Looking for some inspiration for this year’s Christmas decorations? Whether you’re wanting to switch up your go-to table style or try some edible decorations, we have tips and ideas that’ll get you excited this holiday season.
Discover our top DIY Christmas crafts and easy Christmas table decorations. Get ready for festive gifting with our homemade Christmas drinks gifts.
25 homemade Christmas decoration ideas
1. Christmas biscuit place tags
Guests will love having their own homemade name place settings – even more so when they realise that they’re edible! You can also package them up as thoughtful gifts for friends and family.
Find out how out how to style a Christmas table and affordable ways to style your Christmas dinner table.
2. Edible Christmas tree decorations
These Christmas cookies make a great addition to your tree – use the tip of a skewer to make a small hole in the dough before baking then thread with ribbon to easily hang. Kids will love getting creative decorating them with icing sugar and edible gold and silver balls. Try our gingerbread stained glass biscuits for a pretty alternative.
Discover more decoration recipes and Christmas cookies for kids.
3. Homemade Christmas wreath
Our edible Christmas wreath recipes make a stunning centrepiece for your Christmas table that look almost too good to eat, including this stollen pistachio version.
Find more homemade decoration inspiration with just a handful of materials, you can create your own wreaths, cake decorations and Advent calendars.
4. Gingerbread house mug toppers
These bite-sized gingerbread houses make cute additions to steaming mugs of hot chocolate, but you could also use them to decorate shelves, tables and windowsills.
For the full-scale version, why not try our simple step-by-step guide to making a cosy gingerbread cottage? Discover more gingerbread house recipes.
5. How to make glitter pasta decorations
Make a plastic-free alternative to tinsel this Christmas with these pretty, budget-friendly additions to your tree. Spray farfalle pasta with gold and red glitter for an easy festive garland.
Discover more Christmas crafts for children.
6. Salt dough Christmas decorations
For a non-edible version that will last longer, these salt dough Christmas decorations make use of our popular salt dough guide. Use your most Christmassy biscuit cutters and decorate with acrylic paint or even felt tip pens.
Try our cinnamon salt dough gingerbread decorations for an extra festive version that will smell delicious on your tree.
7. Dried orange & lemon slices
These rather stylish dried citrus slices make great Christmas tree decorations as well as bunting to deck your home with festive cheer. It’s a budget-friendly idea that you can even package up with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and rosemary for a homemade pot pourri to gift to someone special.
8. Christmas potato stamps
Make homemade Christmas potato stamps to transform into bunting, wrapping paper, cards and more. You simply need Christmas-shaped cookie cutters, leftover spuds and paints. Young kids can get involved with the stamping side while grown-ups can do the cutting out with a knife.
Next, discover how to make a snow globe and easy DIY Christmas cards for more festive crafting.
9. How to decorate a Christmas cake
Looking to apply the final flourish to your Christmas creation? Find out our different tips and ideas for Christmas cake decorating – we’ve got plenty of to help you make a serious showstopper like this gold drip Christmas cake centrepiece.
Want a flawless finish to your traditional Christmas cake? Watch how to ice a cake from the Good Food team.
10. How to make a paper snowflake
For a really easy decoration that kids of all ages will love getting involved with, discover our guide to making paper snowflakes. Most likely you will have the materials already lying around at home so it’s a great one for a rainy afternoon when the kids don’t want to leave the house.
11. Peppermint candy canes
Complete your Christmas tree with a few peppermint candy canes – these no-cook versions are made by rolling out icing, so kids of all ages can help out. Got some extras? Add them to a homemade hamper or tape them on top of Christmas cards and presents for an extra festive lift.
12. Fruity tree decorations
Bake thin slices of apples and oranges to dry them out, then thread them onto string to be tied up on the tree, around door knobs or underneath the mantlepiece. These completely natural fruity tree decorations are scented with cinammon and cloves, so your house will smell deliciously Christmassy all day long.
13. Bay, popcorn & cranberry strings
Create beautiful, rustic decorations to drape around your tree or your home with this simple idea for bay, popcorn & cranberry strings. Older children will have the threading skills required to do this on their own.
14. Orange & cardamom biscuits
Sometimes less is more – these understated orange & cardamom biscuits make a beautiful addition to the Christmas tree. Festive biscuit stamps are widely available in shops and online, so it should be easy to pick some up in any style you like. This also makes a fairly mess-free activity for kids, and there won’t be any hundreds and thousands or icing in sight!
15. Christmas pudding cake pops
Need a centrepiece for the dinner table? These fun Christmas pudding cake pops make perfect eye candy. They are bound to be a huge hit with kids and adults alike, so you may have to keep an eye on little hands. These also make the perfect alternative to traditional Christmas pudding.
16. Orange & ginger stained glass biscuits
Who would think smashing up some sweets could make something so pretty and magical? These lovely orange & ginger stained glass biscuits are so simple to make – the only real trouble is that they smell and taste delicious, so they may not make it to the tree. A magical way to spend a winter’s afternoon with children, too.
17. Cookie cutter wreath
This contemporary take on the classic Christmas wreath takes only minutes to put together, and makes minimal mess. Use a variety of cutters in festive shapes to create a striking cookie cutter wreath – the more eclectic, the better.
18. Peppermint & rose napkin decorations
Our delicate napkin adornments will add something really special to your Christmas table. You can get as creative as you want with food colouring and shapes, but we love the simple snow white effect in the photo. Try our peppermint & rose cream napkin decorations.
19. Christmas cake bauble bunting
If you’re not an icing pro but still want to dress up your Christmas cake, this homemade bunting is sure to impress. Bake the fruited sponge of our suits-all Christmas cake, then follow the decorating instructions in the second step of our classic iced holly cake to give you a blank canvas, then create your cake topper. Not a fan of fruitcake? Use to top any round cake, such as our ultimate chocolate cake, cappuccino cake, banana cake with pecan crumble crunch or passion layer torte.
20. Popcorn bunting
Paint popcorn in festive red and green to make this easy Christmas garland to decorate shelves, tables and more.
21. Wreath place settings
Give your dining table a festive, personal touch with these wreath-themed place settings – they’re a wonderful way to decorate the table and guests can take theirs home to use as a decoration, too.
22. Festive candle centrepiece
Deck out the Christmas table with a colourful candle centrepiece to impress your guests. At its base is an assortment of clove-studded clementines, holly leaves, walnuts and spices. These are simple to arrange and will smell absolutely divine – just remember to wear gloves for the holly.
23. Tea Advent calendar
If you know somebody who loves a cuppa, this tea-tastic Advent calendar will make the perfect gift. Use loose-leaf tea to mix up your own flavours, then package them in numbered paper bags or containers to create a DIY Advent calendar. Add brewing instructions and label the teas if you wish, though we think it’s more fun to leave it as a surprise!
24. Homemade crackers
Use up leftover wrapping paper and toilet rolls to create these homemade Christmas crackers. Fill them with treats and our favourite food jokes. These DIY crackers are brilliant for using up everyday items, keeping costs low.
25. Homemade Christmas sugar charms
Hang on the tree or make a batch of these stylish spun sugar-like decorations to gift to family and friends.
Looking for more Christmas inspiration?
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Christmas projects for kids
Christmas Eve box ideas
Christmas cookies for kids
Quick Christmas gift
