While we all love getting into the Christmas spirit and piling our shopping carts high with seasonal decor, there’s a little extra magic when you take a DIY holiday decor approach while surrounded by family. Make a list of supplies and try out these ideas for your own outdoor Christmas decorations.
How to Make Your Own Christmas Decor
To make your own Christmas decor this year, you just need to think about your outdoor area and add a little bit of creativity. Gather inspiration online, in your local stores, or by walking around your neighbourhood and seeing what’s trendy on your block. Most DIY outdoor Christmas decorations won’t take too much time, effort, or funds. Just get creative!
Great Garden Gnomes
While they are a little bit cheesy, you really can’t help but smile when you see silly gnomes around during the holiday season. If you search “gnomes” on Pinterest, you’ll find tons of creative ways to recreate the classic garden gnome yourself. One trend that looks perfect on your front porch is an evergreen garden gnome. You won’t need much to put one together, and it’s pretty darn cute.
- Grab 1 tomato cage
- Gather some evergreen cuttings
- Head to a craft store and get red (or any holiday-coloured) felt
- If you don’t already have one, get a hot glue gun
- Florist’s wire
- Beige-coloured hosiery
- Plenty of cotton balls or cotton stuffing
- An elastic band
Making Your Evergreen Gnome
Step One: Take your tomato cage and turn it upside down. Using the florist’s wire, tie the top prongs together in a triangular shape.
Step Two: Attach the evergreen cuttings to the cage using more florist’s wire. The goal is to fill as many of the gaps as possible with bushels of that amazing-smelling evergreen.
Step Three: Cut a large, 50cm square of your felt, and fold it lengthwise into a triangle. Apply hot glue to one side of the triangle, sealing it shut but leaving an opening at the bottom.
Step Four: Take scissors and cut a curved line along the opening, so it looks more like a hat shape. You can then add the hat to the top of the tomato cage.
Step Five: Grab your scissors again and cut the foot off of the hosiery. Fill the hosiery tube with cotton. Focus the stuffing into the middle of the hosiery, so each end has some extra fabric. Twist each end and secure them together with the elastic band. This becomes the gnome’s nose.
Step Six: Using more wire, attach the nose to the tomato cage right under the hat.
Step Seven:If you’d like to add hands, you can cut out four mitten-shaped pieces out of felt. Attach two and two together with hot glue, leaving a small opening at the bottom of each mitten. Stuff with cotton, and then attach to your gnome with more wire.
Step Eight: Display your DIY Christmas garden gnomes on your front porch or anywhere in your landscape (you can even try playing hide and seek with them!)
Make Your Own Christmas Garland
While we spend plenty of time and effort decorating our indoor Christmas tree, why not DIY some outdoor decorations for your outdoor trees, too? Using supplies straight from Mother Nature herself, you can create some bird-friendly tree garlands with your family. All you need is some twine or string, evergreen sprigs, cranberries or other seasonal berries, pinecones, and anything else organic that you think would look great around your trees.
DIY Birdseed Decorations
To really bring all the birds to your yard this Christmas, have a DIY evening with your family making outdoor decorations for your flying friends. Here are some ideas for what you’ll need:
- Birdseed
- Holiday cookie cutters
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 packages gelatin (unflavoured)
- Twine
- 3 drinking straws (cut into 5cm pieces)
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup boiling water
How to make DIY Christmas birdseed decorations:
- Add the cold water to a large bowl
- Sprinkle the two packages of gelatin over the top of the water
- Pour over the ½ cup of boiling water. Stir well until dissolved
- Add the corn syrup and mix.
- Add the birdseed and mix.
- Place the concoction into the fridge for 10 minutes to set a bit.
- Lay your cookie cutters out onto a lined baking sheet or another flat surface.
- Press birdseed mixture into each cookie cutter. Fill to the top.
- Take the cut straws and press them into the shape, about ½ inch from the top.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Gently pull away the cookie cutters and take out the straws.
- String a piece of twine through the hole the straw made.
- Hang from any trees in your yard!
Get creative and let us know your ideas for DIY outdoor Christmas decorations in Edmonton. We’re always here to help you get inspired with landscape design and decor.
