Little Women Christmas: 13 Cozy Old-Fashioned Decorations You Can Make on a Budget
Little Women Christmas starts with Jo grumbling that Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents. The March sisters have almost no money that year, so they make, sew and give what they can, and even hand their own Christmas breakfast to a poor neighbor. Little Women was written by Louisa May Alcott and published in 1868, loosely based on her own childhood with three sisters, and that handmade holiday still feels warm today. Below are thirteen cozy, old fashioned decorations in the spirit of the March family home: popcorn strings, book page trees, calico hearts and more. They cost very little, use what you already have, and look like they came from a much loved farmhouse..
Little Women Christmas in the March Family Parlor
Picture the March parlor on Christmas morning: a little fir tree hung with popcorn strings and stitched hearts, a few books on the table, and a frosty window letting in pale winter light. Nothing in that room was expensive, yet it is the scene readers have loved for more than 150 years. You can create the same feeling with a few dollars of supplies and an afternoon of making. Start with the tree, add the paper and fabric pieces below, and let the room feel warm and lived in. Which corner of your home could become your March parlor..
You will need: A small real or faux fir tree, popcorn, cranberries, scrap fabric, old book pages, twine and a few sprigs of holly.
How to make it: 1. Place the tree near a window where the light is soft. 2. Add the garlands first, then the fabric and paper ornaments. 3. Finish the table beside it with books, greenery and a hand knit stocking.
Popcorn and Cranberry Garland
In the 1860s a family like the Marches decorated with what came from the kitchen, and a popcorn and cranberry string was the classic. It is still the most charming part of a Little Women Christmas you can put on a tree, and it costs almost nothing. Pop plain corn and let it sit overnight so it gets a little stale; it threads without crumbling. Alternate a few pieces of popcorn with one cranberry for that bright red and white rhythm. It also makes a lovely winter treat for the birds once the season is over. Who in your house will help thread?
You will need: Plain popcorn with no butter or salt, fresh cranberries, a long embroidery needle and strong cotton thread.
How to make it: 1. Pop the corn a day ahead and let it sit uncovered. 2. Thread the needle with about six feet of doubled thread and knot the end. 3. String a pattern of popcorn and cranberries, tie off and drape on the tree.
Little Women Christmas Book Page Trees
Jo March would surely approve of a Christmas tree made from books. Book page trees have racked up millions of views online, and they suit this old fashioned look perfectly. Fold each page of an old paperback toward the spine to make a cone shaped tree that stands on its own. Use a damaged thrift store book, never one you love. Make a little forest in three sizes and set them on a mantel shelf, a desk or a windowsill. A tiny star or a sprig of greenery on top finishes the look. Which old book will you give a second life?
You will need: An old paperback from a thrift store, a craft knife with adult help, a glue stick and small stars or greenery for the tops.
How to make it: 1. Trim the cover off and cut the pages into a tall triangle, keeping the spine. 2. Fold each page in half toward the spine, then fold the bottom corner up. 3. Glue the first and last pages together and fluff the tree into shape.
Dried Orange and Cinnamon Bundles
An orange was a real treat at Christmas in the 1860s, often tucked into the toe of a stocking. Slice a few oranges thin, dry them slowly in a low oven and tie them with cinnamon sticks and a sprig of pine. The bundles smell wonderful, glow like stained glass when the light hits them and look perfect hanging on a tree or tied onto a gift. A few bundles bring a Little Women Christmas feeling to any kitchen. They keep for years if you store them in a dry tin. It is the easiest way to make a room smell like Christmas. Where will you hang yours?
You will need: Two or three oranges, cinnamon sticks, jute twine, small pine sprigs, a baking sheet and parchment paper.
How to make it: 1. Slice the oranges about a quarter inch thick and pat them dry. 2. Bake on parchment at the lowest oven setting for three to four hours, turning often, with adult help. 3. Stack two slices with a cinnamon stick and pine sprig and tie with twine.
Paper Chain in Kraft and Red
The March sisters had more imagination than money, and a paper chain is pure imagination on a budget. Skip the bright craft paper and use kraft paper and a soft barn red instead, and suddenly the simple school craft looks like a vintage decoration. Cut strips from grocery bags and old wrapping paper, then loop and glue them together while you listen to an audiobook of the novel. It is a true Little Women Christmas craft. Drape it across a doorway, a window or the tree. It is the perfect project for a snowy afternoon with the family. How long can you make yours?
You will need: Kraft paper or brown bags, red paper, scissors or a paper trimmer, a glue stick and a ruler.
How to make it: 1. Cut strips about one inch wide and six inches long. 2. Loop the first strip and glue the ends. 3. Thread the next strip through, glue it closed and repeat, alternating colors.
Little Women Christmas Calico Ornaments
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy all sewed, and hand stitched fabric ornaments are a sweet way to bring that into your Christmas. Cut hearts and stars from red calico, gingham or any small print scraps, stitch around the edges with a simple running stitch, and stuff them lightly with cotton before you close them up. A loop of twine and a tiny button make them look like heirlooms. They are soft, unbreakable and perfect for a tree that little ones help decorate. Do you have a scrap bag waiting for a project like this?
You will need: Red and cream cotton fabric scraps, embroidery floss, a needle, a little stuffing, small buttons and twine.
How to make it: 1. Cut two matching heart or star shapes from fabric. 2. Stitch around the edge with a running stitch, leaving a small gap. 3. Add a little stuffing, sew the gap closed and stitch on a twine loop and button.
Evergreen Swag Tied With Muslin
Long before wreath forms were sold in stores, families tied a bundle of branches together and hung it on the door. An evergreen swag is easier than a wreath, perfect for a Little Women Christmas door, and looks wonderfully old fashioned. Gather pine, cedar and a few holly sprigs from the yard or a tree lot, layer them from longest to shortest, and tie them with a strip of torn muslin. Hang it upside down on a door, a gate or above a window. The torn fabric bow gives it that soft, homemade feeling. Ready to go clip some branches?
You will need: Pine, cedar and holly branches, floral wire, a strip of muslin or cotton fabric and pruning shears with adult help.
How to make it: 1. Lay the longest branches down first and stack shorter ones on top. 2. Wire the stems together tightly. 3. Tear a long strip of muslin, tie a big bow over the wire and hang the swag stems up.
Vintage Tin Cookie Cutter Garland
Hannah, the March family cook, would feel right at home with this one. Old tin cookie cutters in hearts, stars and gingerbread shapes become a garland in minutes when you tie them onto red and white twine. Hang it across a kitchen window, along open shelves or over the baking corner, and the light catches the metal edges beautifully. Thrift stores and flea markets are full of mismatched cutters for pennies. When it is time to bake, just untie a few. Which shapes are hiding in your kitchen drawer?
You will need: Ten to fifteen metal cookie cutters, red and white baker twine, scissors and two small adhesive hooks.
How to make it: 1. Cut a length of twine a little longer than your window. 2. Tie each cutter on with a double knot, spacing them evenly. 3. Hang the ends on the hooks and adjust the cutters so they face forward.
Lace Doily Snowflakes on the Windows
Grandma’s lace doilies make the prettiest snowflakes you have ever seen. Stick them to the window glass with a little cornstarch paste or hang them on thread, and the winter light shines through every lacy pattern. Paper doilies work too and cost a dollar for a big pack. Group a few large ones with smaller ones scattered around, just like falling snow. It is a sweet, old fashioned touch that suits a Little Women Christmas perfectly and comes off with warm water in January. Do you have a few doilies tucked away in a drawer?
You will need: Cotton or paper lace doilies, cornstarch, water, a small saucepan and a soft brush.
How to make it: 1. Mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with a little cold water, then add a cup of hot water and stir until it thickens, with adult help. 2. Brush the cooled paste onto the window and press a doily flat. 3. Brush a thin coat over the top and let it dry.
Homemade Stockings From Wool Scraps
In Little Women the girls fall asleep on Christmas Eve, and you can still imagine the stockings waiting by the bed. Make your own from old wool sweaters, blankets or felted scraps. Cut two stocking shapes, blanket stitch around the edge in a contrasting yarn, and add a cuff from another scrap. Each one turns out a little different, which is exactly the charm. Hang them from a shelf, a stair rail or a row of hooks. For more pioneer style ideas, see our Laura Ingalls Wilder Christmas crafts. Whose name goes on the first one?
You will need: Old wool sweaters or felted wool scraps, a paper stocking pattern, scissors, yarn, a large needle and ribbon for hanging.
How to make it: 1. Trace and cut two stocking shapes from the wool. 2. Blanket stitch the edges together with yarn, leaving the top open. 3. Add a folded cuff from a contrasting scrap and a ribbon loop.
Little Women Christmas Writing Desk Corner
Jo spent her happiest hours writing, and the March family waited eagerly for letters from Father. A small writing corner is a lovely way to honor that. Clear a desk or side table, add a stack of letters tied with ribbon, a feather quill and ink pot, a few old books and a sprig of holly. Then actually use it: write cards to the people you love most this year. Kids can write letters to grandparents at it too. It may become everyone’s favorite spot in the house. Who will you write to first?
You will need: A small desk or side table, plain envelopes or old letters, satin ribbon, a feather quill, a small ink bottle and holly sprigs.
How to make it: 1. Clear the desk and place it near a window. 2. Tie a bundle of letters with ribbon and stack a few old books. 3. Add the quill, ink and a jar of holly, then set out cards and stamps.
Little Women Christmas Quilt Tree Skirt
A patchwork quilt wrapped around the base of the tree is cozier than any store bought tree skirt. It is the coziest Little Women Christmas idea of all and looks like something the March sisters stitched by the fire on long winter evenings, and it costs nothing if you already own one. Fold the quilt into a loose ring, tuck the corners under, and let the reds and creams show around the presents. A vintage quilt from a thrift shop works beautifully too. After the holidays, it goes right back on the bed. Do you have a family quilt that deserves a place of honor?
You will need: A patchwork quilt or throw in red, cream or green, and a few safety pins if needed.
How to make it: 1. Fold the quilt in half, then loosely gather it around the tree stand. 2. Tuck the corners underneath to make a soft round shape. 3. Pin any loose folds from below and arrange the gifts on top.
Boxwood Wreath With a Ribbon Bow
The simplest wreath is often the most elegant, and a small boxwood wreath with a long ribbon looks straight out of a Little Women Christmas. Hang one in each window with a ribbon running up to the top of the frame, the way old New England homes still do. Fresh boxwood lasts for weeks and smells clean and green; faux boxwood lasts for years. Choose red velvet for a classic look or cream linen for something softer. It is a small touch that makes a home feel festive from the street. How many windows will you dress?
You will need: Small boxwood wreaths, red velvet or linen ribbon, a few thumbtacks or adhesive hooks and floral wire.
How to make it: 1. Tie a long ribbon around the top of each wreath and finish with a bow. 2. Run the ribbon up to the top of the window frame. 3. Fasten it with a tack or hook so the wreath hangs in the center of the glass.
