Christmas Crafts

Jess and I love to brighten up our homes around the holidays by making festive Christmas crafts.

We found inspiration for many of our projects this year while browsing Pinterest (many thanks to all those who've shared their creative ideas!). 

We gathered pine cones and branches from our grandparents' cabin to make these woodsy arrangements.

We just added a little faux snow and glitter for some wintry sparkle.

And Jess taught me how to create these beautiful bows, which we used to secure the pine in place for our door hangers. I can't wait to make a bunch for the gifts I give this year. (Click here for tutorial.)

I was even able to create a centerpiece for my coffee table by placing a candle in a mason jar nestled in some of the pine we had left over.

These holiday message boards were simple and fun to make.

Just spell out your Christmas greeting with stickers and paint over the canvas (I used tape to make a border around mine).

Then peel off the stickers and rub the canvas lightly with a towel to create a distressed look. Sprinkle a little glitter, and hot glue a cheery holiday ribbon for the finishing touches.  

We also made Christmas tree ornaments inspired by our dear friend Karen at Shabby Brocante.

They were really easy to assemble. Just cut up sheets of music into 6-inch strips, roll into a small coil, and push into the ornament.

Add some ribbon, shake to release the coils, and voilà!

If you decide to try out any of these holiday projects, we'd love to hear how they turn out. And remember, "Creativity is contagious. Pass it on!" (Albert Einstein).

~ Nel ~