Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts: 16 Quirky Handmade Ideas Inspired by TV’s Funniest Crafter

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts are pure joy, a little bit silly and a whole lot of fun for grown ups. If you have seen her truTV show At Home with Amy Sedaris, you know she adores a homemade project and a well set party table. The comedian and actress even wrote a whole crafting book, Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People, in 2010. The spirit here is simple and freeing: handmade does not need to be perfect. It needs to make somebody smile. So this year, skip the stress and pour a mug of cocoa. Pull out the scrap box, the pipe cleaners and that bag of pom poms you forgot about. Here are 16 quirky, cozy and cheap ideas inspired by her playful style, perfect for a craft night with friends or a quiet evening by the tree..

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts Start With Felt Food Ornaments

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts often start with food, and felt food ornaments are the perfect first project. A frosted felt donut, a gingerbread man with tiny stitches or a slice of felt pie looks good enough to eat, and it will never go stale. Cut two simple shapes, add sprinkles with colorful thread and stuff it with a pinch of fiberfill. Make a whole bakery and hang it on one branch for a sweet little surprise. Which treat would you stitch first..

You will need: felt sheets in tan, pink and brown, embroidery thread, a needle, fiberfill, twine for hangers, sharp scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut two matching shapes, like a donut or a cookie, from tan felt. 2. Stitch on the icing layer and add sprinkles with small colorful stitches. 3. Sew the edges together, stuff lightly and add a twine loop.

Candy Colored Pom Pom Garland

Nothing says happy like a big, fluffy pom pom garland. Wrap yarn around a fork or a pom pom maker, tie the middle tight, snip the loops and give each ball a haircut. Mix red, pink, white and mint for a candy shop look that feels a little retro. String them on a long piece of yarn and drape it across the mantel or a doorway. It is the kind of easy, repeat craft you can do while watching a holiday movie. How many colors would you mix?

You will need: yarn in four colors, a fork or pom pom maker, sharp scissors, a large yarn needle.

How to make it: 1. Wrap yarn around a fork about 60 times and tie it tightly in the middle. 2. Cut the loops, then trim the ball until it is round and fluffy. 3. Thread the pom poms on a long strand of yarn, spacing them evenly.

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts in Miniature: A Dollhouse Holiday Room

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts can go tiny too. Decorating a dollhouse room for the holidays is one of the most charming projects a grown up can try. Glue a bottle brush tree into a bead base, wrap matchbox gifts in scraps of paper, and stitch stockings the size of your thumbnail. A scrap of plaid becomes a cozy throw for the little armchair. Ask around, because many families have an old dollhouse sitting in the attic. Would you build one room or the whole house?

You will need: a dollhouse or a sturdy shoebox room, a mini bottle brush tree, matchboxes, scrap paper, felt scraps, plaid fabric, tiny battery fairy lights, craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Pick one room and clear it out so you have space to work. 2. Make the tree, gifts and stockings and glue them in place. 3. Add a scrap of plaid on the chair and tuck in battery lights for a warm glow.

Pipe Cleaner Snowflakes for the Window

Pipe cleaners are a quirky crafter’s best friend, and these snowflakes take about five minutes each. Twist three white or silver stems together in the middle, bend the ends into little V shapes, and slide on a few white beads for sparkle. Hang them in a bright window on fishing line so they seem to float in front of the snow outside. They are light, cheap and kid safe, so the whole family can help. Will you make them all the same or every one different?

You will need: white and silver glitter pipe cleaners, small white beads, clear fishing line, removable hooks.

How to make it: 1. Twist three pipe cleaners together at the center to make six arms. 2. Bend short pieces onto each arm to form V shapes and add beads. 3. Tie fishing line to one arm and hang it in a window.

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts With Googly Eyes

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts on this list would not be complete without googly eyes, because few craft supplies are funnier. Glue a pair onto plain red, green and gold baubles, then add a tiny felt smile or a wiggly felt mustache. Suddenly your tree is full of little characters looking back at you. Guests will laugh the moment they walk in. Shatterproof ornaments work best, and a dollar store pack goes a long way. Which ornament on your tree needs a face?

You will need: plain shatterproof ornaments, googly eyes in a few sizes, black and red felt scraps, strong craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Wipe each ornament clean so the glue holds. 2. Glue on two googly eyes and let them set. 3. Cut a small smile or mustache from felt and glue it below the eyes.

Cotton Ball Snowman Card

This one is a throwback to grade school, and that is exactly the point. Glue fluffy cotton balls onto blue cardstock in a snowman shape, add button eyes, a felt carrot nose and a tiny knit scarf cut from an old sock. Fold the card and write a silly note inside. It feels nostalgic, it costs pennies and grandparents absolutely treasure it. Try a whole batch at the kitchen table with friends and some cookies. Who on your list would love a homemade card?

You will need: blue cardstock, cotton balls, white craft glue, small buttons, orange felt, a scrap of red knit fabric.

How to make it: 1. Fold the cardstock in half and sketch a light snowman outline. 2. Glue cotton balls inside the outline, pulling them a little for fluff. 3. Add buttons, a felt nose and a red scarf, then let it dry flat.

Paper Chain Advent Countdown

A paper chain countdown is old fashioned in the best way. Cut 24 strips of red, green and white paper, write a tiny fun task on the inside of each one, like “make cocoa” or “sing one carol”, and loop them together. Hang the chain across a doorway. Every morning, someone tears off a link and does the task. It turns the wait for Christmas into a game, and the house looks festive the whole time. What would you write on the last link?

You will need: red, green and white paper, scissors or a paper trimmer, a glue stick or stapler, a pen.

How to make it: 1. Cut 24 strips about one inch wide and eight inches long. 2. Write a small task inside each strip, then loop and glue them into a chain. 3. Hang it across a doorway and remove one link each day.

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts Love a Retro Tinsel Tree

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts on this list lean happily into kitsch, and a retro tinsel tree is kitsch at its finest. Look for a small silver tree at a thrift store or estate sale, then dress it only in pastel pink and turquoise glass balls. Set it on a mid century side table and shine a colored lamp on it for that spinning color wheel glow from the 1960s. It is a playful second tree for a den or office. Do you remember a tinsel tree in a relative’s living room?

You will need: a small silver tinsel tree, pastel shatterproof ornaments, a small side table, a colored LED lamp.

How to make it: 1. Fluff each branch of the tinsel tree so it looks full. 2. Hang pastel ornaments, keeping to just two or three colors. 3. Aim a colored LED lamp at the tree for a soft retro glow.

Hand Stitched Felt Stocking

A hand stitched felt stocking is a slow, cozy project for a winter evening. Trace a stocking shape onto red felt, cut two pieces, and sew them together with a big white blanket stitch that shows on purpose. Add a white cuff and a little holly patch with two red felt berries. The uneven stitches are part of the charm. If you love working with felt, our felt Christmas crafts gallery has even more ideas. Whose name will go on yours?

You will need: red and white felt, green and red felt scraps, white embroidery thread, a large needle, a paper stocking pattern, sharp scissors.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut two stocking shapes and one white cuff. 2. Blanket stitch the sides together, leaving the top open. 3. Sew on the cuff, add the holly patch and stitch a hanging loop.

Felt Christmas Light Bulb Garland

These soft felt light bulbs are a fun, no plug alternative to the real thing. Buy felt balls or roll your own wool, then shape each one into a bulb and glue on a little gray felt cap. Pink, teal, lime and red look happy and a bit retro. String them on twine for a garland over a bed or a desk, or glue a magnet on the back for the fridge. It is a perfect craft to do while chatting with friends. What color would your first bulb be?

You will need: felt balls or wool roving, gray felt scraps, fabric glue, a large needle, twine.

How to make it: 1. Squeeze each felt ball into a bulb shape, or buy ready made felt bulbs. 2. Glue a small rolled cap of gray felt on the narrow end. 3. Thread the bulbs on twine through the caps and hang them up.

Thrifted Mug Cocoa Gift

Thrift stores are full of sweet, odd little mugs that cost about a dollar, and they make wonderful gifts. Wash a pretty vintage mug, fill a clear bag with cocoa mix and mini marshmallows, tuck it inside and add a candy cane or peppermint stick. Wrap the whole thing in cellophane with a gingham ribbon. It is quick, thoughtful and a little bit quirky, especially if you pick a mug that suits the person. Who on your list would love a surprise mug?

You will need: a thrifted mug, cocoa mix, mini marshmallows, small clear bags, a peppermint stick, cellophane, ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the mug well. 2. Fill a bag with cocoa mix and marshmallows and set it inside. 3. Add a peppermint stick, wrap in cellophane and tie a bow.

Clothespin Reindeer Ornaments

Clothespin reindeer are a classic for a reason: they are cute, fast and very cheap. Glue two wooden clothespins back to back so the legs point down, then add googly eyes, a red pom pom nose and brown pipe cleaner antlers twisted into branches. Tie a loop of twine on top and hang a whole herd on the tree. You can find more ideas in our clothespin crafts gallery. Will yours have a red nose or a gold one?

You will need: wooden clothespins, small googly eyes, red mini pom poms, brown pipe cleaners, craft glue, twine.

How to make it: 1. Glue two clothespins back to back and let them dry. 2. Add the eyes, the pom pom nose and twisted pipe cleaner antlers. 3. Tie a twine loop at the top for hanging.

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts for Gifting: Sock Gnomes

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts work best when you use what you have, and odd socks are perfect for that. Fill the foot of a striped sock with rice, tie it off, and fold the top into a pointy hat. Glue on a fluffy faux fur beard and a wooden bead nose. That is it. In about ten minutes you have a little gnome with a big personality. Line up three on a shelf, or give one as a sweet hostess gift. What would you name yours?

You will need: striped socks, uncooked rice, rubber bands, white faux fur, wooden beads, hot glue with adult help.

How to make it: 1. Fill the foot of the sock with rice and tie it closed with a rubber band. 2. Fold the top of the sock down into a tall pointy hat. 3. Glue on a faux fur beard and a bead nose.

Candy Wrapper Garland

Here is a wonderfully thrifty idea. Save the shiny wrappers from holiday chocolates, smooth them flat, and fold each one into a little fan or bow. String them on twine and you get a sparkling, colorful garland that costs nothing at all. Gold, red, green and silver catch the light beautifully on a bookshelf or a window. It is also a fun way to keep wrappers out of the trash after a family party. How many sweets will it take to finish yours?

You will need: foil candy wrappers, a large needle, twine, a paper towel for smoothing.

How to make it: 1. Wipe the wrappers clean and smooth them flat with a paper towel. 2. Fold each one accordion style into a fan and pinch the middle. 3. Thread the fans onto twine through the pinched center.

Popsicle Stick Sleigh

A popsicle stick sleigh makes a cute centerpiece or a little gift holder. Glue a row of craft sticks into a base, add curved runners from sticks soaked in warm water, and build low sides. Paint it bright red and fill it with tiny wrapped boxes, a pine sprig and a few candies. Set it on a bed of fake snow on the coffee table. It looks like Santa’s sleigh parked in your living room. Who will get the gifts in the sleigh?

You will need: jumbo craft sticks, wood glue, red craft paint, a small brush, tiny gift boxes, pine sprigs, fake snow.

How to make it: 1. Glue craft sticks side by side to make the base and sides. 2. Soak two sticks in warm water, bend them gently and dry them as runners. 3. Glue on the runners, paint the sleigh red and fill it.

Amy Sedaris Christmas Crafts for the Party: A Felt Pennant Banner

Amy Sedaris Christmas crafts end at a party, a fitting finish for a famous host. Her 2006 entertaining guide, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, spent more than 12 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, according to Wikipedia. So finish your crafting season with a felt pennant banner over the snack table. Cut red, green and white triangles, sew on felt snowflakes and string them on ribbon. Then put out the cheese, call your friends and enjoy. Who is coming to your holiday get together?

You will need: red, green and white felt, white and red felt scraps, a needle and thread or fabric glue, ribbon, scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut 10 to 12 felt triangles the same size. 2. Cut simple snowflakes and sew or glue one on each triangle. 3. Fold the top edge over a long ribbon and glue it in place.