what decorations have you ever made yourself for christmas?

I made my own Advent Calendar with a cross stiched Santa coming out of the chimney, with lace, ribbons, hessian for sacks for each date etc. It has a Christmas verse on it as well.

It looks good and always receives compliments. It is much fun each year finding small cheap gifts to go into each sack for the days leading up to Christmas for which the family takes turn having the opportunity to open the mini-sack. A spiritual thought, scripture is also put inside the sack to add to the true Spirit of Christmas.

It is still used many years on and has brought much fun and pleasure.

Hope you like this idea that could be modified as appropriate for your own talents.

I designed and made (took forever) a 960 LED matrix sign which has 40 columns by 24 rows. Images can be downloaded to the sign using a computer. The memory chip on the printed circuit board holds a maximum of 256 pictures. It is ultimately still a work in progess, every xmas each year more work is carried out on it. (at least for the last 3 years anyway !!)

video of sign in operation at: http://www.controlcircuits.co.uk/

I make my own wreaths - I don't much care for the commercial ones that are available since we need them to be very large for our wraparound porch.

I just buy the large fake pine ones and decorate with ribbon and other stuff from the craft store - even lights. I change the decorations on them every year.

Oranges cut into slices and dried out in the oven, their edges studded with cloves. Then sparkled up with glitter, courtesy of the children.

Yes, they come out annually.

I love collecting nature's bounty at wintertime and making arrangements - sprayed with gold, silver, artificial snow and glitter.

Great innocent fun for all the family. A good bonding girly thing.

Thanks for the memories!!

Orange pomander, where you stick cloves in an orange and dry it in the airing cupboard. Snowflakes made from foil and hologram wrapping paper, like you do paper dolls. Also chains of shapes like bells, xmas trees etc - you can get really long ones from rolls of paper, we get them in the January sales and save them.

Mini origami shapes especially the 'water bomb' boxes with ribbon loops.

Forgot - gingerbread house! Its really easy and looks brilliant, and you can eat it. Make squares of gingerbread biscuit in Swiss Roll tins, stick 3 walls and the pointed roof on with icing then decorate it with sweets stuck on with icing. And more icing, and marzipan. And an icing snowman out the front.

Snowmen - wrap cotton wool round the middle of a loo roll, a cake case on it's head, cotton wool buds for arms. U can make a whole snow scene as well if u really want to go to town on it. Did sheep and a house last year as well.

Ever word that maximum holidays are Catholic orientented? No i did not. Christmas-start of Christ (& Saint Nick-Santus Niclaus or Santa Claus.) Stolen Pagan trip, wintry climate Solstice. St. Valentine's Day-saint who became imprisioned and wrote to his relatives member asserting "out of your Valentine." Hallmark gimic to sell enjoying cards. St.Patrick's day-St.Pat extra Catholicism to pagan eire. modeled after a Pagan perception in Finnan MacDonal. the Celt that drove the snakes from eire. Halloween-All hallows eve-All souls eve. This became the night in the previous All Saints day. It became mentioned that for the time of this night, many demons have been out, and to scare them away you may dress up like a demon your self. Saween, Celtic New 365 days. and between the severe holy days. i think of that it rather is many of the accepted holidays. that may not even on the brink of the accepted holidays...

Several years ago, I sliced up some oranges, put salt on them and baked them in the oven on a low heat for 45 mins, then when cool, I strung them together in threes with a Cinnamon stick and they are still going strong.

i made edible garlands pop corn currents , nuts (drilled holes in the ) cherrys ans dride ginger all on fishing line round the trree or over the chimny looks realy nice

paper chains, easy and fun, dough christmas tree ornaments i made some at playschool, whne i was about 3/4 and we still use them today and im 21