Christmas Crafts: Create Joyful Decorations on a Budget

There’s something magical about the way December evenings feel. The world outside is cold and quiet. Inside, the glow of twinkling lights dances across the walls. The faint crackle of the fireplace hums in the background, and the scent of cinnamon and pine fills the air.

For me, Christmas has been a time to decorate and enjoy ones surrounding. Whether it is walking around the river looking at all of the Christmas lights dancing on the water. Or snuggled up at home looking at my own joyful world.

Creating that joyful world can take money and a lot of it. The popular home stores have some beautiful items to had to the joy of the season. I love West Elm, Pottery barn and so many more. The prices and with everyday essentials becoming out of price range for many. Christmas scenery may look a bit dimmer. It doesn’t have to be that way. Decor on a dime. Okay, not really but for a lower cost

Cozy wood house with Dollar Tree Bottle Trees

This is one of my favorite Christmas Crafts – Wooden house

I saw a simple wooden house from a boutique Christmas store. After taken a picture with my camera. I went home to try and duplicate that wooden house. It was simple enough. I think I did a pretty good job. Anyone can do it. You can do it too.

Using scrap wood for Christmas Crafts

Using scrap wood for Christmas crafts is usually always a hit. Wood has a warm, homey feel to your projects. I have a scroll saw, miter saw and hand saw. All you really need is a hand saw, sandpaper and the wood. As for wood, there is hobby wood at Home Depot or Hobby Lobby. You don’t have to use scrap wood but it helps with the amount you spend. White paint is nice for the top. but it is not necessary.

Making it by hand with a few tools will be perfect. The rustic charm will flow over no matter how you make it. There is no need to be a pro.

Crafting Christmas on a Budget: Dollar tree

Bottle brush pine trees are still popular and probably always will be for this type of Christmas Craft. Or repurposed in a Christmas village. These trees are from Dollar Tree.

I added more snow to them., not much You can do this with white paint mixed with baking soda. No need to mix well. It will look more like snow.

The plastic bottoms are still on them in the larger picture above. That picture also shows me try to see how it would look all together. Removing the plastic bottom was easy. Slipped right out. I decided to put on some round wood pieces that I got from hobby lobby a long time ago. This is not necessary, as the snow blanket covers them anyway.

If you like the wood base bottom of the trees. You could just cut these pieces from a limb of a tree. These small trees don’t need much of a base.

Lanterns

The next Christmas crafts are with lanterns. Lanterns always seem to add a magical or old world touch to holiday decorating or displays. I have a few lanterns in my collection. No, I haven’t made any myself. The one I am showcasing, below, is from Target for $5.00 a few years back. I have seen them in their dollar spot from many years. Get there quick.

This one was from Halloween as you can see the skeleton on the top. Later I covered the skeleton with clay and it is just a round ball now. There is not even real glass in this one. It is thin plastic for the “window” but the rest is metal. Nobody knows the different and it adds that charming look to your Christmas decor.

The Rustic Lanterns

The rustic charmed lanterns with the little light bulbs were a gift from many years ago. Still, love them. I have them up year around. They have been in almost every display or “little scene moment” I have put together. If you find some at a good price get them. Thrift stores. Garage sales. Keep looking for lanterns. They are easy to restore and you will have them for years.

Lighting – makes the magic

My lanterns have lights already in them so they put off a lovely, low glow.

Fairy lights in Christmas Crafts

Fairy lights add so much to many of my Christmas crafts. In the display above, Fairy lights under the snow would be lovely. Even in the trees would be nice. Dollar trees has fairly lights. Last year they had the tiny lights. This year all I could find at my Dollar Tree is stars, snowflakes, but those would be nice as well. These are so inexpensive, but they add so much.

Large Dollar Tree Candles

I couldn’t find the picture of my final project on this one. That is sad because these looked really nice with the iridescent paint on the flame and the candle wax. It added.a softer glow to the fairy light. This whole Christmas Craft is from Dollar Tree.

This is a red, round container which may be used for putting a gift in. The outside has a nice embossed design. Reminds me of Chinese firecracker. It probably doesn’t for you. It is pretty on it’s own.

I saw her and the flame, clear ornaments and thought this would make a great Large Candle. Two of these containers was used. I wish I would have gotten 3 that way I could have added the lid from one. That would have staggered the height of these candles.

This craft was so simple and quick.

Candle

Basically, you cut a hole in the top and glue the clear ornament in the top. They also have round clear ornaments in all sizes. They would be great for the top of a North Pole. If you are making one of those crafts. (I may be doing just that for a whosville sign (look for that in the future).

Candle Wax

The candle wax is simply just hot glue. You may be better at it than I am. Not that I think I did badly. I just thought it could be better. That is when the iridescent paint came in (not pictured). It added some different light glow to the project. I loved it.

This by fair was the most inexpensive craft. Adding some snow to this project would be lovely. There are so many things you could add holly, greenery and berries, etc. As well as adding a silver large platter from Dollar Tree or the same color red. It would be a lovely for a centerpiece.

As we have all seen lately all of the paper trees and paper bag snowflakes. All are so charming. We all try to find Christmas decor that doesn’t bite too much into our need for regular necessities.

Either way it is a cute idea for just a few dollars. In total – $8.00 for both plus the cost of the hot glue.