The Best DIY Christmas Decorations to Create a Winter Wonderland (2025)

Holiday decorating is a Christmas tradition that sparks joy, excitement and feelings of nostalgia year after year — one reason we believe it's never too early to start planning. Craft your holiday home by filling every room, small or large, with twinkly string lights, colorful ornaments and tons of gorgeous greenery, like garlands, wreaths and Christmas trees. You may choose to buy a few of the best Christmas decorations, but there's nothing quite like DIY Christmas decorations to give your space a cozy style.

Browse this list of elegant decorating ideas to find inspiration for every space, whether it's indoors or outdoors. Discover creative ways to decorate the front door, set a holiday table and hang holiday garlands — many of which require supplies you already own or easily found at the dollar store. Save money by experimenting with cheap and clever Christmas crafts, like making your own snow globe, cutting out white paper snowflakes or creating homemade wreaths from popsicle sticks. Plus, get inspired to use recycled materials like glass jars, pipe cleaners and even old light bulbs to create unique holiday displays.

Whether you're decorating the kitchen, living room, dining room or home office, we've got a DIY Christmas decoration you'll love recreating. Find a favorite and get started, because the holiday season isn't in full swing until the Christmas tree is decked out, the garlands are hung and string lights glow throughout the house.

Rather than tossing your wine or beverage bottles, turn them into elegant holiday decor. Place evergreens into bottles and fill with water, adding a few fresh cranberries for a pop of color. Rub sticky candle wax to the bottom of a taper candle and place it in the bottle opening. Then, just remember to replace the water every few days to keep greens looking fresh.

Thread a needle and sturdy monofilament through leftover pantry items like popcorn, dried fruits, bay leaves or candy to create a one-of-a-kind garland. For an unexpected twist, loop decorative ribbon around pretzels and dried pasta. Once the holidays are over, remove the monofilament or ribbon and pop the pantry items into a compost bin.

Disguise artwork by wrapping it with a big, beautiful bow — instant holiday decor that doesn't cost a thing. Simply cut a length of ribbon and wrap around the frame as you would a gift.

Add a glamorous touch to your holiday decor by experimenting with gold leaf sheets. Apply gold leaf to actual dried leaves or faux leaves to upgrade a table setting, decorate a mantel or add to a holiday garland.

Put greenery sprigs on display in a tall glass vase, a perfect yet subtle way to decorate in the kitchen. To complete the look, PURE Design fills a bowl with pinecones.

Turn an old glass jar into a shimmering holiday scene. Once you've cleaned the glass, fill it with bottle-brush trees and animal figurines. Glue down all elements with silicone glue, then spoon in glitter and/or fake snow. Fill the jar with distilled water, add a few drops of glycerin and stir. When you're content with your creation, glue on the lid.

Before you throw out those old lightbulbs, consider this adorable craft. Hot glue twine (we used sage green and metallic gold) around a light bulb, starting from the large side and adding dots of glue as you go. Use a small piece of twig as the stem, then fold squares of gold paper in half and cut into crescent shapes to create leaves.