Quick Christmas Crafts: 16 Ten Minute Projects That Look Like You Spent All Weekend on Them

Quick Christmas crafts are the answer when December fills up faster than your calendar can handle. You want a house that feels handmade and cozy, but you do not have a free Saturday to give it. Good news: every project here takes about ten minutes once your supplies are on the table, and most use ribbon, twine, paper or greenery you probably already own. Some dress up the tree, some make the front door ring, and a few turn plain gifts into presents people photograph before they open them. Set a timer, put on a holiday playlist and pick one or two to finish tonight. These quick Christmas crafts look like you spent all weekend on them, and nobody needs to know otherwise..

Quick Christmas Crafts Start With Ribbon Wrapped Ornaments

Plain clear ornaments are cheap, and they turn into something special with nothing more than satin ribbon. Wrap a strip of red around the middle, cross it with green, and finish the top with a tiny bow. Six of them take less time than a mug of cocoa. Keep the colors to two or three so the set looks planned, then hang them in a cluster near the front of the tree where they catch the daylight. If you love this kind of upgrade, browse more easy ornament makeovers and stack a few ideas together..

You will need: clear shatterproof ornaments, 3/8 inch satin ribbon in two colors, scissors, tacky glue or glue dots

How to make it: 1. Dab glue near the ornament cap, then wrap ribbon down and around, ending back at the top. 2. Add a second color crossing the first. 3. Tie a small bow and glue it over the ribbon ends under the cap.

Stamped Tree Kraft Paper Wrap

Store bought wrapping paper adds up fast, but a roll of brown kraft paper and a little tree stamp give you a full stack of matching presents for a few dollars. Carve a simple evergreen shape into a pencil eraser or a potato half, dip it in dark green craft paint and stamp in loose rows. The paint dries in minutes, and the paper looks like it came from a boutique. Of all the quick Christmas crafts here, this one may save you the most money. Tie each box with jute, then try more gift wrapping tricks for Christmas Eve.

You will need: brown kraft paper, a pencil with a fresh eraser or a potato half, dark green craft paint, paper plate, jute twine

How to make it: 1. Cut a small tree shape into the eraser or potato. 2. Dab it into paint on the plate and stamp rows across the paper. 3. Let it dry ten minutes, wrap the box and tie it with jute.

Quick Christmas Crafts for the Mantel: Wool Felt Garland

Felt beads are the shortcut to a garland that looks expensive. They come in mixed bags of red, cream, sage and blush, and a large needle pulls jute twine right through the middle. String forty of them in a random pattern and you are done before the kettle boils. Let it swag along the mantel with a few pine branches tucked behind. Kids love helping with this one too. Find more soft and cozy felt Christmas projects that use the same bag of supplies.

You will need: about 40 wool felt beads (2 cm), jute twine, a large tapestry needle, small pliers to pull the needle

How to make it: 1. Cut twine about 6 feet long and thread the needle. 2. Push the needle through each bead, use pliers to pull it out, and slide the beads along with small gaps. 3. Knot a loop at each end and hang the garland from small hooks on the mantel.

Five Minute Ornament Bowl Centerpiece

The fastest centerpiece in this list needs no tools at all. Pick a wide, shallow bowl, then pile in clear ornaments and red ones of different sizes. The clear ones bounce light around the table while the red ones add color. Put the biggest ornaments in first and fill the gaps with smaller ones so nothing rolls. Swap the colors in January for a winter look. It is the easiest of these quick Christmas crafts, and it fits right in with our roundup of DIY Christmas centerpieces.

You will need: a wide shallow bowl or dough bowl, 12 to 20 shatterproof ornaments in two colors and three sizes, a few sprigs of greenery (optional)

How to make it: 1. Set the largest ornaments in the bowl first. 2. Fill in with medium and small ones, turning the hangers to the back. 3. Tuck greenery around the edges if you like.

Quick Christmas Crafts From Sheet Music: Paper Rosettes

Old sheet music has the perfect vintage color, and folding it into rosettes is relaxing work for a cold evening. Accordion fold a strip, join the ends into a ring and press it flat into a round fan. Three sizes on one branch look charming, and the music notes add pretty texture up close. Photocopied music works just as well if you would rather keep the originals. If you love paper projects with a vintage feel, check out these old book Christmas crafts for more page folding ideas.

You will need: sheet music pages or copies, ruler, glue stick, hot glue, red and white twine, small circles of card stock for the centers

How to make it: 1. Cut strips 2 inches wide and accordion fold them in half inch pleats. 2. Glue two strips end to end and join the ends into a ring. 3. Press the ring flat into a round fan and glue a card circle on the front and back. 4. Glue on a twine loop.

Woven Paper Stars in Plain White

These woven paper stars come from an old German tradition, and the Froebel star has been folded for generations from just four strips of paper. Once your fingers learn the pattern, each star takes about ten minutes. Plain white paper strips look crisp on a green tree, and tiny red stars around them add a pop of color. They are light enough to hang on the thinnest branches. See more ideas in our collection of paper Christmas stars.

You will need: 4 paper strips per star (about 1/2 inch wide and 17 inches long), scissors, thread or fishing line, clear spray sealer (optional)

How to make it: 1. Fold each strip in half and weave the four strips into a small square. 2. Fold the loose ends over to make the flat points. 3. Tuck the remaining ends through the center to raise the standing points. 4. Add a thread loop to hang the star.

Velvet Ribbon Jingle Bell Door Hanger

This one makes guests smile before you even open the door. A long piece of dark green velvet ribbon with five gold jingle bells tied along it hangs from the doorknob and rings every time someone comes in. It takes ten minutes and costs a few dollars. Velvet looks rich against a white or red door, and the bells catch the light even on gray days. Want more ringing ideas for the house? Our page of DIY Christmas bells has plenty more.

You will need: 1 yard of 1.5 inch velvet ribbon, 5 large gold jingle bells, thin craft wire or strong thread, scissors

How to make it: 1. Fold the top of the ribbon into a loop and sew or wire it closed. 2. Space the bells down the ribbon and tie each one on with wire through the back. 3. Tie a small bow at the top and slip the loop over the knob.

Quick Christmas Crafts for Gifts: Pine Sprig Toppers

A plain brown package becomes a showstopper with one fresh pine sprig and a little wood star. Tuck them under baker’s twine and the gift looks hand finished in seconds. Clip sprigs from the bottom of your tree or the yard, and pick up a bag of unfinished wooden stars at the craft store. These toppers can double as tags if you write the name on the back of the star. For more ideas, see these DIY Christmas gift tags that pair well with kraft paper.

You will need: kraft paper wrapped presents, white baker’s twine, fresh pine sprigs, small wooden stars, fine point marker

How to make it: 1. Wrap twine around the box both ways and knot it on top. 2. Slide a pine sprig under the knot. 3. Tie the wood star on with the twine ends and write the name on the back.

Plaid Ribbon Vase With Fresh Pine

A plain clear vase from the back of the cupboard needs only a wide plaid ribbon to feel ready for the holidays. Wrap it around the middle, tie a big floppy bow, then fill the vase with pine branches and red berry sprigs. Fresh greens smell wonderful in a warm kitchen and last about two weeks in water. Change the water every few days and trim the stems once a week. The look fits right in with our ideas for plaid Christmas decor.

You will need: a clear vase or large jar, 1 yard of wired plaid ribbon, fresh pine branches, red berry sprigs (real or faux), double stick tape

How to make it: 1. Put a strip of double stick tape around the vase and press the ribbon on. 2. Tie a big bow over the seam and trim the tails at an angle. 3. Fill with water, add the pine first and the berries last.

Ten Minute Fresh Greenery Wreath

Sometimes the simplest wreath is the prettiest. A thin ring of fresh evergreen on a weathered door says Christmas without a single ornament. Wire short bundles of trimmings onto a metal ring, all facing the same way, and keep going until the frame is covered. Many tree lots give their trimmings away free. Quick Christmas crafts like this one also make lovely hostess gifts. Hang it with a plain ribbon or a hook, and see more styles in our full guide to Christmas wreaths.

You will need: 12 inch metal wreath ring, fresh evergreen trimmings, green paddle wire, garden pruners, gloves

How to make it: 1. Cut trimmings into 6 inch pieces and gather them into small bundles of three. 2. Wire each bundle to the ring, overlapping the stems with the next bundle. 3. Keep going around the ring, then tuck the last stems under the first bundle.

Quick Christmas Crafts With Yarn: Pom Pom Wreath

Pom poms are fun to make in front of a movie, and a ring of them looks like a snowy candy shop window. Bend a wire hanger into a circle, then thread fluffy yarn pom poms on until the frame is packed tight. Red, white and sage green look cheerful together. A pom pom maker makes the job faster, but wrapping yarn around a fork works too. For more cozy ideas, check out these yarn Christmas decor projects.

You will need: 1 wire hanger, about 35 yarn pom poms (2 to 3 inch), yarn in three colors, pom pom maker or a fork, pliers, ribbon to hang

How to make it: 1. Untwist the hanger and bend it into a circle, keeping the hook. 2. Make the pom poms and leave their center ties long. 3. Tie each pom pom onto the wire and pack them tight. 4. Twist the wire closed and hang the wreath.

Big Red Bow for a Yard Tree

Outdoor decor does not have to mean a weekend on a ladder. One oversized red bow tied around a tree trunk or a porch post gives your yard instant curb appeal. Use weather resistant vinyl ribbon so it survives rain and snow, and tuck a sprig of faux berries into the knot. It is a ten minute job that neighbors notice from the street. Make two and you have a matching pair for the front steps. Get more ideas from our Christmas bow decor guide.

You will need: 4 to 5 yards of 4 inch outdoor vinyl or wired ribbon, zip ties, faux berry pick, scissors

How to make it: 1. Wrap ribbon around the trunk and secure it with a zip tie at the front. 2. Make a large bow with long loops and zip tie it over the first tie. 3. Tuck in the berry pick and fluff the loops.

Quick Christmas Crafts for the Tree: Wood Bead Garland

A wood bead garland gives a tree a calm, natural look, and stringing it takes about ten minutes. Buy a bag of unfinished wood beads in two sizes and thread them onto jute or cotton cord. Leave the wood plain or dab a few with white paint for a snowy look. Loop it in soft swags across the branches from top to bottom. Here are more DIY Christmas garland ideas that work with the same supplies.

You will need: about 150 wood beads in 16 mm and 20 mm sizes, jute or cotton cord, tape, scissors

How to make it: 1. Tape one end of the cord so it threads easily. 2. String the beads, mixing sizes in a simple repeat. 3. Knot each end with a small loop and hang the garland in swags.

Thrift Store Goblets Filled With Ornaments

Thrift stores are full of colored goblets and candy dishes for a dollar or two. Fill them with small ornaments in red, green and gold and group them on a lace runner for an instant holiday display. Mix heights so the eye moves across the arrangement. Nothing needs glue, so you can pack everything away in January. Quick Christmas crafts do not get much simpler than this. For more secondhand finds, browse our Goodwill Christmas decor ideas.

You will need: 3 to 5 thrifted goblets, footed bowls or candy dishes, small shatterproof ornaments, a table runner or doily

How to make it: 1. Wash and dry the dishes. 2. Fill each one with ornaments, largest on the bottom. 3. Group them in odd numbers at different heights.

Candy Cane Flower Vase

This one is pure fun. Stand candy canes upright all around a short jar, hold them in place with a rubber band, then cover the band with a big red bow. Fill it with red carnations and baby’s breath for a cheerful table centerpiece that costs very little. Keep the canes in their wrappers if your kitchen is humid, since bare candy gets sticky fast. More sweet ideas live in our list of Christmas candy crafts.

You will need: a short straight sided jar, 20 to 25 small candy canes, a wide rubber band, red satin ribbon, fresh carnations and baby’s breath

How to make it: 1. Put the rubber band around the jar. 2. Slide candy canes under the band one by one, hooks facing in. 3. Tie the ribbon over the band in a bow. 4. Add water and the flowers.

Quick Christmas Crafts for the Table: Standing Napkin Fold

Your table can look like a restaurant in about ten minutes. Fold red cloth napkins into tall standing points and set one on each plate over a gold charger. Add a sprig of red berries beside each plate for color. A little starch helps the napkins stand straight all evening. This is the last of our quick Christmas crafts, and it might be the one your guests remember most. Learn more folds in our Christmas napkin folding guide.

You will need: square red cloth napkins, spray starch, iron, gold chargers, faux berry sprigs

How to make it: 1. Starch and iron each napkin flat. 2. Fold it in half into a triangle, then roll the two side points up toward the top. 3. Turn it over, fold the bottom edge up and stand it on the plate.