25 Easy DIY Christmas Decorations for 2024

Looking to add a personal touch to your holiday decor this season? Get inspired with these easy Christmas DIY decor ideas that will fill your home with festive charm without breaking the bank! From beautiful DIY Christmas wreaths to creative DIY Christmas ornaments, you can craft unique pieces that reflect your style. Plan for Christmas 2024 with affordable options like Dollar Tree ideas. These simple projects are perfect for creating a cozy and magical holiday atmosphere.

My Easy DIY Christmas Decorations Backstory

I am not an artistic person (see my post about flower container ideas for the artistically challenged). Also, as a librarian at five elementary schools (a job I love), I don’t have a lot of spare time. Can you relate? Anytime a craft or decorating project is simple, requires little time, and calls for minimal supplies, I’m in. I’m always on the lookout for homemade items that look great, but take little effort.

With that in mind, here are 25 easy DIY Christmas decoration projects that are quick and budget-friendly. Many of the supplies are sourced from nature or Dollar Tree.

Mason Jar Snow Globes

Fill small mason jars with fake snow, mini trees, and tiny ornaments.

Holiday Ornament Bowl

Fill a vintage ceramic container or vase with Dollar Tree ornaments and place on a dining room table or sideboard. You can coordinate the colors to fit your decor.

Mason Jar Holiday Lantern

Place a strip of battery-powered lights inside a small Mason jar and add to any area that needs a festive touch. We put ours in the bathroom. You can also use Dollar Tree battery-powered icicles and a larger Mason Jar for a bigger space.

Cinnamon Stick Candles

Wrap cinnamon sticks around candles with twine for a rustic look.

Pinecone Ornaments

Attach ribbons and glitter to pinecones for natural, festive ornaments.

Paper Snowflakes

Classic and easy paper snowflakes to hang in windows.

Christmas Garland

String popcorn, cranberries, or pom-poms for a homemade garland.

Reindeer Jingle Bell Ornament

Gather jingle bells and other supplies from DollarTree and use a hot glue gun to make this easy and fun ornament. Write the year and name on the back for a homemade ornament keepsake. Get the full instructions here.

Wood Slice Ornaments

Paint or wood-burn holiday designs onto wood slices.

Wreath from Ornaments

Use a wireframe and a hot glue gun to attach old or inexpensive, extra ornaments to create a colorful wreath.

Wreath from Greenery

Use a wire wreath frame and bundles of greenery to make your own fresh holiday wreath. Use paddle wire to create bundles of greenery, then attach the bundles in a repeating pattern around the wreath form. Finish with a decorative bow and hang on a door.

Vintage Sled with Swag

I purchased this vintage wooden sled from a yard sale for a song, then attached a faux greenery swag for a festive touch. You could also create a swag with fresh greenery, paddle wire, and a ribbon.

Christmas Countdown Chalkboard

Create a DIY countdown using a small chalkboard from Dollar Tree. Attach decorative bows or other holiday elements for a touch of cheer.

Clothespin Snowflakes

Glue together painted or stained clothespins to form snowflake shapes.

Christmas Village Jars

Use mason jars to house miniature Christmas villager scenes.

Twig Stars

Tie twigs together with twine to form star shapes and hang them as rustic decor.

DIY Advent Calendar

Make a custom advent calendar using a pocket chart and activity slips you customize yourself. To save time, here’s a free printable with ideas you can use. You could also have family members think of ideas to add to the calendar.

Get free printable activity cards here. To make the activity more colorful, kids can decorate each card before putting in the pocket chart.

Sweater Sleeve Stockings

Repurpose old sweater sleeves to create cozy stockings. Here are the simple instructions:

Materials:

Old sweater (preferably with large, long sleeves)

Scissors

Needle and thread (or a sewing machine)

Fabric glue (optional, for no-sew option)

Ribbon or string for hanging

Pins (for holding fabric in place)

Decorations (optional: buttons, patches, or embroidery thread)

Instructions:

Choose the Sweater: Select an old sweater with sleeves that are long enough to form the stocking. Thicker or textured knits work well for a cozy look.

Cut the Sleeve: Cut off one sleeve from the sweater at the shoulder seam. This sleeve will form the body of the stocking.

Shape the Stocking: Lay the sleeve flat and sketch or outline a stocking shape on it, using chalk or pins. Make sure to leave the cuff intact, as it will form the top of the stocking. The narrow end (toward the wrist cuff) will be the top, and the wider end (near the shoulder) will be the foot. Use this free printable stocking pattern and enlarge it to 11 by 17 inches on a copier, if you wish.

Cut the Stocking Shape: Carefully cut around the stocking outline, leaving extra fabric around the edges for seams (about ½ inch).

Sew the Edges: Turn the sleeve inside out. Using a needle and thread (or sewing machine), sew along the cut edges of the stocking shape, leaving the cuff open for stuffing. If you prefer a no-sew option, you can use fabric glue along the edges.

Turn It Right Side Out: Once you’ve sewn the edges, turn the stocking right side out, so the cuff and the outside of the knit are showing.

Add a Hanging Loop: Cut a small piece of ribbon or string (about 4-5 inches long) and sew or glue it to the inside of the cuff to create a loop for hanging.

Decorate (Optional): Personalize your stocking by adding decorations like buttons, patches, embroidery, or even some holiday fabric trims.

If you want to make more than one stocking, use the second sleeve and repeat the steps above! Now you have a charming, upcycled stocking that’s perfect for your holiday decor!

Optional variation: Fold some fabric right sides together and trace the stocking pattern on the fabric. Cut out two matching pieces, then sew together. turn right side out, fold down the top edge and trip with ribbon, as with the stockings in this photo.

Candy Cane Wreath

Using a hot glue gun, glue candy canes together in a circular wreath pattern.

Holiday-Themed Pillow Covers

Sew or decorate plain pillow covers with festive patterns or designs.

Mini Christmas Trees

Wrap decorative trim around mini wire trees to create mini Christmas trees. Glue the base of the tree with a hot glue gun into the hole of a wooden spool. Embellish with stars, sequins, fabric scraps, and other trim. Ideal for bathrooms or other small spaces to add a festive touch.

Felt Christmas Ornaments

Cut festive shapes from felt and stitch them together to create soft ornaments.

Lighted Burlap Garland

Weave fairy lights through burlap ribbon for a glowing garland.

Button Christmas Trees

Arrange green buttons in tree shapes and glue them onto canvas or cardstock for wall decor.

Mini Holiday Book Stack

Stack mini holiday books of different sizes with their spines facing out. Place an ornament or other small holiday item on top of the pile to add a cute holiday accent to any room.

Reindeer Footprint

Dip a little foot in brown paint and press onto a blank Dollar Tree canvas. Add a pom pom for a nose, some googly eyes, then paint on some antlers for a sweet holiday keepsake.

These DIY projects are simple yet festive ways to add a personal touch to your Christmas decorations!

Bonus DIY Decoration for Budding Decorators

Let junior decorating helpers have fun creating a Lego Christmas tree. It’s perfect for adding a DIY Christmas touch to a bedroom or playroom.

More Easy and Fun Holiday Ideas

Looking for other fun, easy activities and recipes for the holidays? In addition to these cute Nutter Butter reindeer, Santa and snowman cookies, check out a super simple way to make a gingerbread house out of graham crackers. A fan of peanut butter? Try making easy peanut butter fudge. In keeping with the reindeer theme, learn how to create a cute jingle bell reindeer ornament with inexpensive supplies. Get into the holiday spirit with this list of books to read to kids. Get even more ideas from a list of favorite family holiday traditions. So many ideas to choose from!

Free Cookbook

Get this free cookbook filled with even more fun and easy recipes for holiday fun. It’s perfect for anyone who likes to keep things simple and get delicious results. Grab your copy today!

I need some easy recipes!

If you would like even more recipe ideas, consider following my Easy Recipes board on Pinterest. Have a fabulous day, and enjoy making Nutter Butter reindeer, snowman, and Santa cookies.