15 fast easy Christmas craft ideas

Fun fast festive projects out of your own backyard.

Festive and fun wrapping and decorations out of your own backyard.

1BIRCH BARK STAR

Birch bark peels easily off fallen branches or dead trees and can be cut using scissors. Use a cookie cutter to outline a star shape then hang on the tree with coloured ribbon.

2RUSTIC CHRISTMAS GARLAND

For easy homegrown festive bunting, tie bundles of pine needles and pine cones along the length of suitably rustic twine.

3PINE NEEDLE TASSELS

Bundles of pine needles can also be used on a tree, or to decorate gifts. Tie with string (add a dot of glue with a hot glue gun, if you have one), then cover the string with ribbon.

4BIRCH BARK CANDLE

Cut a piece of birch bark big enough to wrap all the way around a jar and overlap slightly, add a cut out window, wet the bark, wrap around the jar and tie with string. In about 24 hours, when bark is dry, remove string and glue the back two edges together.

5PINE CONE REINDEER

Use a pine cone, a rose hip (the nose), twigs (antlers), nut shells (ears) and googly eyes to make a decorative reindeer.

6CHERRY BELLS

Make tiny decorative Christmas bells for your tree using small terracotta pots, ribbon, glue, string and artificial cherries.

7MINI CHRISTMAS TREES

You can also make miniature Christmas trees for your mantelpiece or festive table by tying bundles of evergreen conifer foliage around a short straight twig. Ours are set in small terracotta pots filled with plaster of Paris, which is covered with moss.

8PENDANT CHRISTMAS TREES

Sticks cut with pruning sheers to appropriate lengths can be tied in sequence to make a simple hanging decoration, or glued to a knotted piece of twine.

9ROSEMARY WREATH

To make this easy wreath, just bend long sprigs of rosemary into a circle and secure at top with florist wire, or weave the sprigs into a wicker wreath base.

10FESTIVE SCENE LANTERN

Create a festive tableau in a glass lantern (look for them in home stores) using foliage, fairy lights and decorations.

11HOMEGROWN WRAPPING

A cost-effective but creative and elegant option is to wrap gifts in plain brown, white or coloured paper and string, then add a foliage sprig, especially if it has fragrance.

12DIY GIFT TAGS 1

Jazz up plain gift tags using found feathers and leaves, or create this charming Rudolph with an old peanut shell, a pen, some glue and a couple of seedheads!

13DIY GIFT TAGS 2

Or cut a slit at the top of the tag, and pop in a few fern leaves just before you present your gift to the recipient.

14DIY GIFT TAGS 3

You can also use ferns, other foliage, flowers and seedheads as stencils – just place on the gift tag and apply spray paint over the top. Use the same technique to create custom wrapping paper.

15DIY GIFT TAGS 4

Wire two or three pine cones together using florist wire to make a cluster to pop on each gift. For added festive sparkle, paint the cones with glue and roll in glitter too!