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Cheap and Easy Christmas Crafts for Last-Minute Decorators

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The best way to throw a memorable party for the holidays is to create a unique occasion full of personal touches. To help you do just that, we’ve gathered up a collection of easy and super stylish Christmas DIY projects to add some festive style to your home. The best part? They cost next to nothing!

  • Flowers make a pretty table scape, but if you use foliage alone, it will last longer. Eucalyptus is perfect for a natural-themed Christmas table and can be strung together using floral wire to make a table runner. If you use fresh leaves, it should last up to a week.

  • Edible gifts are always a winner. Bake cookies for all the teachers, clients, and friends in your life, and package in vintage tins.

  • Buy fabric from your local fabric store (around 20 to 26 feet) and tie a big bow around your front door as you would a gift box. The result? An instantly festive house without the electricity bill that comes with all those lights.

large bow on door

(Photo Credit: Nic Gossage / Styling: Fiona Michelon)

  • For a fun twist on traditional place cards, head to your local dollar store to stock up on mini easels or photo frames, and fill them with black and white photos of each of your guests. Everyone will get a kick out of finding their face among the crowd.

  • Make mini bunting for cakes, pies, and more with nothing but a few wooden skewers, some twine, and small paper cut-outs.

  • Battery-operated fairy lights are easy, cheap, and far less likely to tangle than their corded counterparts. Drape them over your house plants for a festive atmosphere in every room.

fairy lights in bowl

(If you’re using indoor fairy lights outside, be sure to bring them in once your party is over. Photo Credit: Homes to Love)

  • As far as sweet Christmas customs go, mistletoe has to be the sweetest. Although it’s originally a European tradition, it is also popular in the U.S. Tie with a red ribbon, hang above your entryway, and let the impromptu kisses begin!

  • Tie bunches of cinnamon sticks together with twine and leave in choice spots around the house for a home that smells like Christmas cake all season long.

  • Old keys, kitchen utensils, and matchbox cars can all be repurposed as tree ornaments. Simply lay them down on newspaper, spray them white, and hang with red ribbon.

  • In lieu of traditional stockings, string baby socks together to make a merry garland for the mantle or window sill.

  • For a nod to a traditional Christmas, use sprigs of rosemary as napkin rings — simply tie together or use floral tape. Not only do they look like mini pine wreaths, but your table will also smell like heaven.

rosemary sprigs

(Photo Credit: Pernille Kaalund / House Of Pictures / Living Inside)

  • Is your Christmas budget stretched to the max? Skip the tree and look around for a large branch instead. Simply spray paint it gold and voilà — a minimalist tree ready for ornaments.

  • With just a couple of bunches of flowers, some floral wire, and tape, you can set up your own flower crown station. Guests can make their own before sitting down to dinner.

  • Flavored salts, sugars, and oils make great take-home Christmas gifts. Get creative with lemon, garlic, chilli, bacon, bourbon, and caramel.

  • Throw a wrapping party — invite your favorites to bring over all their gifts and provide paper, ribbon, and wine. There’s nothing like some wine to make a chore feel more like a party.

gold gifts

(Photo Credit: Pernille Kaalund / House Of Pictures / Living Inside)

  • Customize a Guess Who? game with pictures of your family and friends for a funny twist on the traditional board game.

  • Instead of reserving your ornaments for the tree, try piling them high in bowls and on trays in any corner that could use a little invigorating.

  • Forget the old paper hats and bad jokes — fill goody bags with high-end chocolates, shortbread, and even mini bottles of alcohol.

  • A vintage drinks cart is the perfect accessory when entertaining a crowd. Fill it with a selection of spirits and wines so guests can fill their own glasses. ‘Tis the season to be merry!

christmas trolley

(Photo Credit: Pernille Kaalund / House Of Pictures / Living Inside)

  • Want a cold drink? Fill a large bucket with water, insert an empty champagne bottle in the middle, and add cranberries and rosemary to the water before freezing. When it’s done, you’ll have an ice bucket ready to chill your favorite sparkling wine.

This post was written by Emma Markezic. For more, check out our sister site Homes to Love.

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