Earnest Parenting.com logo

Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

This Christmas season, you’ve decided to do something completely different. All the past years have not only entailed buying presents, but purchasing some new decorations. You may have noticed at a neighbor’s Christmas party down the street last year that he had some of the exact same decorations as you. It may be cool stuff, but rather than have something that now feels really depersonalized, this year you’ve resolved to do something personal and crafty.

The only trouble is you’re not sure how to begin or even if you’ve got the skills to pull it off. Whether you want to create decorations for your tree or around the house, the first step is to gather the right tools and supplies. Here we’ll look at some essentials to get your holiday crafting project started.

Basic tools for the DIY crafter

It doesn’t take much to see that the online crafting community is enormous and covers a great deal of territory. If you’re ever in need of some inspiration, Pinterest will be able to give you some great ideas and get your creative wheels turning. Although many of the folks posting photos there have more experience, everybody begins with the same basic supplies and tools, so we’ll examine the essentials that every crafter should have in her arsenal.

  • Cutting tools: Regardless of the material you’ll be working with, you’ll need a good pair of scissors or two. Picking up a pair specifically for paper and another for cloth will mean that they stay sharp and don’t leave edges looking ragged.
  •  Paints, markers and paintbrushes: If you’re repurposing an empty wine bottle, a shoe box or maybe some clothespins, adding a splash of color will be the way to add new life. Paint, magic markers or even colored pencils will be essential when creating some new ball ornaments or even your own Christmas cards.
  • Glue: You may not have used glue since art class in elementary school, and picking up something that’s all-purpose and quick drying will be necessary. Depending on your project, you may consider a glue gun when assembling something like a wreath that will live on the front door through the cold weather.

Gathering your materials

Once you’ve assembled your tools, all you need now are the materials to work with. You may have some ideas for a few projects already, so it’s a matter of making a trip to the store or looking around the house to see what’s available. You could begin by gathering some pine cones or tree branches from outdoors if you want to create something with a natural look. If your artificial Christmas tree needs to have some new decor, you can pick up some ball ornaments to design to give your tree a personalized look. Other materials could include yarn, glitter, beads and ribbon. Don’t forget to have plenty of construction paper for making your own Christmas origami, indoor snowflakes or tree decorations.

So have a blast this season in taking your first step into making your own homemade Christmas decorations. People have taken junk mail, dried okra pods and metal buttons and turned them into something impressive, so let your imagination run and you’ll have some great decorations to show off to friends and family this year.