I pick easy crafts and they usually turn out alright so this gives me confidence to keep crafting. Today I'm doing my regular Southern Belle Simple segment on Knoxville's Fox43 morning show and what better topic to discuss than some easy last minute Christmas craft ideas!
All of these are super easy and hard to mess up. Also, they don't take up a lot of time so if you've put it off to the last minute this year, you can still get a little DIY holiday spirit in your home! Get the whole family involved...they might moan and groan at first, but they'll thank you later for the fun memories.
1) Simple Painted Burlap Table Runner
Burlap is the anti-crafter's best friend. It covers a multitude of crafting sins and I keep a huge stash of it on hand at all times. I decided to make a painted burlap table runner to add some cheer to my holiday table.
The best part is there are no rules to follow so it can really be anything you want. I cut a rectangular piece of burlap (approximately four feet long and 2 feet wide). Then I painted gold polka dots all over it using gold craft paint and a wine cork as a stamp. I trimmed the ends in a zig zag pattern and hot glued a Christmas ribbon across each one. Voila! So easy and cute.
2) Faux Stained Glass Window Decorations
This simple craft project holds a special place in my heart because I used to do it with my grandparents when I was a little girl. Crafting was definitely more fun at their house because they didn't care how big of a mess we made.
To create these fun faux stained glass decorations, you need crayons, wax paper, a pencil sharpener and an iron.
Sharpen a bunch of crayons and collect the shavings. Lay those out on a sheet of waxed paper and place another sheet on top. Then, with a warm iron, press down until the wax melts and creates a design you like.
It's best to use similar colors (red & pink, yellow & orange, etc.) or else your combinations can just turn brown.
I put my southern beau to work making these and we had a blast. We cut them into shapes and turned them into oversized Christmas ornaments with scraps of black cardstock. When you hang them in a window, the light comes through the wax and looks really pretty.
3) DIY Felt Christmas Garland
This project was inspired by a felt garland I saw at Walgreens, but it was a little sad and squished looking. I decided to make my own.
All you need are sheets of felt you can cut into strips, ribbon and other trimmings and a hot glue gun. This took very little time to make and turned out to be around five feet. It would be so cute hanging on a mantel or Christmas tree.
Such a fun, simple project!
I hope these ideas inspired you to get crafting! You don't have to be a pro or spend a ton of money to do a project that is memorable and meaningful. The other night after we finished some of these projects, my southern beau said "this was the best day ever." To me, creating an experience with the ones you love is the real joy...having a cute decoration when you're finished is just icing on the cake!
