Looking for festive, budget-friendly holiday décor ideas? This season, skip the store-bought decorations and try making your own with materials you likely already have at home. These eco-friendly crafts are not only beautiful but also fun for the entire family to create together! In this blog, I’ll show you how to turn cardboard and brown paper bags into adorable winter villages and stunning giant snowflakes.
Back story: Picture this, it's the year of 2020 and you are an art teacher attempting to teach art during a global pandemic to kids who are either: a. quarantined at home while the rest of their classmates are in school, or b. an entire class of children who are remote learning from home and having to use only supplies that are accessible to them at their house. Sounds kind of like a nightmare huh? Nope! Just another day as a teacher during the Covid 19 Pandemic. *shutters at the memories* All jokes aside, even though teaching through the pandemic was one of the most difficult times I've experienced throughout my career, it also was filled with many silver linings. One of them was forcing myself to think creatively about how I could still provide quality instruction to my students despite the circumstances. One of the fun routes I decided to go was to have a focus on using eco friendly materials and upcycling everyday materials to create art with. One of the supplies we used most often was cardboard! So around the holidays I decided to have my students create gingerbread homes out of cardboard and white paint or paint pens, and it was so much fun! I also forced myself to start making Youtube videos that my students could access at their leisure when making these projects from home. Anyways, it was a wild time but I came out of it with lots of fun lessons and ideas to continue to share! So let's get into them, shall we?
1. Cardboard Winter Village
Transform everyday cardboard into a cozy holiday display with this upcycled winter village project. Whether you’re making a quaint snowy town or whimsical gingerbread houses, this craft is a perfect family activity.
Materials Needed
- Cardboard (think cereal boxes, shipping boxes, or leftover packaging)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Markers or paint
- Optional embellishments: buttons, fabric scraps, cotton balls, glitter
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cut House Shapes: Use scissors to cut out house shapes from the cardboard. Vary the sizes for a charming village vibe—tall houses, cottages, or even a shop or church!
- Decorate: Let your creativity shine! Draw or paint doors, windows, and roof tiles. Add festive touches like wreaths or string lights using your markers or paints. You can use my Winter Village Drawing Guide for inspo!
- Embellish: For an extra cozy feel, glue on buttons for doorknobs, fabric scraps for curtains, and cotton balls for snow.
- Display: Arrange your village on a mantle, windowsill, or as a centerpiece for your holiday table.
Tip: Encourage each family member to decorate their own house, adding their unique style to the village.
Additionally, you can make these winter homes in all sizes! I loved making a giant house with my adapted art class, made from my paper storage cardboard! You can learn more about that full project on my blog 5 Amazing Winter Art Projects for Adapted Art.
2. Giant Paper Bag Snowflakes
If you’re looking for a show-stopping decoration, giant paper bag snowflakes are the way to go. These are easy to make, eco-friendly, and bring a magical touch to any room.
Materials Needed
- 7 paper lunch bags (brown or white)
- Glue bottle or hot glue (preferred)
- Scissors
- Ribbon/ String for hanging
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Glue the Bags: Apply glue in an inverted “T” shape (across the bottom edge and up the middle) and stack the bags together. Repeat until all bags are glued.
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Cut Designs: Once the glue dries, cut patterns along the edges of the stack—triangles, semicircles, or zigzags work great.
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Fan the Stack: Carefully fan the stack open and glue the two ends together to form a snowflake shape.
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Hang and Display: Attach a string to your snowflake and hang it in a window, from the ceiling, or as part of a photo backdrop.
These snowflakes look stunning in clusters of different sizes or colors and you can even paint them after the holiday season and turn them into flowers!
You can find a video tutorial from me here!
DIY Gingerbread House Gift Bags
Turn ordinary brown paper bags into charming gingerbread house-themed gift bags. These personalized bags are perfect for wrapping small presents or treats and add a whimsical holiday touch to your gift-giving.
Materials Needed
- Brown paper lunch bags
- White paint pen or white acrylic paint with a small brush
- Ribbon or twine
- Small gift tags (optional: cut from colorful cardstock)
- Scissors (optional for trimming)
- Treats, gifts, or holiday goodies to fill the bag
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Prepare the Bag:
- Start with a flat brown paper bag. Fold down the top edge if you want a shorter bag.
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Draw the House Details:
- Use a white paint pen or white tempera paint and a thin paint brush to draw details like windows, doors, rooflines, and holiday elements (e.g., wreaths, snowflakes, or swirls).
- Get creative! Each bag can have its own design, from modern houses to cozy cottages.
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Add Embellishments (Optional):
- Punch a hole at the top of the bag and thread ribbon or twine through to secure it once the gift is inside.
- Attach a gift tag for a personalized touch, adding the recipient's name.
- Fill and Finish
- Add gifts into bag with small amount of paper filler, Fold in the sides, thread your yarn or ribbon through holes, and tie in the front.
