How to make Christmas Decorations and Cards at Home?

As we all know Christmas is an expensive time of year so I am always scouring the internet for new craft ideas which are both fun and a great way of saving money.

Last year my Mum bought me a card making set from a bootsale, so me and my kids sat at the table and started to make our own cards. Not only did the cards look nice but the kids enjoyed sitting down and making them, which made a peaceful change to their usual running around like mad men.

so all in all it was a win win situation. I also found family members liked our cards more than the shop bought one's because we had put some thought into them, and it made them more personal, rather than grabbing a box of cards for all. We also made our own gift tags out of old christmas cards.

This year I have promised to make some decorations with the boys. I remember my Nan telling me that when she was a girl, they used to make everything themselves for the christmas season, and it made me think why can't we do that?

I have researched all the different christmas crafts to do it ourselves and among others i came across a great site called allfreecrafts.com, which is worth checking out if you are in to art and craft or are looking for cheap christmas ideas. These are some of the best idea's I have found.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

You will need, old Christmas Cards, white or coloured card, envelopes, Pencil and Ruler, glue, scissors, craft knife.

If you would like some embellishments to give your cards some glitz you will need, silver or gold bows or ribbon, stickers, scrapbook charms, confetti etc, fabric scraps, pictures cut out from wrapping paper etc, glitter, you could even have a cut out photo of yourself.

1. First spread out all your old cards onto a table and choose categories for your cards, such as snowmen/snowflake cards, father christmas cards, reindeer cards, personalised cards, and then begin to cut out the pictures you want to use.

2. Next you take your base card and fold it in half, make sure you line up all the sides before you press in the fold, then run some scissor handles down the line fold to create a permanent press crease.

3. Now decide which image you are going to glue on to your card, you could also stick down an image using a folded up piece of card stuck to the back, you glue the folded up card down instead of the picture giving it a 3D effect.

4. Then add your embellishments, such as glitter or ribbon to give it a more proffessional look.

5. write a message at the top or bottom of your card using Glitter Gel pens, or paint.

6. Add your personalised message on the inside of your card, or you could cut out the original phrase or poem from your old card, and stick it in your new card, then just outline it with a coloured or glitter pen.

HOMEMADE CRACKERS

You will need toilet tissue rolls or kitchen rolls cut to size, coloured paper napkins or christmas wrapping paper, pictures cut out from old christmas cards, gold and silver paint, ribbon, craft glue, decorative edge scissors, cracker snap inserts, white paper, and cheap little toys (buy party bag toys from most stores for a pound)

1. Insert a Cracker snap (if you are using one) and a party bag toy into the tissue roll, also write a funny joke on a piece of paper and insert this in to tissue roll also.

2. Then you cut another toilet roll in half and put half either side of the whole toilet roll, the half one's are the one's you will be pulling, Then roll the toilet rolls inside a coloured paper napkin or christmas wrapping paper and secure it with craft glue.

3. Cut each end of the napkin or card with your decorative scissors to create the pretty zigzag effect then twist the ends of the cracker carefully and tie a piece of ribbon around each end to secure the twists in place.

4. Next cut out the picture you have chosen from an old christmas card and glue it on to the middle of the cracker, or for a victorian style use paper doilies.

5. And for the final touch if you havn't chose to go with the christmas wrapping paper, use your gold and silver paint to outline your picture and decorate the cracker.

MAKE YOUR OWN SNOWGLOBE

You will need a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, distilled water (or boil some water and use when cooled) Glycerin (available in most craft stores) White or silver glitter or fake snow crystals, clear silicone sealent, small waterproof ornament or figurine, plastic jar lid that fits inside the jar for the figurine to be glued to, A second plastic jar lid that is bigger than the Jar for your stand, acrylic paint for the stand, decorative ribbon, and craft glue.

1. Check your ornament or figurine is visible in the Jar, and use a small plastic bottle lid to create a base.

2. Then glue the figurine firmly to the plastic base and then glue the base lid to the centre of the centre of the inverted globe lid, then allow it all to dry.

3 Use another small jar to test the snow fall, fill the jar with distilled water or cooled boiled water, then add a teaspoon of glitter, put the lid on and shake it to see if you like the effect, if the snow is to sparse then add a little more glitter and some Glycerin.

4. Working over a sink, pour the water and glitter in to your globe jar, filling it to the very top, invert the figurine assembly into the water and srew the lid into place.

5. Next glue your jar to a wooden base or a plastic lid, then paint it in your choice of colour.

6. Finally add your ribbon or whatever decorative embellishments works best for your snow globe.

POT REINDEERS

Your kids will love doing this one, and they make a cool christmas addition to the table or windowsills, you will need a clay plant pot or plastic plant pot, brown paint, brown medium pompoms and a small red pompom, small wad of red tissue paper or red pompoms, goggle eyes, craft fun foam, gold pipe cleaner, red thin ribbon, silk holly leaves (or whatever you can find) and scissors and craft glue.

1. If you are using plastic plant pots then paint them brown.

2. Glue on the goggle eyes, and the brown pompom with the red pompom glued on top for the nose.

3. Draw some Reindeer ears onto the fun foam and cut them out, then starting in the centre of the pot stick the ears on.

4. Bend the gold pipe cleaners in to two loops and glue them down in front of the ears.

5. Add the Holly leaves, and then tie a bow from the red ribbon and tie to the front of the plant pot, in front of the ears.

GLITTER TREE DECORATIONS

You will need White heavy white paper, christmas shape templates or cookie cutters, clear drying craft glue, white glitter, scissors or craft knife, hole punch, ribbon or decorative cord.

1. Firstly trace templates on heavy white paper and cut them out.

2. Punch a hole at the top centre of your cut out, if the hole punch is to large, use a pin or toothpick etc to make the hole.

3. Apply glue to one side of the paper cut out, and then cover it with glitter and leave to dry.

4. Check the first side is completely dry and then turn your cut out over and repeat step 3.

5. Once your decortion is completely dry, dust off any stray glitter and tie a piece of decorative ribbon through the hole, now it is ready to hang on your tree.

SANTA FAN DOOR HANGER

No Christmas would be complete for Children without Santa, so why not make a Santa door hanger so they can see him every time they walk in to the room. You will need a Wicker Fan, Craft Fun Foam, Flesh Coloured Circle for Santa's head, A Red felt triangle for the hat, White Felt for the Moustache and Hat trim, Goggle Eyes, White Paint, and One White Pompom.

1. Glue the round head shape on to the lower part of the wicker fan, then glue on the red triangle for the hat.

2. Next cut out a moustache shape from the white felt, and glue it on to the centre of the head shap, then glue on the white hat trim at the top of the head so it is overlapping the red triangle slightly.

3. With a hole punch, Punch out three little circles from the pink foam felt and place one either side of the face shape for his cheeks, and one in the middle for his nose.

4. Glue on the googly eyes between each cheek and the nose, then glue the white Pompom on to the tip of the hat.

5. Finally glue a looped piece of string or rope to the back of your Santa and hang him on your door.

TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS WREATH

This traditional pine cone and berry wreath is very easy to make, you will need, One 24inch Wreath, Seven Pinecones, Eight berry christmas picks (bunches), Floral wire and Ribbon flowers (or ribbon of choice)

All you need to do is attach pinecones using floral wire. Wrap wire around your cone and then wrap that wire to the frame of the wreath. Space your cones evenly and then wire your berry bunches to the wreath, in the same manner, placing them in between the pinecones. Then simply Wire a ribbon of your choice to the centre bottom and you're all done.

ANGEL CHRISTMAS TREE TOPPER

This lovely Angel can be used year after year to sit at the top of your christmas tree. You will need 2 Doilies (8inches each), Scissors, Waxed Paper, White Craft Glue, Toothpicks, 6inch Foam Cone, 1 1/2 Inch Porcelin Doll Head, Paring Knife, Straight Pins, One Can Spray Stiffener, Two Rubber Bands, Hot Glue Gun, Glue Sticks, 15 Inch Gold Ribbon (1/4 Wide), Wire Cutters, Four Gold Ribbon Roses (1/2 inch each).

1. Clip a 1-inch-diameter hole in center of a doily. Lay doily on waxed paper, and apply white craft glue to edges of cut out center.

2. Stick 2 or 3 toothpicks in top of foam cone. Place porcelain head over toothpicks. If head wobbles, use paring knife to thin top of cone.

3. Slip center hole of doily over angel's head. Press glued edge of doily to top of doll's torso

4. Arrange deep folds in doily. Pin bottom of folds to cone to keep folds in place. Place on waxed paper and spray with stiffener. Rearrange folds as needed. Let dry.

5. Cut another piece (about 11 inches long) of waxed paper. Place rubber bands on each end of the remaining roll.

6. Lay out last doily on waxed paper piece. Spray with stiffener until soaked. Place waxed paper roll across center of doily, folding half of doily over roll. Let dry.

7. To form wings, fold top half of doily back up to center fold so edge extends a little beyond center fold. Hot glue in place. Hot glue wings behind head.

8. Remove pins and take angel from foam cone. Find holes in dress to push arms through. Make sure placement looks reasonable before you glue in place. Turn over and apply hot glue to underside of angel dress, where arms stick through, to hold arms.

9. Make 3/4- to 1-inch bow from 1/4-inch gold ribbon. Hot glue under chin. Trim ends of ribbon.

10.Use wire cutters to cut off wire close to bottom of roses. Hot glue roses to folds of dress at bottom.