A Handmade Christmas

I love crafts and diys! My home is filled with things I have made with my own hand, and Christmas is no different!

Each year we have added a few more decorations to the tree, and it only seems to be more beautiful. I love to grab a couple decorations after Christmas during sales, but I love even more adding homemade decorations to our tree and home.

We have made cinnamon clay hand print ornaments, a Merry Christmas burlap banner…but my favorites may be the hymnal banner and pinecone ornaments. Both are super easy and quick to make.

My kids had so much fun gathering the pine cones from around the yard. I ripped strips of cream fabric and tied them into bows. Then just added a few dots of hot glue to the front for the bow and a couple in the center, hidden, for the twine string. This is our 7th Christmas using them!!! (You could also use the store-bought cinnamon scented pine cones.)

For the musical banner, you just need an old hymnal, twine, and tape. I must admit that, even though I had it for the purpose of making decorative items, I had a hard time cutting it up.

Fold the page into 4ths (I usually do 2-3 pages at a time.).

Cut it into 4ths, then cut a triangle into the bottom. I just eye it. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Fold the top down a little, maybe about 1/4″, with the twine in between and tape it. It is not taped to the twine so is able to be moved on the twine to space how you’d like.

Add as many as you like. I usually like to keep my banner shorter, around 7 “flags”. It is easier to work with and arrange.

I also love to use these to make tags for gifts! Sometimes I add a tiny snip of evergreen from our tree, jingle bell and ribbon, sometimes just a tag and twine. It is such a simple touch, yet adds SO much!

Are there any handmade things you love to do for Christmas?

Comment below! I’d love to know!