Milk Jug LightsRinse out your jugs and let dry. If it is windy in your area, you may want to put sand or rocks in the bottom of the jugs to keep them in place. Place one light into the mouth of each jug.
Hard Candy Decorative LightsWhen I originally made these about 20 years ago, I used clear plastic food containers which I can no longer can find. It also works over small clear plastic bowls stapling 2 together.
Reusing Old Christmas Cards (Holiday Craft Idea)Reusing Old Christmas Cards (Holiday Craft Idea). When my sister and I were kids, we didn't have a lot of money in our family. We didn't know it and still had a ton of fun!
Recycled Christmas Card CoastersI like to make Christmas coasters from recycled greeting cards. Cut the front off of a Christmas card and with Mod Podge paste it to the front of a 4 X 4 white tile. On the back paste a piece of sheet cork cut to fit. It takes about an hour to complete the coaster including drying time.
Snowman Favor CupFrom the Laundry Room to Snowmen! Save those big caps from your Liquid Laundry detergent bottles. Wash them out good and turn them upside down (so it looks like a cup).
Decorated Christmas WreathBought plain wreath clearanced at craft store and decorated myself with my other craft supplies. Also just learned how to make these bows with my fingers. I'm not very talented with different types of bows.
Garland Made from Dollar Tree PaperclipsAll the garland I found was too flashy for me. The only place I had to hang it was along a shelf made from a bi-fold door. So again, it would have blocked the TV. So I came up with this. I made a garland of red, blue, and green paperclips. As you can see, it worked great.
DIY Holiday CenterpiecesA coworker was complaining at work that she spent $60 each for several holiday centerpieces. Later, she happened to come by my home and saw mine. She was asking where I bought mine and how much it was. She was shocked to learn I made it and did not have to buy a thing to do it. I just used what I had on hand.
Wrapped Pictures as a Holiday DecorationI saw these wrapped frames at a local restaurant and thought it was a simple way to make a wall look festive. These are for Christmas, but you could do this to celebrate a birthday or any other holiday.
Natural Wreath of MemoriesWhenever I am on vacation or when I visit parks, beaches, or even just local walks, I love to collect pretty plants, pods, shells, etc. So this year I decided to glue my natural treasures onto a dollar store wreath and display them!
Christmas Table DecorationWe constantly have pineapples in our home, but during Christmas nothing escapes my decorating! I thought this was a cute little decoration for the table or possibly the table of an elderly or single person. Decorative and practical.
Table Candles or Place SettingsJust a cute little decoration for your holiday home or table or to place around the house for a party!
Old Jeans Make Great Christmas StockingsA nice way to remember grandparents is to use their old jeans for a grandbaby's Christmas stocking. This is sewn into a cowgirl boot with pink bows and pearls.
Nature-Friendly Christmas TreeThis year, I wanted to do something different for Christmas. Keeping up with the green trend, I wanted to have a Christmas tree that would be friendly towards nature.
Decorated Wide Mouth Jar Candy HolderUse an old or new wide mouth jar as your holiday candy holder. Paint any design with acrylic paints. Spray with a sealant like clear varnish spray. Add a touch of whimsy with a fabric tie. Add treats.
Leftover Halloween Candy for Christmas Countdown CalendarHave your kids pick out 24 of their favorite candies from trick-or-treating. Make a Christmas countdown calendar (very simply made with a piece of cardboard, decorated with rubber stamps, scraps of wrapping paper, or giftwrap paper; tape each candy or treat on it).
Crafts Using Pine ConesWe made door hangings with the long pine cones by using red velvet, wide ribbon the length you choose for your door, and wired a couple of long pine cones at the end of the ribbon.
Christmas Key ConePurchase an inexpensive Styrofoam cone, actually more of a pyramid, at a craft store. Get one about 8-10 inches tall, that has sides (or larger, if you have a lot of old keys and only want to make one).
Garland From Pine BoughsTo make a pine garland, use heavy twine that is a little longer than the length to be covered. Cut lengths of pine (any variety) or any evergreen type of bush, also have a roll of florist wire.
Craft: Foil Candy CanesWe needed something to do today so I came up with a quick easy fun craft. Take a sheet of aluminum foil, however big you want it, roll it up into a "stick", then you can roll it even more between your hands to make it tighter.
Tips For Making Indoor And Outdoor Decorated Glass BlocksI have to tell you all that I have tried many different things and settled on the following because they look the best.
Using a RotoZip Tool to Make Glass Block Christmas DecorationsI just made these blocks, I used a RotoZip tool with a masonry bit (used for tile work) to drill the hole.
Salt Clay RecipeFun with the kids, great for this time of year, but can be used for any holiday or event.
Victorian WreathTo make a Victorian wreath use a straw wreath and cut 4x4 inch pieces of ecru lace (fabric store). It depends on how large the wreath is for the amount of lace.
Use Cone Shaped Thread Spools for Tabletop Christmas TreeFor those of us who sew and buy the large cone shaped spools of black and white thread, keep the empty spools. They make great tabletop Christmas trees for the holiday season.
Laundry Bottle Christmas TreeMake a Christmas tree made out of a laundry bottle. Cut out the shape of the tree using leather shears. Punch the holes using a heavy duty hole puncher. Next punch out holes from other bottles to get circles of different colors.
Use A Craft Line To Dry And Display OrnamentsSo after all these years of crafting and with my kids grown, I finally came up with an idea I could have used all along: my craft line. I asked my handy husband to attach a thin wire over my breakfast bar in the kitchen so I could allow my paper mache ornaments to dry.
Decorative AcornsI spray acorns with gold paint, and tie with a ribbon. I hang them on my Christmas tree.
Shabby Chic Christmas CenterpieceI already had an old pitcher filled with pink silk roses. To make it more festive, I simply tucked in some gold colored trim from AC Moore (about a buck a piece).
Make Reindeer Food For Christmas EveFirst, take a small, clear bag, and add about a tablespoon of dried oats to the bag, add a tiny amount of glitter, and label the bag "reindeer food." Put the reindeer food on the front lawn, if you can.
Christmas Cards Cut for Tree Paper ChainChristmas cards can be cut into strips and made into delightful "chains' for your tree. Also I have made chains using red and green paper from old wallpaper books.
Use Window Clings For "Painted" JarsI wanted to paint on jars and fill with Christmas lights but knew I wouldn't be happy with my "art" so I used the acrylic window clings. Just moisten the cling, put it on the inside of your clean jar where you want your "art" to be.
Santa FaceI placed the photo under a piece of glass out of a frame that I decided was the right size. I then built a crushed glass Santa beard and hat around his face on a black crushed glass background as you can see.
Flower Pot SnowmanTo make this recycled snowman: paint flower pots white. Hot glue medium one on top of large one. Paint paper plate holder black, glue black flower pot on top of plate holder then to med pot. Decorate with scrap pieces for scarf, add eyes, and attach orange painted knob for nose.
Making Wreath From Artificial Christmas TreeSave your old artificial Christmas trees to make a wreath. Cut 1/2 inch plywood into a donut shape, the size will vary according to how big you want it. Paint it green.
Pasta SnowflakesThis is a very easy, inexpensive craft that is fun to do with children of all ages! All you need is dried pasta, glue, and wax paper.
Christmas Paper AngelsThese are so sweet and easy! Just cut out a shape from paper (body and head), this is your template. Cut out two ovals of appropriate size for arms; wings are paper twist ribbon.
Natural Homemade Christmas DecorationsThese are just some ideas for some natural homemade Christmas decorations.
Making Christmas WreathsI love to hang wreaths all around my home for the holidays. I decorate with any and everything!
Christmas Angels MobileReuse an old angel tree top or cut out a large angel from a magazine or hand draw one. Cut out and glue to white card board. Make stars out of white poster board.
Craft: Christmas Bear In A JarHot glue a small Christmas bear to the bottom of an old fashioned canning jar, add some greenery, include something like the snow shoes or you could add a mail box or a small wrapped gift, etc. add some fake snow and a pretty ribbon on the jar and you've got a very cute original Christmas decoration.
Anything WreathsThis are pictures of what I call Anything Wreaths, just to show you can make your own wreaths very inexpensively out of just about anything. Both are made using grapevine bases, which I picked up for pennies at yard sales, and a glue gun.
Polymer Clay Decorated Glass BlocksDecorate your glass blocks with polymer clay - You can bake them in the oven (drill holes first) at 260-265 degrees F for 20-25 minutes and the clay sticks to the block.
Decorate With PineconesThe least expensive Christmas tree decoration I know is to use lawn harvested pinecones. Pick up any size or kind from the ground (ask permission but most are happy to get rid of them!), take them inside and let them warm up and open up. I put mine in a plastic bag so any critters are contained.
Homemade Christmas Bathroom DeodorizerUse a wash cloth and roll it in a roll. Sew side together and cut out fire flame and attach to the top with straight pins.
Easy Angel WingsIf you are handcrafting small angels for ornaments, here is a very easy way to make already wired, angel wings. Simply buy a large, wide roll of glittered or un-glittered wired ribbon. Cut a piece of the ribbon off the roll.
Gourd Snowman Head1 clean round gourd, glue, cotton balls or cotton fiber fill of any color, 1 large Christmas bell, acrylic paint, acrylic sealer, spray at least 2 times for good coverage.
Gourd AngelsPick your gourds, wash in dish soap and bleach, let dry, about an hour. Pick which colors of acrylic paint you want to use on the dress, and skin tone for the face and you are ready to paint. When you are finished painting, set aside and let dry, I always let them dry overnight just to be sure.
Scrap Fabric WreathI made a yo-yo quilt for my mother-in-law for Christmas and had 4 bags of scrap material. I made a fabric wreath using the scraps.
Decorative Christmas CraftWe made these at a Christmas party last month and they went over so well. Any age child (or adult) can make these. You need a square of fabric 18 x 18 inches for each item. You need one roll of toilet paper per item. You need something for the top of each.
Recycled Magazine Christmas TreeUsing an old magazine and some tea bag envelopes, you can make a very unique Christmas decoration.
Holiday WreathThis takes a wire coat hanger, and a box of 25 of the thinner gallon size plastic bags (not Zip-loc)
Sparkle SnowmanMy husband made this snowman for his holiday potluck at work. Everyone loved it. It was much harder than a regular sparkleball, but still doable. We just used an old hat and scarf that we had around the house but you could really decorate it up if you wanted to.
Juice Can Lid Christmas MagnetsCute, quick and frugal gifts or decorations! The magnets are used canning jar lids and smaller ones are from frozen OJ concentrate can ends. Base coat white or brown and paint faces.
Lace HeartsCut lace about 14 inches, then fold over and sew a seam to slip a piece of 4 inch pipe cleaner in it. Make sure the lace is gathered. Then glue 2 red hearts in the center. I bought mine at a Dollar store.
Artificial SnowI was looking for a way to jazz up some Christmas decorations, etc. and found this quick, easy artificial snow recipe.
Popsicle Stick Picture FramesI make picture frames out of Popsicle sticks that are absolutely beautiful. I paint the sticks then decorate further with glitter or stickers.
Craft Projects You Can Make Out Of Your Christmas CardsI would like to see pictures of things done (for Christmas) out of old Christmas Cards!
How To Cut Paper Snowflakes?How do you cut paper snowflakes? Here are tips from the ThriftyFun community. Post your own techniques here.
Paper Napkin Craft - Three WaysI know it might seem a little early for Christmas projects, but I thought I would post this one early. Here are three different ideas using the same beverage sized napkin.
Decorated Pumpkins and SquashI purchased my pumpkins and squash in early October. After Thanksgiving I converted them to Christmas decorations with a little spray paint and wire rimmed ribbon.
Reindeer Basket For ChristmasMeasure around rim of basket; add 1/2 inch. Cut a length of 1 1/4 inch ribbon to the determined mesurement. Glue ribbon around the basket rim, overlapping ends back. Glue reindeer head to back of basket at rim. Glue 1 reindeer front leg to each side of basket at rim.
Easy Lighted Christmas BasketsThis is a quick and easy gift that packs a big punch. This will light up anyone's Christmas and is a great gift because holiday decorations are always appreciated. Get the kids together and gather your own pinecones it will make for a great outing.
Packing Peanuts GarlandDo you have some Styrofoam packaging peanuts lying around? String them together using a large needle and sturdy thread (or fishing line).
Sturdy Paper SnowflakesSturdy Paper Snowflakes. To make paper snowflakes more sturdy, dip them in melted wax from old candles and leave them on wax paper to dry.
Snowman Floral BucketUse a galvanized bucket or in this case I used a galvanized floral bucket used to display fresh flowers and paint a simple snowman on it with acrylic paints...
Nativity Scene from OrnamentsI got these little wooden nativity scene cutouts from Oriental Trading last season after Christmas. I re-found them this year, and decided to paint them up.
Snowflake GuyMy version of snow since we don't get it where I live. He is made from scrap yarn, foam, hot glue, a Styro foam ball, wiggle eyes and some snowflake doiley things.
Advent or Winter Countdown CalendarStart an easy Advent calendar or winter countdown! Cut out two large white construction paper circles. Have child draw a snowman face on one...
Acorn Christmas WreathHi everyone, I'm a newbie here. Just wanted to share my idea for a wreath my daughter and I made one Christmas.
Making Christmas Swags by Reusing ItemsThese are some swags I made for our porch where we keep our firewood. For each swag I took two branches from our old artificial Christmas tree. I laid them on top of each other, with one slightly higher.
Pine Cone DecorationsWhat I really like to do is, collect pine cones. Then put them in a low oven, about 225 degrees F. for 15 minutes or so. Then I dip them in melted candle wax that was left over from candles I burned. I then sprinkle them with glitter...
Making Ornaments and Napkin HoldersMy mother and I made our own holiday ornaments for the Christmas tree. We bought clear tree ornaments and different colors of craft paint. We put 1-3 colors in the bottom then twisted and twirled the bulbs so the paint covered the inside.
Making Punched Paper or Fabric Candle ShadesThe punched tin look for candle holders is very popular right now. Get that look with paper or fabric by using your sewing machine. Take a strip of whichever medium you wish to use and sew holiday designs onto it, "without thread"...
Styrofoam Beads for Christmas OrnamentsYou can make beads to string on thread or thin elastic for bracelets or necklaces or Christmas ornaments by punching holes with a hole punch in Styrofoam egg cartons and meat trays.
Tree Decorations the Kids Can MakeIn so many homes Christmas decorating is taken entirely away from the children. Here are some ideas if you and your children would like to make some decorations (and memories) for your tree.
Fixing PlacematsSeasonal plastic coated place mats, over time, have a tendency of curling around the edges. Take two place mats that match and put contact cement on both mats and let cement set up, then stick them together for a sturdy place mat that you would have normally tossed out.
Make a Christmas Tree With Junk CDsLast Christmas I made a tree out of the old and advertising CDs and bought a string of lights and taped each bulb in the center of each disc. The reflection was pretty and we had a neat yard decoration. Just be sure to use outdoor lights and cord.
Still Have Whole Pumpkins? Make a Snowman!Take 3 pumpkins - small, medium and large. Paint them with white poster paint. Hot glue them together like a snowman. Makes a cute decoration for porch or anywhere you wish.
Wire Outdoor Christmas TreeThe lighted Christmas decorations for your yard can be pretty expensive, but here is a way to decorate with little money. Take your tomato cages from your garden, clean with the hose and then tie the tops together with electrical tape.
Pine Cone Christmas CraftNext time you take your kids out for a walk or you visit your local craft store, get yourself some pine cones. Take plain old white glue and coat just the tips of the pine cones. Take silver, gold or the new iridescent white glitter and sprinkle on the glue.
Christmas Stars, Frames, Wreaths, and MoreGather small twigs from your yard (leave in a natural state, ones with lichen are especially attractive). Arrange these in a 5 or 6 pointed star. Hot glue where twigs join and attach a twine or string loop as a holder.
Decorative Wreath Made From Puzzle PiecesMany years ago, my son made this craft at school. It looked really cute! It's a hanging holiday wreath decoration or an ornament. You can make it any size, but the one he made was about 4 inches wide.
