One of the best parts about Christmas is getting to partake in all the traditions that we hold dear. But we don’t have to drop a ton of loot to make them happen. There are lots of DIY ways to create or recreate special holiday traditions with your family.
Here are some of our favorite:
1) Build a Cozy Christmas Fort
What’s more fun than building a fort in the living room? You can create a cozy little nook for your family out of some sheets and maybe a few string lights where you can enjoy Christmas movies in a special little spot. You can find instructions here on how to build your fort.
2) DIY Christmas Tree Skirt
Why buy a Christmas tree skirt when you can make a personalized one that is special to your family? With a few pieces of supplies from the dollar or craft store, you can make one that is extra special and has your family’s name on it, their handprints, or even their photos if you buy that iron-on transfer paper. You can find 15 ways to make a tree skirt here.
3) Decorate Your Door
One way to create a big decor statement in your home is to decorate your door. You can turn it into a big ole’ snowman if you have a white door, a Santa if you have a red door, or turn it into a giant present. You can find several DIY door decoration ideas here and here.
4) Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
Getting to see all the beautiful Christmas lights that neighbors put up is one of the most fun parts of Christmas. You can make that experience, even more, fun by creating a Christmas light scavenger hunt by making a list of the different decorations you see in the neighborhood and letting your kids check them off a list once they spot them. You can assign points to each item and give out prizes for whoever has the most points.
5) Hope Notes
This is a post-Christmas tradition that also stirs up some excitement at the start of the season. The way it works is that you write a note about a hope you have that you’d like to have come true by next Christmas. You slip the note inside your stockings when you pack up your stocking when Christmas is over. When you unpack your stocking the following Christmas, you’ll find your note and can see if you hope came true.
6) Surprise Christmas Movie or Books
Wrap up Christmas movies and books that you already have and unwrap one each night to watch or read with the family.
7) 12 Days of Christmas Activities
Create boxes or envelopes for the 12 days leading up to Christmas that include different activities for each day. You can set aside a day to build gingerbread houses, to put up the tree, or to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. You can find some great ideas here.
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8) Play Games
There are lots of fun Christmas-themed games you can play with your family like the Silver Bells memory game, the ornament balancing game, and lots of others that you can find here.
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9) Year in Review Family Newsletter
Creating a year in review newsletter to send to family and friends gives you a chance to celebrate all the wonderful things that occurred throughout the last year and helps you to catch up with families members who you have less contact with.
10) Leave Candy in Shoes
Saint Nicholas was an actual saint that helped children in need. To honor Saint Nicholas, children would leave their shoes by the door on his birthday, which is Dec. 6, to be filled with candy. This is fun tradition that will help you get rid of some of that excess Halloween candy.
11) Do a Cookie Exchange
Christmas time is when all the bakers in the family bring out the big guns. So, it ends up being lots of fun when you do a cookie exchange with family, friends, and neighbors. You can send out invitations a few weeks in advance to a cookie party where everyone brings at least one dish of cookies. Have Tupperware for your guests (you can get these at the $1 store) and make sure that everyone gets at least two of each cookie. You can find some more details here on how to throw an awesome cookie swap.
12) Christmas Card Tree
Use washi tape to create a Christmas tree that you can hang your Christmas cards from. Get the details on how to create the one below here.
13) DIY Ornaments
Making your own ornaments add a special touch to your Christmas tree and makes it unique to your family. These are the ornaments that you’ll cherish for years to come. You can get loads of ideas here.
14) Make Reindeer Food
We all leave out cookies for Santa, but what about the reindeer! They have to be hungry going from house to house all around the world. A fun tradition is to make some reindeer food with the kids out of rolled oats; sunflower seeds; abd red, green and white sugar crystals. You’ll want to sprinkle it outside in the snow on Christmas Eve. Make sure you’re only using edible ingredients so the animals who eat it up don’t get sick.
15) Perform Charity
Make it your families tradition to do some type of charitable act like buying Christmas presents for a family for need, sending a care package to a soldier, or starting a coat drive. You can find some ideas here.
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