8 Easy & Cheap Christmas Crafts, Food & Decor

Mrs. Santa is here again to bring you festive crafts and holiday goodies. Read on for a holly, jolly, good time!

1. Santa cups

Jazz up your next holiday party with these jolly Santa cups. This super easy craft was inspired by @ourwintonhome

Here’s what you need:

Red Solo cups
Black ribbon
Gold buttons
Hot glue

Instructions:

Apply hot glue around the cup.
Take the black ribbon and stick it on the hot glue.
Stick the button on the ribbon with hot glue.

These cups are sure to bring the Christmas spirit. Thanks again, @ourwintonhome for this amazing idea!

2. Neighbor gifts

I’d like to introduce my fabulous team behind the scenes.

Meet Chanel Wiscombe, my talented marketing specialist. She creates content, edits videos, designs marketing materials, and writes much of my monthly newsletter… all the way from Texas!

Chanel blesses my life in so many ways.

Today she shares one of her favorite neighbor gifts: delicious (and a cinch to make) chocolate dipped candy cane Oreos.

You only need three ingredients:

Oreos
Candy canes
Dark chocolate melting wafers

Instructions:

Layout wax paper or a silicone baking sheet.
Unwrap the candy canes and place in a ziplock bag.
Crush the candy canes using the back of a metal spoon.
Pour the wafers in a microwave safe bowl.
Melt the wafers according to the package instructions.
Once the chocolate is smooth, dip half of the Oreo into the chocolate and layout on the baking sheet.
Moving quickly, sprinkle the candy cane bits onto the Oreos before the chocolate melts.
Wait for the chocolate to become hardened before packaging.
Make sure to save some for yourself!

Thank you Chanel!

Do you hand out neighbor gifts? If yes, please share your favorite neighbor gifts in the comments👇

3. Pillow Presents

Looking for a quick and easy decorating idea? Turn your throw pillows into presents! 🎁 All you need are some throw pillows, ribbon and hot glue.

Here’s how to do it:

Cut 2 pieces of ribbon to fit the length and width of your pillow.
Hot glue the pieces on the overlap.
Tie your bow to any size you’d prefer.
Cut the ends of the bow to create a forked tongue look.
Hot glue the bow to the center of the pillow where the ribbon crosses.

These pillow presents make any sofa, chair, or bed festive and ready for the holidays. Easy as pie!🎄

4. No-sew T-shirt apron

I love these simple DIY T-shirt aprons! No sewing machine required! You will need a T-shirt and a pair of sharp scissors.

Instructions:

Cut off the sleeves starting from the armpit to the collar.
Turn the shirt over and cut the back piece around the collar. (Don’t cut off the collar)
Cut the back piece from armpit to armpit. I like to fold the back piece down to the armpit to create a guide.
Cut a slit on the sides leaving 3 inches from the top.
Cut the back piece where each slit stops. Again, I like to fold the back piece up to create a guide.
To make the ties, start on the bottom of one side and cut half way up.
Cut across the back to the other side.
Continue cutting the opposite side to the top.
Unfold the ties, and you have an apron!

(Optional: take the extra pieces and sew a ruffle to the bottom or add some pockets!)

This project is so quick and easy to make, and a great way to repurpose old shirts.

5. Award winning cheese log

If you’ve been following for a minute you have seen my wonderful assistant, Tara Wagley, before. She is sharing her award winning cheese log recipe today and I’m so excited to give it a try.

Ingredients:

2 bricks cream cheese
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups chopped pecans
2 tsp garlic salt
Chili powder

Instructions:

Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pecans and garlic salt into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined, scraping the sides and paddle as needed.
Put the bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Pour chili powder onto parchment paper.
Scoop out a baseball size ball and roll it into a log.
Roll the log into the chili powder until covered. Don’t forget the sides!
Either serve right away by slicing the log and eating with crackers, or wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

This is sure to be a crowd favorite at your next party. Let us know if you give it a try!

Thank you, Tara!

6. Frosty candle holder

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the lights. The warm glow of candlelight or colorful lights on a pine tree make my heart smile. This frosty candle holder is super easy and inexpensive, but looks amazing!

Items List:

Large mason jar
Mod Podge
Sponge brush
Epsom salt
Twine
Floral pick
Fairy lights or candle

Instructions:

Generously brush mod podge around the mason jar until covered.
Pour Epsom salt around the jar while the mod podge is wet.
Wrap twine around the top of the jar and tie a knot.
Stick the floral pick in the twine.
Add your lights and you’re done!

I love the look of this frosty candle holder! I think i’ll make a dozen more!

What is your favorite part of the Christmas season?

7. Holiday Simmer Pot

Make your home smell heavenly with this DIY Holiday Simmer Pot recipe. Simply throw your ingredients into a pot on the stove or in a small slow cooker and let the aromas fill the air.

Ingredients:

Oranges, sliced
Cinnamon stick
Fresh pine sprig
Whole cranberries
Whole cloves

Set on low heat and crack the lid so the aromas can escape. If heating on a stove, replace the water when it evaporates.

Enjoy!

8. Follow-the-Star Fruit Tray

It’s Christmas Eve and Santa is loading his sleigh.

Every year I feed him a healthy meal before he leaves (to make sure he gets some vitamins before he eats all those cookies!).

To remind us of the true spirit of the night – this fruit tray has a star as its centerpiece.

Instructions:

Cut off the fronds of the pineapple – next to where the fruit begins.
Cut a few more slices of pineapple ¾ inch or so thick.
Use a cookie cutter to cut a star out of the middle of each slice.
Place the fronds upside-down on your serving tray.
Use toothpicks to attach the star. Break 2-3 in half. Insert one end of the toothpicks into the fronds, then poke the star onto the other end.
Place fruit around and enjoy!

May you have a most wonderful Christmas, and may Christ’s light fill your heart and home.

With love,

Mrs. Claus