20 Super Easy Trash To Treasure Christmas Crafts

20 easy and elegant home decor Christmas crafts from second hand and thrifted items.

Repurpose, reuse and recycle what you have on hand to decorate your home for the holidays.


Christmas crafting is one of my all time favorite holiday activities.

There's something about creating new decor pieces and gifts by the light of the tree that fills me with holiday spirit.

Whether I'm in front of the fire listening to Steve and Eydie harmonize about the falling snow or Harry Bailey toast to his big brother George, the richest man in town, it's all infinitely more festive with a glue gun or paint brush in hand.

All the way up to Christmas Eve.

So as you can imagine, I have a lot of Christmas crafts to share. 

I've rounded some of them up before, but since I'm always making new ones, and my last round up was way back in 2016, I thought it was time to share what I've been up to since.

Now, most of these craft projects are upcycles from things I've found at the curb or thrift store.

I think that's my favorite kind of DIY, turning trash into treasure, so to speak. 

But I promise, they won't look like trash. 

Plus each and every one of them is easy to do, requiring no special tools or expensive supplies. 

So sit back, crank up the carols and let's get festive!

20 Trash To Treasure Christmas Crafts

1. Felt Stocking Banner

The first craft on the list is the last one I made for the holidays.


It's a felt stocking banner that I put together late in 2020, using leftover supplies in my craft closet.

The mantel looked incomplete all season and until these teeny socks were hung by the fire.

I love the softness that it brought to the stone fireplace.

2.Vintage Flexible Flyer Makeover

And it paired well with the vintage sled my husband found over the summer.


It was given a quick makeover with paint and a wreath. 

Beautiful. I can't wait to bring it out this year. 

3. Mini Sled Update

Sometimes a little paint is all you need for a total transformation.

 
Sometimes it takes a little more. Like a napkin. 

That's what I used to add holiday flair to another second hand sled. This one was much smaller, but had just as much charm. 

Maybe even more. 

4. Fan Blade Junk Christmas Angel

Fan blades might not bring visions of sugarplums to mind as readily as sleds, but with a bit of imagination, they can be a rustic addition, too. 


I turned and old ceiling fan blade into a junkie Christmas angel with a few scrap wood accessories.

Leftovers never looked so good.

5. Macaroni Angel Ornament

I've actually whipped up angels in many forms over the years. One of my absolute favorites is this throwback I made for the tree.


Fun for the whole family. 

In fact, it was inspired by a twenty-five cent purchase at a PTA fun fair when I was teaching.

6. Sock Angel Doll

Another craft fair find was an angel doll I always wanted to try to recreate. Old socks were the key, along with a very unusual drying technique.


One that was suited more to Halloween than Christmas, but that's another story!

The results are darling and with a few accessory swaps this angel can stay out all year long.

7. Sock Angel Ornament

I was so smitten with her that I had to make an ornament in the same style, using baby socks instead. 


This darling ball of sweetness can be hung on the tree as is, personalized for Baby's First Christmas or added to a gift in place of a bow. 

And if you make it with an old sock from one of your kids or grandkids, it becomes an instant heirloom.

8. Christmas Tree Sticker Sign

Next up, I have a collection of signs. I adore decorating with homemade signs, I'm just not great at lettering so I cheat my way there.


The easiest way to get a perfect result is with a holiday themed sticker. I've made many of these over the years...and why not?

You just cut a piece of scrap wood to size, paint or stain in and slap a sticker on.

Instant fabulous. 

9. Gift Bag Christmas Sign

I've also used gift bags to make signs. No lettering with this method either.

There are so many great bags out there, it's easy to find one that suits your style.

Or pull one out of your stash.


And with two sides, you can make two signs, which is precisely what I did with an especially lovely Merry Christmas sack.

I cut it up into pieces and created an entirely new look.

10. Framed Christmas Gift Bag Art

For an even simpler sign, with absolutely no painting or gluing, you can frame a dollar store gift bag.

Yup. Choose a bag that fits your frame, easy enough, since the come in a wide variety of sizes and place it under glass.

Done.

11. T-Shirt Transfer Christmas Sign

The last sign on my list was created with an iron and my computer.

Seriously, I'll do anything to avoid that stencil! 

I printed a custom design onto a t-shirt transfer and then ironed it onto a stretched canvas I had tucked away in my closet.

Unique and more elegant than I expected. Christmas surprises are the best.

12. Button Christmas Tree Craft

To be honest, that closet is where I find most of my supplies.


During the eleven months prior to Christmas, I pick up things, here and there, not always knowing what I'm going to do with them.

I pop them into the closet and then hope inspiration hits when the creative spigot gets turned on in the weeks after Thanksgiving. 

For example, when I picked up a broken frame in the clearance aisle I didn't see it as the backdrop for a button tree. 

But it was the perfect palette for this charming little number.

And a nice way to use some of the buttons I'd bought on whim.

13. Christmas Plate Craft

The closet is also full of glass plates.

They come in many shapes and sizes. And they're never more than a buck.

Coupled with a printed napkin, they become showstopping display pieces. 

Especially if there's a red truck involved.

14. Let It Snow Cutting Board

I also have a quite a collection of cutting boards in my craft closet. Never met one I didn't like.


Plus, cutting boards have two sides, which means I can decorate both, allowing them to pull double decorating duty throughout the year. 

So for my next craft, I just pulled my stenciled farmhouse cutting board off the counter and added some sticky letters to the back. 

Ok, there may have been a little bit more involved, but not much. I promise.

15. Placemat Christmas Tree Apron

Cutting boards aren't the only kitchen items that make for interesting Christmas upcycles.

Holiday linens work really well, too.

I turned a mismatched red velvet placemat into an apron with the addition of a patchwork scrap fabric tree. 

A lovely gift for the chef. Or me.

16.  Placemat Christmas Pillow

And I've made the most darling pillow simply by opening a seam on a Merry Christmas placemat from Target.In less than 10 minutes, I had a custom red and green addition to my bedroom.

With trim. What a bonus.

17.  DIY Glitter Candle Holder 

Besides thrift store, I always find the dollar store to be full of idea provoking items.

A glass vase, for example, makes a glamorous hostess gift or table display when hit with some glitter and a sticker.

Gotta love those stickers.

Pop a battery operated candle inside and you have instant holiday ambiance for about three dollars apiece. 

18. Elegant Dollar Store Christmas Village Makeover 

Even old dollar store purchases can be transformed with a bit of paint. Rather than donate my collection of houses, I sprayed them with a cream color and added a bit of snow.

With lights tucked underneath, they elegantly illuminate my mantel.

And you'd never guess that they were almost on their way to the donation pile. 

19. Coastal Christmas Shell Wreath Ornament

The last two items on my crafty Christmas list were made in homage to my beloved island.


If you're into coastal decor, especially for the holidays, these last two creations may be the best.

The first, a small wreath made from shells I collected during the summer, can be whipped up in minutes with a glue gun.

Hang it on the tree or, like I do, on a kitchen cabinet knob.

Reminding me to keep Christmas in my heart all year long.

20. Starfish Christmas Tree DIY

The second, and last, on the list, was found in a small shop near my home.

A total tourist trap, for sure, but it was so unique, I had to make one for myself.

I mean honestly, what says Christmas at the beach more than a tree made entirely of starfish?

Pure Magic. 

It was an other easy DIY, no special skills needed. 

Just like I promised.

Merry Christmas Crafting!