Sometimes the holidays just sneak up on you.

One day you’re making Thanksgiving stuffing, and then the next day, BOOM, it’s Christmas. But what do you do if you want to make your home look festive (maybe you have some impromptu guests coming over?), but waited until the last minute to get decorations? Easy! If you want to spruce things up for Christmas without sinking your wallet, just try out one of these simple DIY Christmas Decorations!

Paper Plate Snowflakes

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-6-Pointed-Paper-Snowflakes/

Paper plates aren’t just for eating takeout off of. They’re for crafting, too. All you need are a pack of paper plates and a pair of scissors and voila, you have your very own snowflake factory. No two snowflakes are the same, so you can cut the paper plates into all sorts of fun patterns and then tape them to windows or even hang them from the ceiling.

Frosted Pine Cones

Susan Bandy

Nothing says Christmas like a gently frosted pine cone falling from a great big pine tree. But while you can bring that little natural taste of Christmas directly into your home, the frosting doesn’t last long inside your heated home. Luckily, we have a fun tip to make your pine cones’ frost last much longer with something you might already have in your kitchen––frosting! Yes, the kind you use for cakes. Spread a thin layer of frosting on your freshly gathered pine cones and place them in the freezer overnight. In the morning, the frosting will be nice and hard, giving your pine cones that beautiful Christmas glaze.

Cotton Ball Snow

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/154177987216799301/

If you have spare cotton balls laying around, it’s easy to turn your home into a winter wonderland in no time. Gently stretch out as many cotton balls as you can and strategically place them around your house to look like little piles of fluffy snow. Try putting them on your windowsills, your kitchen counter, or even your office desk for a taste of winter wherever you go.

Old Toy Wreath

https://www.waterfordfoundation.org/event/wreath-making-with-native-plants/

Here’s a fun project for any parents or grandparents with a little one in the family who may have outgrown some of their toys. Gather up all of your tot’s old toys (make sure they’re okay with getting rid of them first!) and try to arrange them into a circle with a hole in the middle. Now all you need is some super glue. Let the glue sit overnight and if anything is loose in the morning, give it a second go. The end result is a lovely Christmas wreath full of memories that you can hold onto long after the little one isn’t so little anymore.

Homemade Snow Globe

Hillary Levin

Everyone loves shaking a snow globe, but not everyone wants to dole out the money to buy one. Thankfully, you can make your own snow globes with things from around the house. Here’s how! Grab a clear plastic cup, a sheet of paper, and some glue. First, cut circular hole from the paper that’s just a little bigger than the rim of the cup. Next, tear the rest of the paper into tiny little pieces and place them in the cup. Finally, glue the circle you cut out over the rim of the cup and leave it out to dry. When you come back, give it a shake. Just like magic, it’s a snow globe now.

Merry Christmas, everyone.