Have you ever noticed that craft stores often begin putting out Christmas stuff during the summer months? In this setting, this isn’t necessarily an example of “Christmas creep” or an attempt to boost early Christmas sales. It serves a practical function. If you’re going to complete crafts in time for Christmas, then you often have to begin them during the summer and fall months!
Looking ahead in this manner is the purpose of the Christmas in July series. I’m not trying to get us thinking about Christmas prematurely, but I am trying to help us plan and prepare in advance so we can avoid chaos over Christmas and maintain focus on the real reason we celebrate. (Read more about the purpose of Christmas in July here.)
I love seeing the wonderful craft projects that my family members and friends complete in order to create festive environments in their homes. Personally, I’m not that great at crafts. I’m much more likely to create a “Pinterest fail” than I am to create something I want to put on display in my home! Despite this, I often feel a strong desire to create some lovely Christmas items for my home.
Fortunately, I’ve found a number of craft projects that are perfect for craft-challenged individuals like me! Check out these ideas.
Simple Christmas crafts
- DIY wood nativity from The 36th Avenue
- Ceiling medallion wreath from Brian Patrick Flynn of HGTV
- Burlap and yarn decorated pillow from Midwest Living
- Wooden Christmas forest from Life with Fingerprints
- Peppermint candles from Imparting Grace
- No-sew vintage-inspired felt tree skirt from DIY Network
- Snowy jar with holly from DecoArt Blog
- No melt snowman from So You Think You’re Crafty
- Holly burlap napkin rings from Just Paint It
- Scrabble® tile ornaments from Crafts by Amanda
These look wonderful, don’t they? In addition to being simple, many of these crafts look affordable and/or can be made with materials I already have on hand!
Do you struggle with crafts? If so, have you found any Christmas crafts that are easy to complete? If you don’t struggle with crafts, what words of encouragement can you share with the rest of us?
Shared at the following:
Weekend Wind Down, Making Your Home Sing, Monday’s Musings, The Art of Home-Making, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tuesdays with a Twist, Think Tank Thursday, Wrapping Up The Holidays, and Small Victories Sunday.
I love this idea behind Christmas in July! It makes me crazy that, as hard as I try to get things done ahead of time, I still find myself scrambling for Christmas gifts during Advent, which makes it harder to focus on prayer and Advent-y things. I am also hugely challenged in the craft area, so I appreciate these ideas! I think the scrabble ornament is especially adorable :_
Hi AnneMarie,
Being busy does make it so much more difficult to focus on Advent! I want to avoid this as best I can.
I thought a few of these crafts looked like things I could actually make…though maybe not for a month or so, given I’ve been a little busy!
Thank you so much for these ideas! I have no crafty bones in my body..perhaps one of the most uncrafty people ever but there seems to be a tiny little crafty light inside that wants to create so bad. This gave me so many ideas and they are easy! I just may become crafty after all!
That is exactly how I feel, Angela! I hope you are able to try one or two of these.
I always think it would be fun to do homemade gifts and crafts for Christmas usually around November and then never end up doing them! Starting to work on them during July is a great idea. I need to write some ideas down and head to Hobby Lobby. 🙂
Hi Emily,
Once November rolls around, there is no way I could get any crafts completed. Starting early is the only way for me to get this done!