17 DIY Natural Christmas Decorations & Crafts (Skip the Plastic)
This post gets you 17 DIY natural Christmas decorations and craft ideas that skip plastic and instead work with beautiful materials that feel festive, chic and intentional!
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Looking for a cozy holiday craft project? You’re in the right place, because nothing goes together quite like DIY and Christmas decor!
Whether you’re planning a relaxing candlelit evening with an audiobook, hosting a festive craft night with friends, or spending sweet quality time with your kids, these 17 creative, simple, and aesthetic DIY Christmas decorations are made to inspire.
Forget the cheap plastic and holiday clutter. Instead, think warm woods, textured paper, fabric, and effortless, timeless style.
01| DIY Macrame Christmas Trees with Cotton Cord
These hanging moss green Christmas trees are the exact adorable touch of festive boho charm your holiday decor is missing!
All you need to do is cut varying lengths of thick cotton macrame cord and knot them along a center strand, trimming and shaping them until they have the classic triangular pine tree silhouette.
A small wooden star at the top and tiny white cotton wool accents as whimsical little snowflakes make the decor perfectly christmasy!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Green Baby Cotton Yarn (Amazon) | Wooden Star Beads (Amazon) | 24 Pcs Natural Dried White Branches (Amazon)
02| DIY Wooden Popsicle Stick Christmas Sleds
If you love nostalgic winter charm, these miniature wooden sleds are a must-make!
All you need to do is glue popsicle sticks side-by-side onto two horizontal crossbeams, then attach the base to two vertical runners to form the sled.
Give the wood a cozy, vintage finish with a coat of matte chalk paint and make your miniature sleds ready for display with tiny metal jingle bells, evergreen sprigs, or winter berries!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Jumbo Wooden Craft Sticks (Amazon) | 3 Sizes Mini Brass Jingle Bells (Amazon) | Metallic Acrylic Paint Set of Premium 20 Colors (Amazon)
03| Charming DIY Wood Bead Snowman Door Tassel
A charming holiday door hanger? We love it! It doesn’t only bring festive cheer, but also a timeless ‘old money’ elegance to your space.
To make the base, you simply wrap plenty of natural jute twine into a thick, full tassel, leaving two strings at the top. Thread three white wooden beads onto the hanging cord to form the snowman’s body and get creative painting a cheerful little face onto the top bead.
Top your snowman off with a tiny black hat (and a festive bow), and your piece is ready to hang!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 3-mm Thick Natural Jute Twine String (Amazon) | 25mm Natural Wood Beads (Amazon) | 180 Pcs Christmas Snowman Wooden Plaid Bead Craft Set (Amazon)
04| DIY Winter Shadow Box with a Lighted Woodland Scene
Let’s transform a simple shadow box into a cozy, illuminated window looking out into a snowy winter forest!
First, you will need a scenic winter landscape for the back of the frame. Next, you layer the bottom with faux snow or batting to create a soft ground. Arrange miniature winter trees, maybe add a small deer figurine, and a rustic wooden sled.
The best part is the warm-white fairy light woven throughout the frame to give the scene a magical glow.
(For an extra touch of charm, lightly distress the edges of the frame with a bit of brown paint!)
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 12×16 Large Shadow Box Picture Frame (Amazon) | 11×14 Shadow Box Frame with Wood Beads (Amazon) | Miniature Dark Green Snowy Trees (Amazon)
05| Cozy Yarn Pom-Pom Christmas Trees
This little crafts project is a wonderful way to bring cozy texture and handmade charm to your holiday table!
All you need to recreate this look is soft yarn, scissors, and a cardboard or wooden cone base to attach your pom-poms. Craft your pom-poms in varying sizes using coordinating shades of sage green, forest green, and creamy white (if you haven’t made them before, check out this great YouTube tutorial!).
Secure the pom-poms onto the cone using hot glue, and your cozy winter tablescape centerpiece is ready to shine!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 4-Sizes Set Pompom Maker (Amazon) | Fluffy Velvet Yarn in Green (Amazon) | Set of 3 Paper Mache Cones (Amazon)
06| DIY Dried Orange Slice and Cinnamon Ornaments
For this little natural holiday project, all you need are dried orange slices, whole cinnamon sticks, festive baker’s twine, and a few fresh sprigs of holly.
Tie two cinnamon sticks onto the top of a dried orange slice using the twine, then tuck a fresh green holly sprig right through the knot above the cinnamon.
Simply knot the ends of the twine to create a hanging loop, and your fragrant, 100% plastic-free holiday ornaments are complete!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Red and White Twine (Amazon) | Spicy World Cinnamon Sticks (Amazon) | Dehydrated Dried Orange Slices (Amazon)
07| Rustic Painted Pebble Birds on Wood Slices
Looking for a sustainable holiday DIY that radiates cozy winter charm and doubles as a fun craft project with kids?
All you need are two round wood slices, a few smooth beach pebbles, and your favorite acrylic paint colors.
Paint tiny holiday birds wearing Santa hats onto the stones, then glue them along with a small frosted twig onto the wood slice. A few white snowflakes across the background and you have an adorable, plastic-free winter display!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 10 Pcs Natural Paulownia Wood Slices (Amazon) | 36 Colors Acrylic Paint Set with Brushes & Palette (Amazon)
08| DIY Faux Pearl Baubles: Easy Quiet Luxury Holiday Decor
If you love the coquette aesthetic or the understated elegance of quiet luxury, these pearl-encrusted ornaments will be your next holiday obsession.
For the base, you simply upcycle plain glass ornaments or old ones you no longer enjoy and are ready for an aesthetic glow-up. Use craft glue or a hot glue gun to adhere flatback or round faux pearls in varying sizes all around the surface.
You can finish with a pretty ribbon hanger and now oyu have a chic showstopper for your Christmas tree or tabletop display!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Pearl Stickers for Crafts (Amazon) | 25 pcs Round Clear Ball Ornaments (Amazon)
09| DIY Scrap Ribbon and Twig Christmas Tree Art
This handmade Christmas card design is the ultimate holiday upcycling project for turning foraged twigs, leftover ribbon, and fabric scraps into timeless seasonal decor.
You simply cut your fabric ribbons and small branches into graduated lengths, then glue them in alternating horizontal layers to create the silhouette of a Christmas tree.
Embellish the branches with vintage wooden buttons as charming tree ornaments or weave the ribbons through antic brass buttons!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 100 Sheets Cream Cardstock (Amazon) | Antic Buttons for Arts & Crafts (Amazon) | Natural Brown Ribbon for Crafts (Amazon)
10| Whimsical DIY Pinecone Gnomes for Holiday Table Decor
To create this enchanting woodland scene, start with an elegant metal tray in brushed gold or silver, line it with fresh pine boughs, and arrange textured white snowball spheres throughout.
You can cover smooth foam or wooden balls with flocking, faux snow, or cozy fuzzy fabric to give them that soft, realistic snowball texture.
For the gnomes, paint natural pinecones with frosted silver tips and top them with handmade gold fabric hats with plush trim. Don’t forget to add a little metallic bead right under the brim for their signature button nose!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Wreath, Glass and Mirror Snow Spray (Amazon) | 20 Pieces 5 Sizes White Foam Balls (Amazon) | Fake Fluffy Snow Decoration (Amazon)
11| DIY Wooden Spoon Santas for Cozy Kitchen Decor
Let’s grab a few everyday wooden cooking spoons and give them a charming Christmas makeover!
Just use simple acrylic paint to turn the long handle into Santa’s tall red hat and paint the spoon bowl with a cheerful face and a soft white beard.
You can add a tiny white pom-pom to the tip of the handle and wrap a small strip of white felt or fabric trim along the base of the hat to bring your whimsical kitchen character to life.
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 17-inch Large Wooden Spoon (Amazon) | 6 Pcs White Felt Sheets (Amazon) | 36 Colors Acrylic Paint Set with Brushes & Palette (Amazon)
12| DIY Santa Hat Front Door Wreath Alternative
Who says holiday wreaths always have to be round? How about an upside-down Santa hat? So much more unexpected and fun!
Find a plush velvet Santa hat and generously fill it with fresh evergreen boughs, a few fairy lights, and an assortment of pearlescent ornaments.
If you want, top it off with a pair of elf legs peeking out and tie a large burlap bow underneath. And just like that your whimsical door display is ready!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Wine Red Velvet Santa Hat (Amazon) | 4 Pcs Christmas Elf Legs Picks (Amazon) | Battery Operated Fairy String Lights (Amazon)
13| Scandinavian Yarn & Jute Wrapped Christmas Trees
These textured DIY Christmas trees look wonderfully soft and cozy, making them the perfect match for a minimalist or Scandinavian holiday aesthetic.
All you need is chunky yarn, natural jute twine, foam or paper mache cones, and small birch wood slices with dowels for the tree stands.
Using hot glue, wrap the yarn spirally around the cones, accenting them with crisscrossing jute twine or contrasting wool strands. Secure each wrapped cone onto a wooden stem, and top it off with a delicate wooden star for that effortless Nordic hygge charm!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Tuff Puff White 100% Wool Chunky Yarn (Amazon) | Jute Rope 5mm (Amazon) | 3PCS Paper Mache Cones (Amazon)
14| Upcycled Sheet Music & Lace Holiday Baubles
If you are looking to bring a touch of timeless vintage charm into your holiday styling, the classic pairing of aged sheet music and delicate lace is (in my personal opinion) simply unbeatable!
To make them, decoupage narrow strips of vintage sheet music or antique book pages onto round styrofoam balls or old Christmas ornaments.
Once they are dry, you can wrap each ornament with lace trim and tiny pearl accents to make it extra romantic.
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 200 Sheets of Vintage Scrapbook Paper (Amazon) | 14 Rolls Vintage Lace Trims (Amazon) | 6Pc 5 Inch Styrofoam Balls (Amazon)
15| Yarn-Wrapped Tree Ornaments as DIY Natural Christmas Decorations
These cozy Scandinavian tree ornaments are easily made by using recycled cardboard scraps and some colorful craft yarn!
Simply cut out miniature pine tree silhouettes from sturdy cardboard, then neatly wrap colorful yarn around the trunk and tree branches. If you want it a touch more elegant: glue small pearls across the front to resemble delicate ornament baubles.
Add a twine hanging loop, and they’ll look stunning hung from foraged winter branches or styled directly on your Christmas tree!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Set of 12 Pastell Yarn (Amazon) | Pearl Stickers for Crafts (Amazon)
16| Rustic Burlap Bow and Frosted Pinecone Holiday Swags
If you love cottage-core charm and want your home to feel like a cozy winter cabin, these window and door hangers are an absolute dream project.
All you need to do is tie varying lengths of natural jute twine onto frosted pinecones, fresh pine sprigs, and vintage brass bells.
Next, tie a large bow using wide burlap ribbon and secure the ends of the hanging twine directly behind the center knot. Hang them along your window panes or interior doors and enjoy the cozy, rustic cabin aesthetic!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: 5 Inch Burlap Ribbon (Amazon) | Wreath, Glass and Mirror Snow Spray (Amazon) | 20 Distinctive Golden Rustic Bells (Amazon)
17| DIY Embroidery Hoop Christmas Wreaths
Repurposing vintage embroidery hoops into holiday decor? Absolutely, yes!
All it takes is a quick festive touch to transform them into cozy seasonal accents. Stretch textured burlap fabric or aged sheet music tightly inside wooden embroidery hoops. Next, embellish the frames with fresh pine greenery and bright winter berries, or layer on vintage jingle bells and an elegant bow.
In just a few minutes, you’ll have a charming, ultra-cozy piece of handmade holiday art ready for your walls or tabletop display!
Recreate this DIY natural Christmas decoration: Rusty Metal Jingle Bells Kit (Amazon) | 3 Embroidery Hoops (Amazon) | Retro Vintage Musical Note Fabric (Amazon)
And this concludes the post on 17 natural Christmas decorations and crafts with focus on using less plastic.
Which of these ideas are you going to try out? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear from you.
You can find more creative DIY ideas here:
- Organic Modern Fall Decor: 19 DIY Ideas (That Look High-End!)
- 16 Creative DIY Money Gift Ideas To Recreate Now (Way Better Than an Envelope)
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