Christmas crafts for all

In this new kind of normal with social distancing and masks it is still imperative that we make the Christmas season the special time it always is, a celebration.

So, I thought to get you in the mood I’ll make a few Christmas inspired crafts which are relatively easy and cheap to make. You don’t have to buy everything brand new, you can also repurpose household items which you would normally through away or recyle: including food tins, cardboard boxes, wrappers and more.

Following are three crafts which are easy to do and can be enjoyed with everyone. I have included step-by-step instructions and some images to help you along the way.

Let’s start.

1. Decorate food tins:

By using clean food tins you can make a decorative pen holder or a Christmas decoration by putting a candle inside. If you want to use it as a candle holder punch some holes in the tins or use a taller candle that sticks out at the top. I have used washi tape, which is a Japanese paper and can be used to decorate anything – the most boring of articles – to make them look perkier and cheerful. Also, when looking for washi tape you’ll find there is a huge variety of patterns and colours available. I used Christmas colours and patterns this time.

What you need:

Method:

• Wash food tins and get rid of all paper labels. Preferably use tins with no edge to avoid accidental cuts.
• Use any pattern and colour you like.
• Stick the washi tape around the tins, making a layered pattern. Make sure you cut it neatly at the ends.
• Also ensure that the ends overlap.
• Use some clear quick drying varnish to seal the washi tape especially the edges so they won’t unravel.

2. Christmas card:

Who doesn’t love a handmade Christmas card? The effort and love going into making these, shows how much you care about the person who will receive it. There are so many different Christmas cards you can make – trees, holly, angels, santas, snow scenery and more. Here I’ve made a Christmas card with an angel on the front. Also, you don’t have to buy lots of gold or silver card, maybe there are some shiny wrappers lying around, or use some tin foil.

What you need:

Method:

• Fold your card in half.
• Use the doilies to cut out a triangle for the dress and two smaller triangles for the wings. If you don’t have a doilie, use tin foil or any shiny paper and cut some triangles from that.
• Use card to cut out a face. Draw a circle using a small lid or glass as template for the face.
• Stick the round face on the top middle of the card, then the two wings before you stick the dress just under the face. (see my final card)
• Now you can decorate the card with shiny stars, beads and a crown. If you don’t have ready made stars, again cut them from shiny or coloured paper. You only need little bits, so even a sweet wrapper will work perfectly.
• Lastly draw the face in and write your own message inside for someone you love.

3. Christmas trees:

Different cultures in the world are famous for their paper cutting craft. This includes the Japanese art of kirigami and the Polish paper cutting tradition of wycinanki. It is an activity that can get the whole family involved, cutting and making lovely paper pieces for the festive season. I have made a Christmas tree here, cut from a paper template, to make beautiful little Christmas trees. I didn’t buy any new paper, but just used what I had including some pages from old calendars for something different. You can use any type of card as long as the card is thick enough to stand. Thinner card/paper can be used if you want to make it as a hanging decoration. Lower down in the blog post there is a pdf file for the Christmas tree to download. Have a look how I did it.

What you need:

Method:

• Make a template for a Christmas tree or use the one provided to download.
• Fold an A4 medium weight card (colour/pattern of your choice) lengthwise.
• Put the template of the tree on top of the folded paper and stick down with masking tape.
• Draw the outline of the template with a pencil on the card. Cut the tree with a craft or hobby knife through the two layers of card.
• This needs to be done on a cutting board.
• Fold open and decorate further or use as decoration just as it is.

You can be really creative and have lots of fun with all these crafts. I have also made some small stockings and Christmas trees as decorations from left-over fabric which can be used as decoration on your Christmas tree. They can also be used as small gifts.

Just think outside the box and enjoy with friends or family.

Have fun!