The holiday season is here once again, and that means we will soon see shelves filled with decorations to buy. Shopping seems to be an essential part of this holiday season, but I’d argue that making things on your own is even more essential. If you want to save a little money and be a bit more creative this holiday season, consider skipping the stores for decorations and getting crafty with these homemade ones! 

Garland

Garland is one of the easiest fall/winter decorations to make right at home! There are many ways to make it, you can link bits of paper, ribbon, or tinsel together to create a string of garland that can hang from your ceiling, on a wall, or even on a Christmas tree if you have one! The best part about this is that you can curate the colors to the season or to match your home décor, and of course, they are reusable!

Ornaments

Personally, I look back on the Christmas tree in my childhood home and smile because of the ridiculous (but cute) homemade ornaments made by me and my family members. There are also many ways to make ornaments: you can buy clear ones and stuff them with confetti, you can get wooden templates and paint them, or make candy canes & snowmen with pipe cleaners and beads. Any homemade holiday craft can become an ornament if you try hard enough, and they’re sure to be the most special ones on the tree.

Snow Globes

Homemade snow globes are a super fun craft, and not as hard to make as they might seem! All you need is a clear jar, distilled water, figurines to glue in, and glitter/Styrofoam beads to make the snow, and then you’ll get a one-of-a-kind snow globe and a fun activity.

Gingerbread Houses

On the topic of fun activities, what’s more fun than building a house and having a delicious treat all in one go? Gingerbread houses are a classic holiday activity (bonus points if you bake the cookies yourself), but since they are made of food, you don’t get to admire them very long. If you’ve already eaten your cookie-based gingerbread house, you can also make lasting ones out of cardboard, glue, and beads!

Cards

The most important craft on the list is the one that goes to your loved ones. Making homemade cards is a thoughtful way to lean into the giving season and remind people that you care about them. With just some construction paper and a pen, you can give your loved ones a kind message packaged in a creative card! 

These last months of the year can be stressful, so the best thing you can do during the holiday season to save money and ease your mind is to create. Not only do you get cute holiday crafts and decorations, but you also gain memories that last a lifetime. Remember, the beloved nostalgia that surrounds the holiday season comes from spending time with loved ones, making things together, and seeing those things come back every year!

Edited and Reviewed by Brie Goss