I love decorating for Christmas! Usually mid-October I gear up for Christmas trees, stockings, garlands, jingle bells, snowmen, and more. Our family enjoys the soft glow of the tree lights in the mornings and the peace of a serene nativity display in an otherwise hectic season.
My husband is an evangelist, and we travel full-time with him in a 41.5 ft fifth wheel. Because of our traveling, we aren't able to store Christmas decor year-round. This year we were hundreds of miles away from our storage unit and all the usual holiday decor. So, I had to get creative! We got a $35 tree from Walmart (a cute little 4-foot one) and decided to go with a neutral theme (tan, white, and black). To keep things budget-friendly, I searched around my little home for things I could use and did a lot of Pinterest scrolling. Here are some of the ideas I came up with this year and in years past:
Boho Ornaments
I had one of those wooden bead garlands that are so popular for year-round decor. It was tan and black and so tight that I had a hard time draping it for decor purposes. I decided to cut it, remove all the wooden beads and make some boho style ornaments.
Items needed:
Scissors
Beads (I used the ones from the garland and bought some plain wood ones from Hobby Lobby.)
String
Directions:
Tie a double knot in the string and add the beads. I had different colors and sizes, so I did a mixture of large bead, small bead, etc. Once you have the desired number of beads on your ornament, tie a knot on the top to secure the beads and create a loop to hang the ornament on the tree.
Yarn Trees
I used this concept a couple of years ago with large cones and chunky velvet yarn and decided to do a small scale version this year. I used this site for my inspiration and instructions.
Items needed:
Yarn or twine of choice
Craft cones from Hobby Lobby (These look like cardboard cones).
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Directions:
Take the end of the yarn and dab a bit of hot glue to the yarn and press to the tip of the cone until it holds. Then wrap the yarn around the cone to the base, periodically glueing the yarn as you go. These are simple and only take a few minutes to complete.
Photo below from thenavagepatch.com.
Embroidery Hoop Ornaments
I did these little DIY ornaments a few years ago, and I can't wait to have a house again and dig them out of storage. I had seen several Pinterest posts with DIYers using mini embroidery hoops to create the most adorable little ornaments and decided to try to put my own spin on it.
Items needed:
Mini embroidery hoops (I think I got a 10- or 12-pack of black ones from Amazon).
Scrapbook paper (I used a sheet music pattern in black and white).
Hot glue gun
Scissors
Ribbon
Directions:
Measure and cut the scrapbook paper to fit on the back of the hoop. Add some hot glue to the back of the hoop and stick the paper to the rim (make sure the pattern shows out the front!). Add a ribbon bow to the top of the hoop to hide the screw. Tie a small loop to the top to hang your ornament on the tree.
Photo is of my tree a few years ago. You can see the light shining through one of the scrapbook paper hoops on the front (look for the sheet music), but you can also check out this site for a better idea!
I hope you enjoy these Christmas DIY projects! Most of all, enjoy this beautiful season and Merry Christmas!