Winter Crafting Fun: Five Festive Projects

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When the weather outside is frightful, a little crafting is so delightful. Plan in some craft making this season with these five festive projects that are easy to try out at home. Whether you want to make something to give as a gift to friends and family or create decorative items to place around the home, be inspired by these fun winter craft ideas.

1. Christmas candles

Candles are the perfect addition to any home in the festive season. Cosy, comforting and pretty to look at, you can have a lot of fun when making them and enjoying them long after. Candle making crafts are a popular choice for many just dipping their toe in the world of creating things from scratch, with kits available to buy featuring everything you need. Here’s how to make some fun festive candles:

You will need:

  • Candle wax and wicks
  • Festive mugs or cups
  • Peppermint, cinnamon or citrus oil
  • Glitter – red or gold

Method

  1. Start by melting your wax and adding a few drops of your chosen essential oil – how much you add will result in how strong the candle will smell.
  2. Take your wick and tie the end around a pencil or a chopstick, balance this across the mug to hold the wick up straight then pour your wax in.
  3. Leave the wax to harden and add your glitter as it starts to firm up to ensure it doesn’t just sink to the bottom.
  4. Wrap up and present to family and friends as a fun festive present. Once the candle has burned they may even be able to use the mug afterwards.

2. Customised baubles

Make your own baubles are a fun festive craft project that you can do to create decorations to adorn your own tree with or as a personalised gift for family and friends. They’re so easy to create and you have total freedom over the finished look.

You will need:

  • Clear fillable baubles
  • Your choice of filling

Method

This craft simply involves opening up the bauble and adding your desired filling. Ideas for this include everything from festive ribbon to feathers, sequins, glitter, fake snow and foliage. Evergreen foliage is a stunning but simple addition, all you need to do is add a cutting to your fillable bauble to feature on the tree later.

3. Christmas name holders

Like to arrange the family with a seating plan on Christmas day? Create one of these delicious place name holders they can tuck into after dinner.

You will need:

  • Small candy canes – three for each person you’re seating
  • Ribbon

Method

  1. Take three small candy canes and tie these together with a pretty ribbon.
  2. Be sure to turn the curved ends out to make a tripod-like stand.
  3. Stand it up and place a small card across two of the canes featuring the person’s name – they can eat the candy cane after too!

4. Wine glass candle holders

Ideal as a centrepiece on your Christmas table or along the mantlepiece, take upturned wine glasses and use these to hold candles, with a festive twist. Here’s how:

You will need:

  • Wine glasses
  • Heavy card
  • Silver or white glitter
  • Fake snow – this could be cotton wool, polystyrene beads or purpose made fake snow from a craft store
  • Christmas decoration – this could be a small Christmas ornament such as a reindeer or Santa plus a fake mini Christmas tree
  • Superglue
  • Candle

Method:

  1. Draw around your wine glass onto the heavy card – this is going to be the base for your snowglobe.
  2. Draw the circle a little bigger than required to ensure there’s plenty of surface area to keep the fake snow in – cut the circle out.
  3. Stick your decorations in the middle of the cut-out circle – a mini fake tree with a cute deer ornament is always a sweet idea or a simple pine cone and holly cutting.
  4. Once secure, pour your fake snow and glitter into the wine glass.
  5. Line the rim of the glass with superglue then turn your card and decorations upside down and into the glass, stick the edge of the cardboard down securely.
  6. Leave to dry, turn the glass upside down and watch the fake snow fall down.
  7. Place a candle on the top of the wine glass stem and enjoy.

5. Easy Christmas cookies

A cookie is a delicious treat for Christmas Eve to leave and out for Santa and perhaps enjoy one or two yourself. They’re a great craft to try as a family, with delicate decoration anyone can have a go at. This year, create Christmas pudding inspired cookies with this simple tutorial.

You will need:

  • Chocolate cookie mix – buy this pre-mixed or use this recipe for delicious cookies every time that you can add cocoa to, for the brown colour of the pudding
  • Thick white royal icing – recipe here
  • Green fondant icing – buy this ready made from the supermarket
  • Red ball sprinkles – you should find these in a local craft store or online (Amazon sell some here)

Method:

  1. Bake your cookies and leave to cool
  2. Roll out the green fondant icing and cut out small leaf shapes
  3. Mix up your white royal icing then dip the cookie into this until halfway
  4. Add two small leaf cut outs plus three of the red ball sprinkles to the icing, then leave to dry
  5. Enjoy!

Ready to get crafting? Try out these fun festive crafts and get ready for the big day.