Decorating & Design
12 DIY Holiday Decorations With A Grown-Up Twist
Updated on November 19, 2022
This holiday season may look and feel a little bit different, but that’s all the more reason to start decking the halls early. Our design editors dreamed up 12 holiday DIYs that give handmade decorations a gorgeous, grown-up feel. Scroll down, grab your glue gun, glue sticks from gluegunsdirect.com and get crafting!
1. Holiday Card Tree
What You’ll Need:
- Large vase with wide mouth
- Branches
- Florist oasis
- Holiday cards
- Needle and thread
For a fresh way to display your holiday cards, start with a vase of sculptural branches (florist oasis will help secure them). Then, add hanging loops to your favorite greetings using a needle and thread, and hang the cards at different levels on the branches.
2. Hanukkah Candle Gift Bags
What You’ll Need:
- Decorative patterned paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- 8 gift bags
- Yellow tissue paper
Spruce up plain gift bags with paper candle decorations for each night of Hanukkah. Cut out decorative paper into rectangles of various sizes for your candle bases, and glue them onto the bags. Next, cut yellow “flames” out of tissue paper and add them to the top of the candles. Using two layers of tissue paper for each candle will create a dynamic effect.
3. Colorful Paper Bag Star
What You’ll Need:
- 7 to 8 medium paper bags (in one color or varying shades of the same color)
- Glue
- Scissors
- Tape
Hang a paper bag star in a window for a heavenly holiday look. To create one star, glue together 7 to 8 bags: Take the first bag, collapsed and flat-side up, with the opening pointing away from you, and run a line of glue down the middle and along the bottom to make an upside down T shape. Glue the second bag to the first, and repeat until all bags are glued together in a stack. Once the glue has dried, cut off both corners at the top of the stack, creating a point. Take hold of the first and last bag and open the stack like an accordion. Glue or tape the first and last bags together at the bottom ends to form the star shape. This craft may sound complicated, but it’s not: click here for our how-to!
4. Dip-Dyed Gift Wrap
What You’ll Need:
- All-purpose powder dye
- Plastic container
- Rubber gloves
- Roll of white kraft paper
Turn white kraft paper into pretty gift wrap. Begin by diluting dye in water in a plastic container (use less dye for paler effects). Cut the kraft paper to the desired size for gift-wrapping, and fold it multiple times into whatever shape you like. Then, dip the corners or edges of the folded paper into the dye, leaving it for a few seconds and up to a minute. Unfold and lay on a flat, protected surface. When dry, wrap your gifts!
5. Evergreen Gift Toppers
What You’ll Need:
- Flexible branches
- Greenery
- Feathers
- Pinecones
- Floral wire
Personalize presents by topping them with fresh green clippings. First, form slim, pliable branches into a mini wreath shape and secure with floral wire, then add sprigs of greenery, feathers and pinecones. Just before you deliver your gifts, tie the fresh decorations to the boxes with ribbon for presents that are truly one of a kind.
6. Seasonal Centerpiece
What You’ll Need:
- Pillar candles
- Large tray
- Fresh greenery
- Dried florals
- Pomegranates
Pomegranates are a symbol of abundance and good luck, making them a meaningful choice for a holiday centerpiece. Group pillar candles of various heights in the center of a decorative tray, then artfully arrange greenery, dried florals and pomegranates around the candles.
7. Felt Leaf Garland
What You’ll Need:
- Felt
- Scissors
- Hot glue or fabric glue
- Needle and thread
- Ribbon
A felt garland reminiscent of laurel leaves has a fresh look for the holidays. Cut leaf shapes out of felt in two complementary hues. To give the leaves dimension, pinch one end of each leaf and glue to hold in place. Sew the pinched end of the leaves onto a long piece of ribbon, layering them as you go, to create a lush, natural effect.
8. Ombré Wood Block Menorah
What You’ll Need:
- Three 12″-long by 2″-square wood pieces
- Handsaw and miter box
- Sandpaper
- Wood clamp
- Drill with round circle bit
- Plastic container
- All-purpose powder dye
Create a striking menorah from wood blocks. Cut wood into varying heights with a handsaw and miter box, then sand any rough edges. One by one, clamp each block to a sturdy surface and drill a hole partway into the top for the candle. Next, in a plastic container, dilute dye in water and submerge the bottom half of each block, removing blocks at different times to achieve varied color saturations. Use two colors of dye to mix up the look, or dye the blocks to different heights to add visual interest.
9. Citrus & Fresh Herb Diffuser
What You’ll Need:
- Glass jar
- 3 to 5 dried orange slices
- Sprigs of rosemary, pine or fir
- 3 to 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 to 2 tbsp cloves
- 2 to 3 star anise seed pods
- Instruction card
Treat friends to the most delicious scents of the season! Fill a glass jar with dried fruit, sprigs of rosemary, pine or fir, cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise seed pods. Attach a card with instructions to add the contents to a pot with 2 to 3 cups of water, then simply simmer and enjoy.
10. Salt Dough Ornaments
What You’ll Need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup salt
- ¾ cup white acrylic paint
- ½ cup water
- Toothpick
- Star anise seed pods
- Dresden trim, or other embossed paper trim, decorative paper or stickers
Decorated salt dough ornaments add a handmade yet haute touch to your holiday tree. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together white acrylic paint and water. Pour half of the paint mixture into the dry mixture and mix until a dough ball begins to form. Add more if dough doesn’t come together. Knead for 30 seconds, then roll out and cut dough into desired shapes. Use a toothpick to make a hole at the top of the ornaments for hanging thread. Press star anise seed pods, Dresden trim or other decorations into the dough, then harden the ornaments on a tray for at least 24 hours.
11. Fresh & Faux Wreath
What You’ll Need:
- Twig or wreath base
- Fresh greenery
- Faux florals or greenery
Leave a festive last impression with an embellished wreath hung on the inside of your front door. Buy a twig or wreath base from your local craft store, then tuck in fresh greenery, faux winter florals and other sprigs as desired.
12. Wintry Lanterns
What You’ll Need:
- Black iron and glass lanterns
- Cotton batting
- Mini house ornaments
- Mini bottlebrush trees
- Battery-operated string lights
- Wood blocks
Create a charming holiday vignette by filling lanterns with cotton batting, mini houses, bottlebrush trees and string lights. Insert small wood blocks at the back or sides to create varying heights for your whimsical scenes.
Valerie Wilcox
House & Home November 2020
Kai Ethier & Jennifer Koper