Homemade Christmas Decorations...Any Ideas??

[ludaloo]

I really want to MAKE some decorations this year...I think the kids would feally love it too.

So far I have Paperchains

Snowflakes for the windows

And very dodgy looking salt dough things for the tree (we made these a while ago but I might "accidently forget" to put them up!

Any ideas?

TIA

can you knit?

am going to do knitted paper chains this year I think. incredibly simple, totally suitable for beginning knitter.

Sew? How old are your kids? Basic felt decorations?

Um...you can get wax to stick on candles

collect pine cones and do something with them? on string? spinkle glitter?

We have just made a bunch of cut out stars on a string. Red paper, one of those big star cutters from Hobbycraft (my kids are 3 and 1 so a cutter is needed-if they were older I'd make them cut out the star shape!) threaded on red wool, looks really nice. THink you could do something nice also in similar vein with xmas paper.

am firm believer in a. homemade xmas decorations b. my house not looking like complete tat

having said that there are loads of good books, esp usborne.

how old are your kids and what are their craft capabilities?

i ammaking my own this year as too skint to buy any.

take the kids out to look for long straight twigs, holly branches and pine cones. bring them home and spray them with bronze, silver or gold spray paint and sprinkle with glitter before they dry.

you can make them into realy beautifull swags for above the fireplace or over doors (you just need some very thin strong string...fishing wire is the easiest and cheapest)

the cones look lovely in a big bowl with some fairy lights just thrown in with them (69p for 20 in Tesco)
also you can use the wire to stick them on the tree for a really tradidional look.

collect pine cones, spray silver or gold and add glitter. Dry slices of orange in the oven, tie up with cinnamon sticks and ribbon, and hang on tree - smell lovely!

Lu, im going on a course for Christmas decorations (well, a wreath & centre peices etc) I will post what we did. Basically its foam wreaths with greenary, and cinnamon sticks, oranges, bows etc.

angels - circle of card, cut a line to the middle and stick in a cone shape. stick on small circle for face, draw on hands and decorate. can be big one to go on top of tree or strings of small ones.

biscuits with hole cut out of middle. put boiled sweet in hole, will melt in oven. cut out hole for string before baking biscuit and hang on tree or in window, looks like stained glass effect

this site has loads of ides for all sorts of kids crafts

i love love loe home made decs. you can buy paper chains from a stationers - they are only £1 and go long way - or make them

we always do snow flakes with folded white paper and scissors and glitter.

and the paper chain thing with crepe paper

where you cut out two strips put them at right angle to each other ( so you have an "L" shape) then fold over each other keeping the right angle cellotape the end - voila ....pretty.

also xmas pictures - drawings and such

you can make mini xmas tree by making a cone from thin card or paper

cut out thin strip of green crepe paper and cut into the side of the crepe paper and keep doing the little cuts all accross the width so it looks ruffly

then wind whilst layering - up the cone. lookilike xmas tree yay - add glitter.

old xmas cards are good for collages and montages - if you have any.

paper chain angels.

and paper angels - hard to explain - but what you have to do is make a paper cone - with a head.

so think about the shape before you cut it

then make elaborate wings and glue or staple on.

I make pinflair decorations.
sothere

oooh some lovely ideas....

My kids are 1, 3 and 5.....my sewing abilities are nil! I can't knit either.

I like the pine cone idea and the orange slice tree decorations.

Custardo...I loads of old cards...good idea!

Quootie...yes please do let me know..thank you

Gigglin thanks for the link!

Liesel...thanks for your link too

Thanks to all...

Much appreciated!

oh liesel...Its not working

saw this in a magazine
print a christmas carol off the internet( the musical score) photocopy onto A3 paper for wrapping paper or cut into triangles and make festive bunting( can also use last years xmas cards for this.

buy some das clay( abut £2.50)( the airdrying stuff)Roll out and cut out shaped with a pastry cutter( stars hearts etc) make a hole for ribbon or string. Let the shapes dry for 24 hours paint with kids poster paints.hang on tree

sorry

String popcorn and cranberries for garlands. We loved doing this as kids and they actually look great on the tree. The tradition was we would sit and watch either White Christmas or Its a Wonderful Life with big bowls of both. Snacking on the popcorn is perfectly acceptable!

PPB, re: cranberries. Saw a punnet of these in Sainsburys and immediately thought of this with orange slices etc. A little punnet was 3.99 and would only do about 1/2 a meter. So I would like to know where y'all get your cheap cranberries.

To be honest I haven't done this for years. I grew up in the states, maybe they are cheaper there. Having said that £3.99 is a ripoff!!!!!!!

You can make little christmas present decs to hang on the tree - make tiny square carboard boxes, cover with shiny paper and tie with ribbons. Apart from the tree we only use a few strings of lights round windows and swags of ivy and holly set off with silver tinsel.

cardiff market was selling cranberries for quite considerably less than £3.99 as was the local fruit/veg stall

that is a rip off, I buy organic cranberries for less than that!

I usually do popcorn garlands, and garlands of sweets to go on the tree, usually tho regret it after first few.

oooh popcorn garlands!!!!!

liesel....pinflair looks very pretty!!

I make gingerbread stars with those silver-ball sweets in them, then dust them with icing sugar and hang on the tree/in a garland from the fireplace.

Orange decorations are a lovely idea!

Also we make a wreath every year. We plaited a circle from birch twigs a few years ago, and every year we stick loads of holly/ivy/mistletoe into it.

We also made advent calendars for my Mum and Dad from about the age of eight or so.

I bought some card and silver/gold spray today...have also been collecting pinecones...they need drying out though

I can't wait to get going!!!!

dd1 can't wait either!!

um...bumping up for tortoise to see it!

Another one I find very expensive is Cinnamon Sticks - anyone know anywhere cheap for these?

I brought a pack of multi coloured felt and some stuffing and some sparkly cord quite cheaply. Then i sewed some basic xmas shapes trees/stockings ect, stuffed them and hung them with the cord.