This Christmas is shaping up to be a `hard times' season, when many people are looking at making their own decorations and festive fare to save money. But it needn't be a less festive option - DIY yourself Christmas decorations can be a joyous way to prepare for the holiday season that the whole family can become involved in.

Making your own ornaments for the tree, and your own decorations for the rest of the house, can become a Christmas tradition in itself. DIY yourself decorations can be put away and taken out again next year, providing happy memories of good times that will add to the warmth of a Christmas spent at home. Here are some ideas for DIY yourself Christmas decorations.

Felt advent calendar: Start the excitement early by making your own advent calendar out of felt in the form of a Christmas tree. Cut a large piece of green felt into a triangle, and sew it to a smaller piece of red felt, which is attached to the bottom. Cut a star out of white glitter felt and attach it to the top of the tree.

Now cut out 24 small squares and mark them with the numbers 1-24. You can use permanent marker pens, stamps or applique. Sew the squares to the tree, leaving them open at the top to form pockets. In each pocket you can slip a small candy or gift. As you count down the days with your child, you can give them the candy or gift for that day.

Air dry clay ornaments: Air drying clay is available from most craft shops and is wonderful for making unique ornaments for your tree, or you can make a batch of paper mache clay, and use that instead. Roll out the clay, and use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out your ornaments. Dry them thoroughly, and paint them with artists' acrylic paints. Several coats of sealer will help keep your ornaments looking fresh for many Christmases to come.

Personalized Christmas stockings: These are fun for every member of the family. Cut out a large stocking shape out of paper (newspaper will do) and use it as a template to cut Christmas stockings out of scrap fabric, old clothes, or fat quarters from a craft shop. Trim the tops with cuffs of felt cut into a decorative edge, and stitch the name of the person who will be using the stocking.

Homemade Christmas crackers: These are very easily made from the cardboard centers from toilet rolls, wrapping paper, snaps from the craft store, and small toys and trinkets. Slide one of the snaps through the cardboard roll, and fill with toys or trinkets. You can add a joke, motto and paper hat. Dab a spot of glue onto the cardboard roll, and lay it on a length of wrapping paper. The paper should be the same length again as the cardboard roll at both ends. Wrap the paper round the roll, forming a cylinder. The glue will hold it in place. Gather the paper at both ends of the cardboard roll into a bunch so it looks like a Christmas cracker. Glue a scrap to the outside of the cracker.

Christmas village: Old milk and juice cartons can be used for this DIY Christmas craft. Cut the cartons to different heights, leaving the pointed tops in place. Paint the cartons with thick white gesso from an art shop, and when that is dry, use artists' acrylic paints to decorate your houses with windows, doors, plants and fences, all painted onto the surface of the cartons. Paint the pointed roofs red, and decorate with spray on artificial snow or cotton wool. Arrange your Christmas village on a shelf, such as the mantel over your fireplace.

DIY Christmas decorations are fun to make and unique to you. using your creativity at Christmas won't just save you money, it will make you feel more involved with the spirit of Christmas, and make happy memories for the future.

Learn more about this author, Gail Kavanagh.
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