6 Beautiful DIYs To Craft A Handmade Christmas Home

Make six easy, handcrafted Christmas DIYs to decorate your home or give as gifts. Find ideas for ornaments, wreaths, dried oranges, and more for Christmas 2025.

Get a head start on holiday decorating with these six easy, handcrafted Christmas DIYs you can make now. Each project includes clear, simple instructions to add beauty and a personal touch to your home this season.

One of the most festive ways to decorate for Christmas is with beautiful things you make yourself. These holiday DIYs are simple, creative projects that bring warmth and joy to your home, and also make thoughtful gifts for loved ones.

1. Distressed Ornaments From Old Christmas Balls

Have a box of old ornaments? Do not toss them. Turn them into beautiful, distressed ornaments for your tree or to give as gifts.

Over the years, I’ve collected big bins filled with inexpensive, shiny Christmas balls in every color. I’m so glad I held on to them! When I started experimenting with distressing techniques, I turned those simple ornaments into some of the prettiest decorations on my tree. It was such a joy to give them new life and create something truly special for our Christmas home.

Ways To Use Distressed Ornaments

Distressed ornaments have that timeless, collected-over-the-years charm. You can choose colors that work with your Christmas theme or go neutral with whites, golds, and silvers. Group a few together in a bowl, add them to garlands or wreaths, or tie one to a wrapped gift for a little homemade touch. Once you start, you’ll want to give new life to every old ornament in your bin!

---

2. Simple And Natural Mini Pinecone Wreath

Love simple projects? This mini pinecone wreath is for you. No special skills needed, and it is a little addictive. It also makes a lovely candle ring and works from fall through winter.
You only need a grapevine wreath and tiny pinecones. Use a smaller grapevine wreath and make even smaller wreaths!

Making this little wreath felt almost like therapy. It gave me a chance to slow down, enjoy the quiet, and take pleasure in creating something simple and beautiful with my hands.

Make one or a few for your home, and this wreath will be a gorgeous gift for someone special!

Ways To Use Mini Pinecone Wreaths

These little wreaths look beautiful hung from cabinet doors, mirrors, or chair backs with a ribbon. Lay them flat on a table and put a candle in the center. They also make lovely place setting accents on a Christmas table. I like to keep a few stacked in a basket on my sideboard and pull them out when I need an easy touch of nature somewhere in the house.

---

3. How To Dry Oranges So They Stay Vibrant

Dried oranges are bright, pretty, and easy to make. No special equipment needed. The secret to keeping them vibrant is simple and makes all the difference.
Use them on garlands, as ornaments, and to garnish winter drinks.

These dried oranges are so popular right now, and for good reason! They’re so simple to make, and my whole house smelled wonderful while they were drying. My grandchildren even love to eat them. One Christmas, one of my little boys carefully ate the dried oranges right off the tree and then sweetly put the hollowed-out rinds back where they were. I laughed out loud when I discovered them hanging there!

Ways To Use Dried Oranges

Once your oranges are dried, the fun begins. String them into garlands, tuck them into greenery on a mantel, or mix them with cinnamon sticks in a bowl for a warm, citrusy scent. The soft orange glow catches the light beautifully on a tree or tabletop, and they blend so easily with both rustic and classic Christmas decor styles.

---

4. Christmas Simmer Pot

Few things make a home smell more like Christmas than a simmering pot of fragrant fruit and spices. This easy project fills your kitchen with cozy holiday aromas and takes just minutes to put together. It’s also a lovely homemade gift that looks as pretty as it smells.

I’ve been simmering Christmas scents for many decades. Recently, when this simmer pot was bubbling away on the stove, our grown son came through the back door of the Tanglewood House and said, “Mom, it smells like home.” My heart melted! That simple sentence reminded me how powerful familiar scents can be, and how they wrap our memories in comfort and love.

A simmer pot is simply a mix of fresh and dried ingredients—think oranges, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and cloves—simmered gently on the stove to naturally scent your home. I like to package the dry ingredients in a clear jar, tie on a small tag with directions, and keep a few ready for last-minute gifts or guests.

Creative Ways To Use A Simmer Pot

Keep a small pot of the mixture simmering on the stove to fill your home with a welcoming scent. You can also pour the ingredients into a slow cooker on low with the lid off, or dry the ingredients completely and package them in a jar tied with a ribbon for a thoughtful hostess gift.

5. Christmas Dough Bowl DIY

Use a dough bowl to make a simple centerpiece with greens, pinecones, and pheasant feathers. Real or faux works. This woodland look carries you from fall through winter.

Advent wreaths have been a long-time tradition in our home, reminding us of the true meaning of this sacred season. When I added four candles to my dough bowl arrangement, it became our own personalized Advent wreath—a simple way to bring both beauty and faith to our Christmas home.

Christmas Dough Bowl DIY

A dough bowl arrangement is one of those pieces that looks beautiful anywhere—on a dining table, coffee table, or kitchen island. You can keep it simple with evergreens and candles, or layer in ornaments, ribbon, or a few dried oranges for more color. It’s one of those flexible decorations you can adjust easily from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.

Add four candles to your Christmas dough bowl, and it can serve as a lovely Advent wreath. Remember to never leave a flame unattended. Best to use battery-operated candles in this centerpiece.

---

6. How To Make Christmas-Scented Pinecones

Scented pinecones are a great way to freshen the air during the holiday season and winter months. They make a room smell spicy and cozy, and they are so easy to make! One of the most fun things about these pinecones is that you can customize your home’s scent.

I’m hosting Thanksgiving this year and making several batches of scented pinecones to give as little take-home gifts. I’m packaging them in clear cellophane bags, tying each one with a pretty ribbon, and adding a small note. It’s such an easy, personal way to send the grown-ups home with a cozy touch of the season.

If you forage for pinecones, this post provides easy instructions for debugging the critters that live in them and getting rid of their sap.

Ways To Use Scented Pinecones

You can create your own scent blend—think cinnamon and clove for a traditional Christmas aroma, or a mix of pine and orange for something fresh and bright. Arrange them in bowls, baskets, or clear jars, and place one in each room. They’re also a lovely addition to gift baskets or as small hostess gifts during the holidays.

---

FAQs About Christmas DIYs

Handcrafted decor makes a home feel welcoming and full of love during the holidays. Whether you try one or all six of these DIYs, take your time and enjoy the process. Turn on a favorite Christmas playlist, pour a mug of cocoa or a holiday libation, and make it part of your holiday traditions.

Happy Christmas crafting, friends!