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4 Christmas Crafts, 6 Readily Available Items

These fun and festive decorations are incredibly easy-to-make and make use of everyday items already in your home! Bonus: These crafts will keep kids busy and give you more time for holiday prep and festivities.

Decorative Potpourri

Whether hung in the tree or scattered throughout the house, these fragrant spice packets will get the whole family in the holiday spirit.

Choose among these herbs and spices: verbena, rosemary, mint, bay leaves, pieces of cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and allspice. Add dried orange zest, cedar chips and a few drops of cedar oil. Put into a plastic bag and mix every day for a few days. Then, divide into little jute bags and tie with wide decorative ribbons.

Dried Fruit Christmas Garlands

This year, give your tree a new look! For a classic style of simple elegance, try combining your dried fruit garlands with white Christmas lights and ball ornaments of the same colour.

Cut a whole apple and orange in round slices. Dip them for 1 minute in a mixture of water, the juice of one lemon and 1 tablespoon of salt. Lay them flat on a plate and cook in the microwave for approximately 30 minutes. Check them regularly to make sure they don't turn black. Don't worry if the apples shrivel up a little! Let slices cool and treat with a little hair spray. Poke a hole in the fruit slices with a paper clip or other pointy object and string together with raffia. For extra creative flair, glue cinnamon sticks or star anis to the fruit slices.

The dried fruit are also a great way to decorate your gift-wrapping!

Fragrant Centrepieces

Choose a variety of citrus fruit––oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes––and with a sharp knife, cut grooves into the peel and insert whole cloves. Display your citrus fruit in a decorative bowl or dish, and add a few cinnamon sticks, cranberries, greenery, and gold ribbons. A gorgeous centrepiece in no time!

Easy Graham Cookie House

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter, ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1½ to 2 tablespoons of milk. Icing must be smooth with a firm consistency to make it easy to apply. Pour the icing in a watertight plastic bag and cut off one corner (for your own pastry bag).

Place a graham cookie on the table and squeeze some icing on all four sides. This piece will serve as the house's floor. Place one cookie per side for the house's four walls. Squeeze icing to seal the walls together. Add more icing to two of the top surfaces, to create the roof. Place two cookies for the roof and seal together once again with icing. For decoration, use the icing to create snowy effects or to affix colourful candy.

Once the house is dry and solid, string a ribbon through the opening in the roof, and it then becomes an attractive Christmas tree ornament.

Happy Holidays!

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