Upcycled Christmas Decorations

There is something so comforting about an old-fashioned, DIY Christmas! As the Grinch says “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store”. We can learn a lot from the Grinch about having an anti-consumerist, sustainable Christmas. And that can include making (or upcycling!) your decor instead of buying new every year!

Upcycled Christmas Decorations

Here are a few common things you can use to make upcycled Christmas Decorations:

1. Pine cones
2. Wood beads
3. Wood pieces
4. Twigs
5. Dried oranges (recipe here!)
6. Star anise
7. Pine branches
8. Holly
9. Cranberries

Other cheap/thrifty items to use:

1. Paint
2. Ribbon
3. Twine
4. Paper

1. Homemade wreath/centrepiece

Making a wreath or a centrepiece is so easy and so customizable! If you want to make it extra easy on yourself you can start with a craft or dollar store base in the shape of a wreath. If not, you can start gluing and sticking things together! There’s no right or wrong way to do this. You can start with pine branches and leaves and then have fun decorating it with pine cones, ribbons, holly or anything your heart desires!

2. Ornaments

It is so easy and so fun to make your ornaments! You can make them from ANYTHING and customize them however you want! I love the look of dried orange slices or pinecones adorned with ribbons. Wooden beads on a Christmas tree also never fail. Another wonderful idea is if you have any spare wood pieces lying around you can paint and decorate those as well!

3. Dried Orange Slices

You can use dried orange slices for so many things! From ornaments to wreaths, to garlands and everything in between! I love attaching them to Christmas gifts as well!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• A few oranges
• A knife
• A baking sheet
• Parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet
• Time

Here’s what to do:

1. Pre-heat oven to 235 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Slice your orange into about 1/4-inch slices
3. Place them on a baking sheet
4. Bake them for 3 hours, slipping every 30 minutes
5. Place them on a cooling rack and wait for them to fully dry before using

4. Salt Dough Ornaments

 These are super easy to make and incredibly customizable.

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of salt
• Oven
• Baking sheet and parchment
• paper/silicone baking sheet
• Paint, twigs, leaves, branches, cookie cutters, etc. to decorate

Here’s what to do:

First, combine the flour, salt, and water to make the dough. You may need to knead for a little bit. If it’s too sticky, add a little bit more flour.

1. Then roll out your dough and you can use a cookie cutter to cut out specific shapes or a Mason jar lid to
   make circles.
2. Transfer your shapes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and poke a hole at the top of the soon-to-be ornament so you’ll be able to hang it up later. This will
   be almost impossible after it’s baked so do it before.
3. Now you can press leaves and flowers into the dough, or your baby’s foot/handprint, or use the
   back of a pen, you can write out a word if you’d like.
4. Then bake at 200 degrees for 1-2 hours. Time will vary based on your oven and the thickness of the
   dough so just check it after an hour to make sure it’s not burning.
5.  After the ornaments have cooled you can string them up or you can paint and decorate them!

5. Paper Snowflakes

Paper snowflakes are classic, fun, easy-upcycled Christmas decorations! They really make me feel like a kid again and they’re so easy to make.

All you need is paper, scissors and some twin/ribbon to string them up!

These are just a few upcycled Christmas decoration ideas to get you started! There are endless things you can make with odds and ends that might otherwise be considered trash or not inherently Christmas decor. You can change that with some glue, hope and the Christmas spirit!