What Christmas craft things do you do? (Not knitting/crochet)

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I say not knitting and crochet as you have to spend time learning the basics before you can do Christmas crafts with them, although I would love to learn how, just not right now.

So, other crafts - what do you do? I did some dried orange slices last year. That’s it 🤣.

Any ideas? Paper things? Sewing things? Food things (but not edible)? Clay type things? Decorations? Pictures? Things that are single use only, things you save for years, stuff for windows?

I make and fill my own Christmas Crackers - far nicer than shop bought ones 🎄

You can personalise them or theme them.

I love ordering Christmas craft books from the library at the end if summer. I tend to stick to paper crafts as I am not great at most things, but I can cut out! This year, however, I am doing a day long weave a willow reindeer activity in November which I am looking forward to (although the chances it looks like anything but a reindeer are HIGH)

I've made these beaded snowflakes in the past and used them as present toppers for gifts instead of plastic bows. Made it so that people could use them as a tree decoration if they wanted, but having some nice fabric ribbon already attached.

Most people loved them and I saw them on their tree subsequent years, which I took as a compliment.

Aren’t they, can’t believe he’s been hiding this talent.. This was his first try! I love them.

I might do this! I have an old navy sweatshirt, I have fabric, I have ideas 🤣.

Thank you. I have a King Christmas decoration that I think is fimo, it’s solid, but slightly rubbery. It looks quite easy to mold, like plasticine? I’ll give that a go.

I couldn’t do that if I was talked through it step by step with a one on one tutor for a week. I that skill is either there or it isn’t! Is he artistic in other ways, eg does he paint cards? There is a poster further up with amazing cards.

Have also had a go with air dry clay, making stars and hearts, painting some, threading little light strings through them. That was easy and a fun activity with the kids

I go to a door wreath workshop run by a friend at the start of December. Also do home made garlands and put lights in them on the front window. Got Autumn/Halloween first though!

I do knit, crochet, sew and do other fibre / fabric crafts, but I also love making Danish paper stars, in various sizes from super tiny to about 7cm, then string them in groups on the Christmas tree. Wax paper stars are also fun and especially attractive if made with with 32+ points or in complementary or rainbow colours. Christmas wreaths, made with newspaper and wire frame then pine twigs attached with thin green gardening or florists wire, then decorated with ribbon etc, are also fun to make.

In the past I've also, with children, made felt gnomes, animals and tree ornaments, decorated fat white candles with coloured wax (stars, flowers, simple scenes etc--you can get thin, brightly coloured wax sheets especially for this) and done many other Christmas crafts, but those are the ones that come to mind.

Is it for presents, decorations at home, entertaining DCs, or items to sell?

I have done a few mini stockings in felt, with ribbon loops, and decorated various ways (with sequins, bits of lace, some embroidery stitching) on them before sewing together using blanket stitch. They are perfect for the tree and to hold a small candy cane (in its wrapper…I don’t want them stuck to the felt).

A box of different coloured strips of paper with sticky tape (or stapler for older DCs) is great to allow them slowly make paper chains for decorating (and can put the chain back in the box to come back to another day when boredom strikes).

Making stamps from half a potato and stamping brown paper as wrapping paper, or cards, is another great one to do with DCs.

I have made felt food as presents (lots of ideas online, most can be hand sewn). I have made scrunchies and zipped pouches and cushion covers with my sewing machine.

I sometimes do small cross stitch things - book marks done on a strip of Aida which is backed later with interfacing to stiffen it and some fabric sewn or glued on to hide the interfacing/stitches can be relatively easy to do.

Big tin cans (like the Double sized tomatoes tins) covered with nice fabric and some ribbons/buttons can make likely little canisters for makeup brushes etc.

Have a look on Pinterest or YouTube for some great ideas.

I have a bunch of ornaments made from cross stitch. It takes time to do, but if you take care of them they last forever.

Tbh this would probably go down very well with my dc!

They're a super simple recipe with nutella and premade puff pastry. Often made by my teens for consumption during Strictly in December, but will also do for a buffet.

We used to make them together when my dc were little, but now I use get presented them to help eat!

https://www.janespatisserie.com/2022/11/18/nutella-christmas-tree/

I’m making my grandchildren personalised cross stitch stockings

Oh nice! Did you use biscuit cutters?

Halloween is something I’ve never got into really but a double yes to autumn, I have been looking for candles today!

@Plot30B thank you, I am going to try all the different star thing that people have suggested, and I’ve seen the decorated candles before but never got around to doing them.

@BiddyPopthe2nd its for me, to have things for the home. Definitely not for selling! These are great ideas, thank you!

@Ponderingwindow I’ve never done cross stitch but lots of people love it so I’ll stick it on my list, see what it’s all about. I’ve done tapestry though, love doing that.

@Stompythedinosaur Oh dear. Oh dearie dearie me.

Just out of curiosity, have you ever eaten a whole one by yourself?

I might give it a go. Apparently humans need extra calories in the winter.

I fancy some tiny tree stockings made in different ways, @BiddyPopthe2nd had some lovely stocking ideas too.

For the bigger hearts I used biscuit cutters, (and the end of a kid's paintbrush to poke holes for hanging)... for the little stuff I think it was clay cutters, but would have been from the kids' plasticine, or from the front of a magazine or something - I fail to plan spectacularly, followed by "what have we got that we can do this with..." .
You roll out the clay, put some cling film over the top, then use the cutter, gives a nice curved finish to the edges.

Decoupatch is ready. You can buy the cardboard shapes in craft shops and just stick patches of committed paper all over them. Not just for Christmas either. You can decorate letters of the alphabet for kids bedrooms

easy,not ready !!

I created garlands from coloured felt and a glue gun. (Cut felt into strips with a rotary cutter and then glued the loops through each other.). They look fantastic and will last a very long time. (Mine are rainbow, so can be used for birthdays etc too, technically).

Paper stars using old books or scrapbooking paper. Youtube pretty good for teaching this.

Cross-stitch pictures, can start them now & complete for xmas. Do a small one to begin with. I'd even buy a few old kits people sell that were given free with cross-stitch magazines to practice. If they turn out good, put them in card apertures & send to relatives, or frame and put on the wall for xmas!