Primitive Christmas Crafts: 15 Rustic Grandma Style Ideas You Can Make for Pennies

Primitive Christmas crafts bring back the kind of Christmas many of us still remember from Grandma’s house. Think tea stained muslin, faded plaid, rusty tin stars and little dolls that look like they have been loved for fifty years. This homespun farmhouse look is having a real moment. “Primitive Christmas crafts” is a Breakout search on Google Trends in the US this week, which means interest jumped far beyond its usual level in just seven days. The best part is the price. Most of these projects use fabric scraps, old jars, twigs, coffee, tea and things you already have in a kitchen drawer. Nothing has to be perfect, because a little wobble is part of the charm. Below are 15 cozy ideas, from stitched stockings to a snowy twig tree, so put the kettle on and let’s get crafting..

Primitive Christmas Crafts Begin With Tea Stained Muslin Stars

Nothing says primitive quite like a soft muslin star with a warm, tea stained glow. Plain white fabric turns a cozy caramel color after a short bath in strong tea, and every star comes out a little different. Stitch them with big, uneven stitches, stuff them lightly and hang them on a small tree, a peg rail or a basket handle. Group a few with other homespun pieces and you get the warm corner you see here. Once you make one, you will want a whole bowl of them, so let’s start with the stars..

You will need: Plain muslin fabric, a star template, scissors, a needle and cream or black thread, a little fiberfill stuffing, 4 tea bags, a bowl and jute twine for hanging.

How to make it: 1. Cut two star shapes for each ornament and sew them together with big running stitches, leaving a small gap. 2. Stuff them lightly and stitch the gap closed. 3. Have an adult pour hot water over the tea bags, let it cool, soak the stars for 20 minutes and let them air dry before adding a twine loop.

Homespun Plaid Rag Garland for the Mantel

Raid your scrap bag for this one. Strips of red, green and cream plaid, knotted one after another onto a long piece of twine, make a fluffy garland that looks straight out of an old farmhouse. Frayed edges are a good thing here, so tear the fabric instead of cutting it. Drape it along the mantel, wrap it around a stair rail or tie it across a window. It is a perfect job for a quiet evening with a holiday movie playing. How long can you make yours before the scraps run out?

You will need: Cotton plaid fabric scraps in red, green and cream, scissors, a long piece of jute twine and a few small wooden stars if you like.

How to make it: 1. Snip the edge of the fabric every inch and tear it into strips about 1 inch wide and 7 inches long. 2. Tie each strip onto the twine with a simple knot and slide them close together. 3. Add a wooden star every foot or so and tie a loop at both ends for hanging.

Primitive Christmas Crafts With a Rusty Tin Star Cluster

Rusty tin stars are a classic piece of primitive decor, and you can fake the rust with paint in one afternoon. Start with plain wooden or metal stars from the craft aisle, sponge on dark brown paint and then dab on a little orange and copper. The result looks like the stars have hung on a barn wall for decades. Group five or more in different sizes on a weathered wall, above a bench or on the front door. This kind of primitive Christmas crafts project looks great all winter long. Where would your star cluster go?

You will need: Plain wooden or metal stars in different sizes, dark brown, rust orange and copper acrylic paint, a kitchen sponge, a paper plate and small nails or command hooks.

How to make it: 1. Paint each star dark brown and let it dry. 2. Dab rust orange and a little copper on with a sponge, leaving some brown showing. 3. Arrange the stars on the wall, starting with the biggest one, and hang the smaller ones around it.

Coffee Stained Cloth Santa Doll

An old fashioned Santa doll gives a shelf so much character. The body is a simple muslin shape, and a quick brush of cooled coffee gives the face that aged look primitive lovers adore. Dress him in a coat cut from faded red homespun fabric and glue on a wool roving beard. Two tiny black dots for eyes are all the face he needs. He looks like a treasure found at a country auction, yet he costs very little to make. Will your Santa be tall and thin or short and round?

You will need: Muslin fabric, a simple doll pattern, needle and thread, fiberfill stuffing, cooled strong coffee, a paintbrush, red homespun fabric, white wool roving, a black fine tip marker and fabric glue.

How to make it: 1. Cut and sew the doll body, then stuff it firmly. 2. Brush the whole doll with cooled coffee and let it dry overnight. 3. Wrap and glue on the red coat and hat, add the wool beard and dot on two small eyes.

Felt Gingerbread Man Ornaments With Big Stitches

These little gingerbread men look good enough to eat, but they are made of brown felt and will last for years. Two layers stitched together with white thread give them that sweet iced look, and a couple of tiny buttons finish the job. Big, visible stitches are part of the primitive style, so this is a great first sewing project for older kids. Hang them on a small tree, tie them to gifts or string them across a kitchen window. Who in your family would love to stitch one?

You will need: Brown felt, a gingerbread man cookie cutter or template, a pencil, scissors, white embroidery thread, a needle, a little stuffing, small buttons and jute twine.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut two felt shapes for each ornament. 2. Sew small buttons onto the front piece, then stitch both pieces together around the edge with white thread. 3. Add a little stuffing before you close the gap and sew a twine loop at the top.

Primitive Christmas Crafts for the Table: A Burlap Tabletop Tree

A rough burlap tree has all the texture of a farmhouse feed sack in a tidy cone shape. Wrap a paper or foam cone in burlap, add a row of small wooden buttons and top it with a twisted jute star. It looks lovely on a kitchen table, a hutch or a bathroom shelf where a big tree will not fit. Make three in different heights and you have an instant centerpiece. Simple primitive Christmas crafts like this one only take about half an hour. Will you add buttons, bells or both?

You will need: A paper or foam craft cone, burlap fabric, scissors, a hot glue gun (adult help), small wooden buttons and jute twine.

How to make it: 1. Cut a burlap piece big enough to wrap the cone and have an adult glue it in place, tucking the edges inside at the bottom. 2. Glue on wooden buttons in a loose spiral. 3. Bend jute twine into a small star shape, glue the ends together and attach it to the top.

Old Cheese Grater Lantern With a Battery Light

That old box grater hiding at the back of the cupboard can become a charming little lantern. Set a battery LED tea light underneath it and the light sparkles out through every tiny hole. Tie a plaid bow around the handle and tuck a few pine sprigs around the base for a sweet farmhouse touch. It looks especially pretty on a kitchen counter in the evening. Always use a battery light here, never a real candle. Do you have an old grater waiting for a second life?

You will need: An old metal box grater, gloves for handling, a battery LED tea light, a strip of plaid fabric or ribbon and a few faux or fresh pine sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the grater, wearing gloves because the edges are sharp. 2. Tie a plaid bow around the handle. 3. Switch on the battery light, set the grater over it and arrange pine around the base.

Salvaged Barn Board Noel Sign

A weathered board with a simple word stenciled across it is a must in any primitive home. Look for an old fence board, a pallet slat or scrap wood from a project, and leave the rough grain and nail holes exactly as they are. Stencil NOEL, JOY or PEACE in cream paint and lightly sand the letters so they look worn. If you love working with old wood, our fence picket Christmas crafts have more cheap ideas for the season. Lean the finished sign by the door with a bucket of pine. Which word will you choose?

You will need: A weathered board about 30 inches long, letter stencils, painter’s tape, cream acrylic paint, a stencil brush and fine sandpaper.

How to make it: 1. Brush off any dirt and make sure the board is dry. 2. Tape the stencil in place and dab on the cream paint with an almost dry brush. 3. Peel off the stencil, let the paint dry and lightly sand the letters for a worn look.

Primitive Christmas Crafts That Smell Like Cinnamon

Grubby ornaments are a big part of primitive decor, and this cinnamon version makes the whole house smell like the holidays. Mix cinnamon with applesauce and a little white glue, roll it out and cut stars and hearts. Press a few whole cloves into each one for a pretty pattern. Remember, these primitive Christmas crafts are for decorating only, not for eating. Let them air dry for a few days and hang them on the tree or tuck them into a bowl. Which shape will you cut first?

You will need: 1 cup ground cinnamon, about 3/4 cup applesauce, 2 tablespoons white glue, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, whole cloves, a straw and jute twine.

How to make it: 1. Stir the cinnamon, applesauce and glue into a firm dough. 2. Roll it about 1/4 inch thick, cut shapes, press in cloves and poke a hole with the straw. 3. Air dry for 3 to 4 days, turning them each day, then thread twine through the holes.

Stoneware Crock With Pine and Dried Oranges

Sometimes the easiest decor is the prettiest. An old stoneware crock, a big jar or a tin pitcher filled with fresh pine looks right at home in a primitive kitchen. Tuck in a few slices of dried orange and the bright color pops against the dark greens. Dry the slices in a low oven a few days before, with an adult handling the trays. Clip a few branches from the yard or ask for trimmings where trees are sold. It takes five minutes to arrange. Where would your crock sit?

You will need: A stoneware crock or large jar, fresh pine or cedar branches, 2 oranges, a sharp knife (adult only), a baking sheet lined with parchment and pruning shears.

How to make it: 1. Have an adult slice the oranges thinly and dry them on the lined sheet in a low oven for about 3 hours, turning them now and then. 2. Fill the crock with branches, longest in the middle. 3. Tuck the cooled orange slices between the greens.

Wooden Spool Snowmen

Old wooden thread spools are little treasures, and they make the cutest snowmen. Paint them white, dot on coal eyes and a tiny orange nose, then tie a thin strip of homespun fabric around each neck as a scarf. A small button or wooden bead on top becomes a hat. Line up a family of three on a windowsill with a sprinkle of faux snow. If you do not have old spools, new wooden ones from the craft store work just as well. How many snowmen will be in your family?

You will need: Wooden thread spools, white and orange acrylic paint, a black marker or paint pen, small strips of homespun fabric, small wooden beads or buttons and craft glue.

How to make it: 1. Paint each spool white and let it dry. 2. Draw dot eyes and a smile and paint a tiny orange nose. 3. Tie on a fabric scarf and glue a bead or button on top as a hat.

Hand Stitched Stocking With Button Trim

A primitive stocking does not need to be perfect, and that is exactly why it is so lovely. Cut the body from an old wool sweater or a cream wool blanket, then add a plaid cuff. Sew a row of mismatched buttons along the cuff and let the big hand stitches show. Each one ends up with its own personality, so make one for every person in the house. They look sweet on a peg rail, a ladder or the back of a chair. What color plaid will you pick for the cuff?

You will need: Cream wool fabric or an old sweater, red plaid fabric, a stocking template, scissors, embroidery thread, a large needle, old buttons and a loop of jute twine.

How to make it: 1. Cut two stocking shapes from the wool and one cuff strip from the plaid. 2. Sew the stocking pieces together around the edge with big stitches, leaving the top open. 3. Stitch on the cuff, sew a row of buttons along it and add a twine loop.

Primitive Christmas Crafts Centerpiece in an Old Dough Bowl

A wooden dough bowl is one of the most loved pieces in primitive decor, and in December it becomes the perfect centerpiece. Fill it with fresh greens, add pine cones, a few sprigs of faux red berries and a couple of rusty bells. Set it in the middle of a long table and it instantly feels like a holiday gathering. If you do not own a dough bowl, a wooden salad bowl or a long tray works too. Primitive Christmas crafts like this one make the table feel warm and welcoming. Who will be sitting around your table?

You will need: A wooden dough bowl or long wooden tray, fresh or faux evergreen branches, pine cones, faux red berry picks and a few small rusty bells.

How to make it: 1. Lay the longest branches in the bowl first so they spill over the ends. 2. Nestle pine cones in small groups down the middle. 3. Tuck in the berry picks and bells until it looks full and natural.

Rusty Bells on a Vintage Door Knob Hanger

A single old glass door knob can turn into a charming little hanger for a cupboard or bedroom door. Tie three small rusty bells to a length of jute twine, add a plaid fabric bow and loop it over the knob. Every time the door opens you will hear a soft jingle. You can find old knobs at flea markets and thrift shops, often for a dollar or two. This also makes a sweet gift for a friend who loves vintage things. Which door in your home could use a little jingle?

You will need: An old glass or wooden door knob, three small rusty or antique finish bells, jute twine, a strip of plaid fabric and scissors.

How to make it: 1. Cut three pieces of twine in different lengths and tie a bell to each one. 2. Knot the three pieces together at the top with a longer loop of twine. 3. Tie a plaid bow over the knot and hang the loop over the knob.

Primitive Christmas Crafts Finale: A Snowy Twig Tree

Finish with a simple twig tree that looks like it came in from a frosty yard. Gather bare branches, stand them in a tin bucket filled with stones and dab white paint along the top edges so they look dusted with snow. Hang a few tiny muslin stars from the first project and you have a soft, quiet tree for a side table or entry. It is a gentle twist on the ideas in this primitive farmhouse craft video on YouTube, and it costs almost nothing. Which of these primitive Christmas crafts will you make first?

You will need: Bare branches about 2 feet tall, pruning shears, a small tin bucket, small stones, white acrylic paint, a sponge brush and tiny muslin stars or wooden ornaments.

How to make it: 1. Trim the branches and stand them in the bucket, filling around them with stones so they stay upright. 2. Dab white paint along the tops of the branches and let it dry. 3. Hang the little stars from the twigs with thin twine.