Why settle for store-bought décor when you can make your very own holiday crafts using all-natural ingredients, like cinnamon, cloves and pinecones? Plus, doing so means there’s no need to fret about last-minute flourishes because you can find many the following supplies in and around your home:
Cinnamon sticks
These spiced sticks aren’t just for teas and mulled drinks! Use floral shears to cut them to size and then hot glue them around a pillar candle (or several). Finish it off with a seasonal ribbon or some twine. Try Frontier Natural Products Whole Cinnamon Sticks—they’re 6″ long and non-irradiated!
Flour and salt
Chances are, you already have these staples in your pantry. So, why not use them to make dough ornaments? Simply combine one cup of salt with four cups of flour and stir while gradually adding one and a half cups of warm water to the mixture. Knead the dough until it is soft and malleable, and then roll it out and cut it into seasonal shapes with cookie cutters. Poke a small hole at the top of each ornament with a toothpick and bake at 325 degrees F for one hour. Paint the ornaments after they cool and, if desired, preserve them with a thin layer of varnish.
Pinecones
Gather the versatile fruit of the pine tree from your yard, favorite hiking trail or local art supply store and get ready to start crafting! Hot glue pine cones to a holiday wreath or attach two twig “antlers,” a small red pom pom nose and a string for hanging and voilà—you have an adorable reindeer ornament!
Cloves
These are a key ingredient in spiced orange pomander balls, which can add holiday flair to any home. Use a citrus zester or peeler to carve a design in the skin of the oranges. Next, use a toothpick to poke each orange with a row of decorative holes. Finally, push Spicely Organics Whole Cloves, or another variety, into the holes. Hint: For added fragrance, first roll the cloves in cardamom, ground cinnamon or ginger.
Kraft paper
Why purchase holiday gift wrap when you can make your own with brown kraft paper? Use stickers, markers and/or paint to add a decorative design to the paper, or pick up some holiday stamps and colorful ink from your local art supply store. You can even hot glue some herbs or fresh greenery to your DIY wrapping paper!
Beeswax
Did you know that beeswax makes beautiful ornaments? Simply melt the wax and pour it into a festive silicone candy mold (e.g., one that is shaped like a snowman, gingerbread man or candy cane), add a ribbon to the top to allow for hanging and wait for it to cool and harden. Once the wax has solidified, gently pop your ornament out of the mold. We recommend using Frontier Natural Products White Beeswax Beads, available in a 16-ounce bag!
Parchment paper
You probably won’t be making any seasonal crafts out of parchment paper. But it’s a must-have for protecting counter tops, tables and other surfaces in your home while crafting with edible ingredients (see dough ornaments), ink, paint, glitter, glue and other potentially messy supplies.
Pine needle essential oil
Take your holiday crafts to the next level with “fresh, forest-like” pine needle essential oil, such as Vitacost 100% Pure Pine Needle Essential Oil. Add a few fragrant drops to homemade wreaths, ornaments and more. After all, who can resist the signature scent of the season?
Popsicle sticks
First eat a bunch of popsicles and save the sticks—or purchase popsicle sticks from an art supply store. Then use wood glue to adhere the sticks to each other, forming the shape of a sled. Adorn your tiny toboggan with embellishments, such as jingle bells and faux greenery, and glue a loop of twine at the top for hanging.