Design Hints

Pretty Paper Trees Template

Download our handy template and use it to craft pretty paper trees with patterned holiday paper or card stock. Considering the variety of holiday-themed papers available, the possibilities are endless! Make a few or an entire forest of patterned pines, and then arrange them on a windowsill, a mantel or a table. Add faux snow or prop them up on glittered log risers for extra oomph.

Towering Tannenbaum

Bring in the bucket brigade! Build a tower of galvanized pails and pile on some ball ornaments to give it a tree-like vibe. Gather three to five pails in graduated sizes. Fill each bucket almost to the top with sand, and then stack the containers as shown. Arrange ball ornaments as desired on each level, and then place a star pick in the top. Add a bow around the bottom pail for extra festive fun.

Snowflake-Dotted Door Decor

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! To craft this door or wall decoration, gather a variety of flat snowflake ornaments and adornments. (Hint: check the scrapbooking section at your local craft store for smaller snowflakes.) Lay out your flakes on the back of a piece of mat board as desired to achieve a tree-like design. When you're happy with your arrangement, trace around it lightly with a pencil. Take a quick photo so you can remember your layout, then move snowflakes aside and use a yardstick to mark final cutting lines. Cut out tree, and then glue snowflakes in place. If desired, cut a small pot shape out of white mat board and glue onto the base of the tree.

Yarn-Wrapped Cones

Want a warm, fuzzy feeling? Wrap Styrofoam cones in nubbly yarn and glue them onto candlesticks for a simple display that's simply delightful. To start, wrap a cone entirely in one yarn color; choose boucle yarn for interesting texture. Next, add zigzags, stripes or swirls in a contrasting color. Insert a sparkly star pick into the top of the cone, and then glue the accent onto a candlestick as a finishing touch.

DIY Ornaments

To give your regular Christmas tree a bit of handmade character, trim it with some of these sweet homespun ornaments. For detailed instructions on how to make the ribbon rosette ornament, view our handy video tutorial. To find out more about transforming old sweaters into ornaments, watch one of our stylists re-create them in this helpful video.