Easy Christmas Crafts

For a playful nod to the traditional Christmas pin, try these cheerful corsages. They're easy enough for a child to make but sophisticated enough for her mom to wear.

Need a fun, easy-to-make project that will keep the kids busy? All you need to create these ornaments are wire cutters, needle-nose pliers (both for adults' use only), and pipe cleaners. They make great gifts for teachers, to adorn presents, or to hang from your tree.

It's the kids who will be doing the nibbling when these sweet mice are around. A combination of two Christmas icons -- mice and candy canes -- these tiny fabric creatures, with their red-and-white-striped tails, make fitting favors at a holiday dinner or delightful gifts for children to give to friends and relatives.

These gumdrop pops are an easy gift you can make and wrap or add to a stocking. To make these festive pops, stack gumdrops, dot them with sprinkles and other candies in creative ways, and watch the colorful confections come to life as snowmen, Santas, and other icons of the season.

Give a gift card with a special touch that only takes a few materials, a little imagination, and a short amount of time to make.

These cookie-cutter ornaments make great, sentimental gifts; luckily they're faster to make than cookies are to bake.

Use inexpensive aluminum cutters and choose patterned papers or pictures photocopied onto card stock. Trace cutter on top; cut out. Dab white craft glue along cutter's edge. Press paper in place; let dry. Thread narrow ribbon through needle; poke between paper and cutter, and wrap ribbon around top of cutter. Slip a bead over ribbon's ends; knot.

Send those at the top of your Christmas-card list something extra special: one of these handmade cards.

Dress up the dinner table with napkin holders made from felt holly leaves and a jingle bell. 

To make, photocopy our leaves template, and cut out. Trace onto felt; cut out shape. Fold each leaf in half lengthwise, then steam with an iron to create creases. Thread a jingle bell onto the middle of decorative cording. Tie cord around base of leaves, positioning leaves at bell; knot. Tie cord behind folded napkin.

This is a quick, easy craft that will keep your holiday cards organized and on display.

Save scraps of holiday gift wrap. Using a glue stick, coat one side of a clothespin; press firmly onto the paper. Cut around clothespin with a craft knife to trim excess paper. Repeat on other side.

To hang a series of clothespins, clip them to a length of ribbon, and hang along a banister or above a mantel or entryway. Pin cards along ribbon as they arrive.

With some red and white tape and a mailing tube, you can send your Christmas cookies in style no matter where your loved ones live.

Make beautiful, seasonal ornaments that add color to your tree. Cut four unpeeled oranges into rounds about 1/4-inch thick and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 175 degrees for 4 hours. To hang, poke a hole near one edge with a needle and thread doubled twine through to make a loop.

Who doesn't love tinsel? Here's another way to use it: Twist wired tinsel (available at specialty-craft stores) into six-pointed stars. Cut three pieces of tinsel, two of equal length and one a little longer. Twist equal pieces together at centers, and wrap third piece onto the two twisted pieces, forming a star. Bend end of longer piece into a hook, and attach the star from the ribbon on a gift or hang as an ornament on a tree.

Here's a great handmade Christmas gift, and one you can make with kids. Use a jar, glitter, water, and ceramic figurines to create a wintry scene straight out of your own imagination.

Easy to make, these red holly-leaf place cards welcome holiday guests to their seats with cheer.

Instead of writing new tags every year, keep a file of names on your computer. Print our gift tag templates; type personalized inscriptions, print onto card stock, and cut out.

For a fragrant, beautiful, easy centerpiece, add cloves to oranges and grapefruit and place them with some greenery on cake stands or decorative platters.

What could be sweeter or more simple? Cut out 3-inch ovals from colorful card stock. Using a hole punch, make a hole at each end, and then neatly write your guests' names on the ovals with black ink. Thread ribbon scraps, each about 6 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, through the backs of the place cards. Notch the ribbon ends, and set a card at each place setting.

With an icy tingle on the tongue and a pinwheel of Santa-red and snow-white stripes, peppermints are the coolest holiday sweets -- especially when transformed into edible hanging ornaments. 

To make lay five or so peppermint candies in a circle to form a wreath; bond sides together with royal icing. Adorn front with cinnamon candies or more mints. Let dry two hours before hanging. Loop twine around ornament; knot.

Have your child draw a Christmas tree and ornaments, or a menorah and candles. Print onto magnet sheets and cut out. To give magnets as gifts, affix them to a greeting card with double-sided tape.