Are you entertaining at your home this holiday? These six DIY crafting ideas can keep décor costs down and create a lovely ambiance in your home.

Coffee-Filter Garland

Image via Country Living

Each year you may be accustomed to running holiday garland, popcorn, or wreaths about the fireplace, mantel, or stairwell. This year, change up your décor with new festive coffee filter garland. This is the perfect project for anyone who has converted over to single cup coffee brewers and have no use of their regular coffee filters.

Country Living has this beautiful garland piece created with white and natural colored coffee filters. However, you can dye your coffee filters with food coloring, just as with these coffee filter flowers, so your garland can match any color theme you have planned this year.

Sparkling Wine

If you enjoy hosting holiday parties, give each household guest a bottle of sparkling wine as their gift. This is not your ordinary drinking sparkling wine. This is a beautiful DIY decorated bottle with glitter on the outside. It’s fun, festive, and something they can keep out the entire year to decorate their home.

If you have many guests, select an inexpensive wine such as a Moscato. If the label can easily peel away, that’s best. You can use a clear glue and glitter; however, for roughly the same costs, you can purchase Mod Podge Sparkles. Using an applicator sponge, add the Mod Podge Sparkle to the bottle. Work in small sections, so you don’t smudge your bottle. Allow it to dry for 20 minutes. Add a ribbon and gift tag, and you have an unforgettable homemade gift.

Affordable Sparkling Ornaments

Another great and inexpensive way to decorate your home for the holidays are with sparkling ornaments. Grab a box of inexpensive bulbs, any size. Roll each bulb in Mod Podge Sparkle or glitter glue. Allow it to dry for 15 minutes before gluing floss, twine, or another type of string to the base of the bulb. Hang on your tree, line up a serving table, or decorate the fireplace with these sparkling ornaments. The sparkling ornaments shimmering off of the Christmas lights will bring a beautiful glow to your home. You can even use these bulbs year round to decorate for any holiday or celebration.

Decorate Under the Tree with Gifts

You don’t have to spend a fortune on decorative gift boxes or even expensive gift wrapping paper. Wrap the gifts in ordinary brown paper bags or other inexpensive wraps you may have. Now, decorate the outside of the boxes with decorative pieces found right in your backyard. Acorns, pinecones, and tree leaves all make beautiful décor and add a pleasant fragrance to your gifts. Secure them to the paper using hot glue. Consider putting a string of Christmas lights on your tree skirt to light up the gifts!

Fruit Ornaments

You may hang the same holiday ornaments up on your tree year after year. This year can be different, using your favorite fruits. Good Housekeeping presents this fun activity even the kids can help with. Baking these will add a wonderful aroma to your home.

Turn your oven to 150 degrees. Take your favorite fruits such as oranges, apples, pears, grapefruits, and lemons. Cut them crosswise into ½ inch to ¾ inch slices. Try to keep them uniform. Line them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place them in the oven and bake for four hours, turning every hour. Be sure to check on them as you don’t want them to dry out. Create a tiny hole in each piece and string brown or green twine through each. Enjoy hanging on your tree.

Fruit and Flower Centerpieces

If you want to wow your guests, be sure to have a beautiful table centerpiece. Once again, this does not need to be expensive. A DIY fruit and flower centerpiece is easily made with materials you probably already have in your home. Fill a clear glass vase with grapes, key limes, or raspberries. Then, place a bouquet of fresh flowers on top, protruding outside the vase. Add complementing garland such as mint leaves or baby’s breath around it.

The above six ideas are fun and easy DIY crafts for this holiday season. Although these are fun, there are several more unique ways to decorate. Check out ChristmasLightsEtc.com for ideas! Your guests will think you’ve worked hours on these projects, and only you know how easy and quick it really was.