1Wreath Sweater
Becky Luigart-StaynerWe all have one friend who loves to go all out during the holidays and this is the perfect gift for them! If you love to decorate why not decorate yourself?
To make: Cut leaves from several different shades of green felt. Attach leaves across the top, shoulders, and arms of a white sweater with hot-glue. Attach an oversize red bow at the neck with hot-glue.
SHOP FELT
2Washi Tape Tree Cards
Becky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingWhether you want to make Christmas card (maybe you make a dozen and give them away as a set) or gift tags, these washi tape trees are cute, easy, and super fun to craft.
To make: Cut pieces of washi tape and attach it to a plain gift card so that it’s shaped like a trees. Hot-glue a tiny piece of tinsel to the top of the tree to create the tree topper. If using as a gift tag, punch a small hole in one corner and tie to gift with twine.
SHOP WASHI TAPE
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3Make Waldorf Stars
Becky Luigart-StaynerThese paper stars are displayed in Waldorf schools to help brighten the space, and they are also a symbol of the Waldorf philosophy of education, which focuses on engaging the head, heart, and hands of children. Try making a bunch in varying sizes to decorate the tree.
Get the instructions here.
4Placemat Toolbelt
Becky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingCraft this perfect little toolbelt for the handyperson in your life! Maybe you'll get lucky and they will come to your house and fix something!!
To make: Fold a 13- by 19-inch place mat in half along the long side. Sew the outside edges together with a sewing machine. Sew several tall compartments for holding tools. Attach a long length of twill tape to the top of each side of the tool belt for tying around the waist. Add a twill tape loop for holding a hammer, if desired.
SHOP PLACEMATS
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5Oversized Brush Wreath Card
Becky Luigart-Stayner for Country LivingEnlist the kids to help make an extra-large holiday card using paint and household brushes on brown Kraft paper. More is more, right?
To make: Cut a large piece of kraft paper and fold it into a card (you can also make the design on the paper, then use the paper to wrap a present). Dip the tip of a scrub brush in green acrylic print and dab on the paper, creating the wreath; allow to dry. Clean the brush (or use a second one) and dip the tip in white acrylic paint. Gently add “snow” to the wreath. Use red acrylic paint and a round-tipped paintbrush to add ornaments. Once dry, add a bow and greeting.
SHOP BRUSH
6Bow Garland
Becky Luigart-StaynerDecorate the tree, the sideboard, a headboard, or even around the door with this cute-as-can-be bow garland.
Get the instructions here.
SHOP RIBBON
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7Bottlebrush Tree Display
Becky Luigart-StaynerNow this is a craft that only takes minutes to put together. Simply remove the stumps from bottlebrush trees and place the tree in brass candlesticks. Set them on the mantel, or line them up in the center the table for a crafty centerpiece.
SHOP BOTTLEBRUSH TREES
8Yarn Trees
Becky Luigart-StaynerDeck the halls with sweet little trees crafted from yarn and swatches of felt fabric.
Get the instructions here.
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9Paper and Pipe Cleaner Candles
Becky Luigart-StaynerNo flames, no worries. Paper candles with pipe cleaner flames are safe anywhere in the house and will look good, too.
To make: Cut a piece of paper into a rectangle. Roll into a tube, overlapping the edge slightly, and glue it closed with hot-glue. Trace the circumference of one of the open ends on a different, but corresponding color, paper. Cut out the circle about ¼ inch larger than what’s traced. Cut notches from the edge of the paper to the traced circle all the way around. Place the circle on one end of the open tube and glue notches to the tube with hot-glue. Cut drips from the same paper as the top and attach to the tube with hot-glue. Shape yellow and red pipe cleaners into flames, twisting the ends together. Poke a hole in the top piece of paper and insert the flame
10Mason Jar Stovetop Potpurri
Becky Luigart-StaynerPut together jars of fragrant dried fruit and spices—including dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and star anise—for simmering and making the house smell wonderful. If gifting, wrap ribbon around the jar and tuck a piece of rosemary underneath it!
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11Candy Cane Thumbprint Cards
Becky Luigart-StaynerLittle fingers dipped in red and white paint will help make these cards for sending special sentiments extra special.
To make: Cut cards from brown Kraft paper. Use pinking shears to cut decorative edges, if desired. Dip the tips of your fingers in red, then white paint and dab on the front of the card making a candy cane shape. Once dry hot glue a small bow to each candy cane.
12Holiday Headband
Becky Luigart-Stayner Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13Personalized Socks
Becky Lugart-StaynerWhether you make these as a gift or stitch up a pair for yourself to add a little whimsy to your holiday outfit you can never go wrong with fancy socks.
To make: Thread two strands of embroidery thread on a needle. Use a backstitch to stitch initials and desired pattern on socks.
14Craft Stick Christmas Trees
Becky Luigart-StaynerHang these cuties from the tree, make them into a garland, or hang them same tack as the stocking for a little extra mantel bling.
To make: Shape craft sticks into a tree shape, cutting them to size as desired. Glue the sticks together using hot-glue. Paint the trees with green acrylic paint. Once dry, wrap trees with rickrack and decorate with mini ornaments, buttons, and painted wood craft bobbles.
SHOP CRAFT STICKS
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15Bow Christmas Sweater
Becky Luigart-Stayner 16Bingo Trees
Made with colorful vintage bingo cards, these trees will look great scattered on the mantel or holiday table.
To make: Cut three to five half-tree-shaped pieces from matching bingo cards (with one edge flat and the other jagged). Hot-glue the flat edges to a 3/8-inch dowel, fanning them out to create a 3D tree shape. Finish with a bingo tile topper using hot-glue. Place dowels in tall wooden spools for easy display.
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17Baseball Mason Jar
For the baseball lover in your life, set out a Mason jar decorated to look like a baseball, with a bat tag, filled with sweet popcorn. They can snack all season long.
To make: Paint the outside of a Mason jar with flat white craft paint. Once dry use a fine grit sandpaper to gently scuff up the paint. Use a fine-tipped paint brush and red craft paint to paint on the stiches of the baseball. Use brown spray paint to paint the metal lid and band of the jar; allow to dry completely. Cut a baseball bat from a piece of brown craft paper and use markers to add details, such as wood grain. Punch a tiny hole in one end of the bat and attach to the jar with a piece of baker’s twine. Fill jar with Cracker Jack and attach lid.
18Doily Display
With their snowflake-like appearance, this ladies’ luncheon staple lends wintry whimsy to a wall.
To make: Use double-sided tape to attach paper doilies in a triangular shape, then group smaller ones to create the square trunk.
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19Terra-Cotta Tannenbaum
Stacked in descending size and wrapped with felt garland, weathered flowerpots make for a pretty garden-themed decoration on a porch or in a potting shed.
20Yarn Ball Ornaments
The ideal gift or decor for the knitter in your life!
To make: Wrap yarn around a clear plastic Christmas ornament, holding the beginning of the yarn in place with a dab of hot glue, until the ornament is completely covered. Thread bamboo cocktail picks through the yarn to mimic knitting needles. Hang as desired.

Charlyne Mattox is the Food and Crafts director with over 20 years recipe development, recipe editing, and crafting experience. Prior to starting at Country Living in 2014, she worked in the crafts department at Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Kids before attending cooking school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She was nominated for a James Beard media award while a senior editor at Real Simple magazine and authored a cookbook Cooking with Seeds.
When not in the kitchen she loves to garden, focusing on growing flowers and kitchen herbs (of course), watering her 25 house plants, and knitting scarfs or hats she will never be able to wear in the always hot and steamy Alabama.
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