Festive Christmas In July Ideas & Activities

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.

Square feature image of santa garden gnome in a flamingo floaty sitting near a DIY Drink Umbrella Christmas Tree made with sand to look like a beach.

Looking for unique Christmas in July ideas, then you’re in the right place!

If you love Christmas then you’ll love celebrating ‘Christmas in July’! This fun holiday gives summer a little boost and it’s a way to squeeze more fun out of the month of July.

Advertisements

I don’t know about you, but it seems like summer just flies by and I like to get all the gusto I can out of those warm months.

Christmas in July is a time to throw a party, binge-watch all of your favorite Christmas movies, make a s’more gingerbread house, and celebrate Christmas but in a much more laid-back way!

Check out all of the festive ideas and activities below. There’s something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

1. Decorate ‘Christmas In July’ Style

Photo of five plastic flamingos with santa hats in the yard grass in the foreground and flowers in the background.

Have fun decorating inside and out by adding splashes of summer to your traditional Christmas decorations. Here are a few ideas…

  • Drag out the Christmas tree and decorate it with Hawaiian Leis
  • String Christmas lights
  • Make a Christmas tree out of drink umbrellas (easy tutorial below)
  • Put out festive yard decorations.

How to Make a Drink Umbrella Christmas Tree

Vertical feature image of santa garden gnome in a flamingo floaty sitting near a DIY Drink Umbrella Christmas Tree made with sand to look like a beach.
Drink Umbrella Christmas Tree (tutorial below)

To Make a Drink Umbrella Christmas Tree, you’ll need the following:

  • Drink umbrellas
  • A foam cone (I’m using a 12-inch tall cone)
  • A topper (optional: starfish, a shell, or sand dollars)
  • Hot glue
  • A skewer

Hot glue a starfish, a sand dollar, or any topper onto a skewer and push it into the top.

Instructional photo of skewer glued to a faux starfish.
Hot glue a wood skewer to the back of your topper and push it into the top.

Open up your drink umbrellas and stick them into a foam cone. Start at the bottom and work your way up. If needed use a dab of hot glue to secure them.

Drink Umbrellas being put on a foam cone to make a DIY Umbrella Christmas Tree for a Christmas in July decoration.

2. Throw A ‘Christmas in July’ Party

Yup, Christmas in July is another reason to party. Here are a few ideas to help get the party started…

Advertisements

3. Make Festive Ornaments

Make ornaments with your kids by painting shells, and pinecones from the yard, or make these cute snowcone ornaments (easy tutorial below).

How to Make Snowcone Ornaments

Feature image of finished DIY Snow Cone Ornaments on a wicker basket with a palm leaf in the background.
DIY Snow Cone Ornaments (tutorial below)

To Make Snowcone Ornaments, you’ll need the following:

  • An 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper
  • A saucer or small plate (6 to 6.5″ size)
  • Foam balls (2 or 2.5″ size)
  • Scissors
  • Clear scotch tape
  • School glue or craft glue
  • A pencil
  • Markers (optional)
  • Paper clips
  • Acrylic paint and a paintbrush
  • String

Use a small plate and trace a half-circle with a pencil onto a white piece of paper and cut it out.

Instructional photo of a half circle made using a plate to make a cone for a DIY snow cone ornament.

Next, paint foam balls with acrylic paint.

Intructional photo of painted foam balls to make two DIY Snow Cone Ornaments.

Decorate the cones with markers (optional). Then form it into a cone and tape it together.

Instructional photo of a paper snow cone made from a half paper circle and taped together to make a cone at the side.

Insert a paperclip into the top of your foam snow cone ball so you can add a string to hang your ornament. Then use school glue or craft glue on the inside of your cone to glue the foam ball in place.

Advertisements

Instructional photo with half circles decorated with red and blue dots, tape, paper clips and school glue. All to assemble finished DIY Snow Cone Ornaments.
Insert a paper clip into the top of your foam ball to hang your ornament.

4. Watch Christmas Movies

The Hallmark Channel has tons of Christmas movies to choose from or stream a few of your favorite Christmas Movies! Our family loves Elf and The Christmas Chronicles.

++++++++

Related Post

Make these cute crafts for yourself, to give as gifts, or to sell at your next craft show. 

++++++++

5. Make a Gingerbread House

Make a gingerbread house with your kids. Even better, make a s’more gingerbread house! (easy tutorial below)

How to make a S’more Gingerbread House

Finished S'more gingerbread house with tropical flowers in the background.
S’more Gingerbread House

To make a S’more Gingerbread House, you’ll need the following:

  • Graham crackers
  • Chocolate bars
  • White frosting
  • A piping bag
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Candy to decorate

You’ll need four graham cracker halves (two for the roof and two for the short sides) and two full graham crackers (for the two tall sides).

Make the tall sides that hold up the roof by cutting two full-sized graham crackers. Cut your graham cracker at an angle above the halfway mark (from corner to corner) as shown below. Use a serrated knife (like a steak knife) and saw back and forth lightly to score the graham cracker. Then break off the edges. An adult should do the cutting.

Instructional photo showing how to cut the roof line side graham crackers at an angle on the other side to make a s'more gingerbread house.
Use a serrated knife to score then break off edges.

Add a good amount to a plate where you want your house to sit.

Instructional photo showing frosting spread on a plate as a base to make a s'more gingerbread house.
Add frosting to a plate where the graham cracker house will be placed.

Stand the graham crackers on the frosted part of the plate and assemble the sides using a piping bag to pipe frosting onto the edges of the graham cracker.

Instructional photo showing all four sides put together to make a smore graham cracker gingerbread house.

Then pipe more frosting onto the top edges and add the roof pieces.

Instructional photo showing frosting piped onto the roof to finish a smore graham cracker gingerbread house.
Pipe frosting onto graham cracker edges to finish the roof.

Let your graham cracker house set up in the refrigerator for at least an hour before decorating.

Then use more frosting to add chocolate bars to the roof and any candy decorations you like. Last, place mini marshmallows around the base of your house.

6. Exchange Gifts

On July 25th of course! Small pool toys, lip glosses, and bubble wands make great summer stocking stuffers. Or hand out sand buckets with beach toys or ice cream sundae gift baskets. Of course, pick some up for yourself, it’s Christmas and you deserve it!

++++++++

Related Post 

Summer just got sweeter with these cute pineapple crafts!

++++++++

7. Take A Family Photo

Take a family picture and print up those Christmas Cards early! December is a busy month so why not make cards ahead?

8. Give Back

Why wait until Christmas to donate to local charities? And you don’t have to give money, clean out your closet and donate winter clothes you don’t wear anymore. Or donate your time to help out a nursing home or pack boxes at the food pantry.

++++++++

Related Post

Grab a plastic milk jug to make this cute Christmas gnome.

++++++++

MORE fESTIVE DIYS TO TRY:

+++++++

Shop Related Products

Watch A Video

Link to the full tutorial here –> Farmhouse-Style Hula Hoop Shelf DIY

Leave a Reply