your home for the holidays should be fun for the entire family, so get everyone together and have a blast! With all of the fun and easy holiday crafts out there, there’s no reason to get rid of all of your favorite ornaments - just make some new ones and create some new holiday memories in the process.
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