Looking for easy Christmas crafts you can make with inexpensive and recycled materials? Whether you’re decorating your home, crafting with kids, or preparing thoughtful handmade gifts, these DIY Christmas projects are simple, charming, and perfect for a cozy December afternoon.
In this post, you’ll learn how to make:
- A Christmas roller stamp using pasta shapes
- A pine cone Christmas tree
- A hand painted Christmas doormat
- And advent calendar using clothes pins and toilet paper rolls
- Handmade angel tassel dolls
- Essential oil wax diffusers
- DIY epiphany wise men gifts using recycled bottles
Each project uses affordable, eco-friendly, or recycled materials—ideal for anyone who loves sustainable Christmas crafting.
Christmas stamp roller with pasta
Perfect for: gift wrap, Christmas cards, kids crafts
This eco-friendly roller stamp is one of the easiest Christmas crafts you can make—and the result looks surprisingly professional. All you need is a cardboard roll (or a wine cork), some Christmas-shaped pasta (stars, snowflakes, wheels), and acrylic paint.
Materials
Cardboard roll or wine cork
Christmas-shaped pasta
Hot glue
Acrylic paint
Kraft or white paper
How to Make It
1.Arrange the pasta pieces around the roll or cork.
2.Glue them firmly in place.
3.Dip the roller into paint (or use a brush for cleaner coverage).
4.Roll it across paper to create hand-stamped Christmas wrapping paper.
This DIY roller stamp is perfect for creating rustic gift wrap or cute kids crafts, and it looks beautiful with minimalist kraft paper.
Pinecone Christmas tree
Perfect for: nature crafts, minimalist décor, kids
Keywords: pine cone crafts, Christmas nature crafts, rustic Christmas decorations
Turn an ordinary pine cone into the sweetest miniature Christmas tree for your shelf or table.
Materials
Pine cones (medium to large)
Green paint (optional)
White paint for snow effect
Small beads, sequins, or mini pompoms
Hot glue
Instructions
Paint the pine cone green (or leave it natural for a rustic look).
Add white paint to the tips for a snowy effect.
Glue tiny beads or pompoms as ornaments.
Place the pine cone on a wood slice or cardboard base.
These pine cone trees look adorable on mantles,tables, or as DIY place cards for Christmas dinners.
Handmade Christmas rug
Perfect for: front door décor
A custom Christmas doormat is one of the best ways to add cozy holiday charm to your entrance. This version features a cute gingerbread house painted on a raw coir doormat.
Materials
Plain coir doormat
Outdoor acrylic paint
Brushes or sponges
Masking tape (optional)
How to Make It
Sketch or stencil the shape of a gingerbread house.
Fill it in using brown paint.
Add white details—windows, icing lines, gumdrops.
Seal with a waterproof outdoor varnishIt makes a great handmade gift and photographs beautifully for social media.
DIY advent calendar with toilet paper rolls
If you love zero-waste crafts, this advent calendar is for you. You can fill each toilet roll with sweets, affirmations, toys, or small surprises. There is a printable with daily activities on this blog post.
Materials
24 toilet paper rolls
Clothespins
String or jute twine
Number stickers or markers
Craft paper
Instructions
Decorate each toilet paper roll using craft paper or paint. (Endless possibilities!)
Close one end by folding the edges inward.
Fill with tiny surprises.
Clip each roll to a long string using clothespins.
Add numbers from 1 to 24.
The result is a cozy, boho-style advent calendar that looks beautiful on a wall or mantle.
Handmade angel dolls
These delicate angel dolls are simple to make and add an elegant handmade touch to your tree.
Materials
Wooden beads (for the head)
Embroidery thread or cotton yarn
Cardboard (to wrap the tassel)
Ribbon or twine
Small felt or cardboard wings
Instructions
Wrap thread around cardboard to create a tassel.
Tie the top tightly and cut the bottom loops.
Slide a wooden bead onto the top tassel thread—this becomes the head.
Add wings made of felt or stiff paper.
Draw a tiny face if desired.
Hang them on the tree or attach them to gifts for a personal, charming touch.
There is a full tutorial here and here (you just need to adjust depending on the type of doll)
Essential oil wax diffusers
These wax diffusers are beautiful hanging in closets, wardrobes, or bathrooms. They make wonderfully fragrant gifts.
Materials
Beeswax pellets
Essential oils (peppermint, cinnamon, orange, or pine are perfect)
A silicone chocolate mold
Dried fruits or spices (optional)
Ribbon
Instructions
Melt the beeswax in a double boiler.
Add a few drops of essential oils.
Pour into a silicone mold.
Add dried orange slices, cloves, or mini pine sprigs.
Insert a loop of ribbon before the wax hardens.
These smell like pure Christmas and look stunning in gift boxes.
Epiphany’s wise man gifts
A lovely craft for Día de Reyes / Epiphany, using small recycled glass bottles.
Materials
Small recycled bottles (mini spice jars or perfume flacons)
Acrylic paint (gold, white, brown)
Twine or ribbon
Optional fillings: glitter for “gold”, aromatic herbs for “incense”, warm spices for “myrrh”
How to Make It
Clean the bottles and paint the lids gold.
Label each bottle: Gold, Incense, Myrrh.
Fill with glitter- plastic-free option (gold), herbs or resins (incense), and spices like cinnamon or cloves (myrrh).
Tie a ribbon around each bottle.
These make meaningful gifts for Epiphany or beautiful decorations for a Three Kings display.
Simple, Sustainable & Heartwarming Christmas Crafts for the Whole Season
The beauty of Christmas crafting lies in its simplicity—transforming ordinary, recycled materials into meaningful decorations, gifts, and memories. Whether you were stamping homemade gift wrap with pasta shapes, painting a cozy gingerbread doormat, or filling tiny bottles for Epiphany, each project brings a touch of creativity and intention to the season.
These easy Christmas crafts are perfect for slowing down, spending time with loved ones, and making your home feel festive without overspending. They’re also wonderfully sustainable, proving that you don’t need fancy supplies to create beautiful holiday décor.
I hope these seven projects inspire you to craft more, reuse more, and enjoy the magic of handmade traditions.
If you try any of them, feel free to share your creations—I’d love to see how your Christmas crafts turn out! ?
With love, Sara
