14 Upcycled Christmas Decor Ideas

Amazing upcycled Christmas decor ideas to transform ordinary items into beautiful handmade pieces!

It’s time to decorate for the holidays and I have a few thrifty upcycles to share with you. I hope these easy DIYs spark ideas and inspire you to create a few holiday trash-to-treasure decor pieces this season.

The crafts below use supplies from my craft bins and a few thrift store finds I’ve collected. So let’s dive into my salvaged box of goodies and make a few things to decorate with for the holidays!

1. Vintage Chalkboard Christmas Sign

You don’t need a vintage chalkboard to make this cute sign. Any chalkboard will work for this DIY. Here are links to wood-framed chalkboards on Amazon with similar proportions… 8.5″ x 12″ and 10″ x 14″.

Here I used my Cricut Maker to cut the stencil for my sign. The SVG stencil-ready cut file can be purchased here in my Etsy Shop!

I recommend cutting the stencil out onto stencil vinyl and using transfer film to place the design onto your chalkboard. Then, dab white chalk paint with a stencil brush or foam applicator to fill in the design. Add a few decorations and you’re done.

2. Old Strainer Turned Holiday Wall Decoration

Vintage utensils are easy to find at most antique stores. If you come across a masher or strainer, especially one with a red or green handle, upcycle it into a beautiful holiday wall decoration by hot gluing floral picks, a bow, or any other embellishments you like.

3. Holiday Wood Ring Wreath

This wood ring wreath was truly a trash-to-treasure project. I bought this rustic rocking horse and wood ring for $2 at the antique store last year. I think the wood ring is actually from an old chair.

Here I used wire and hot glue to secure the greenery. Then I wrapped the base with white twine and hot glued my rocking horse to the center.

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4. Gingerbread Cookie Cutter Candle Holder

I’ve always been drawn to these cute gingerbread cookie cutters. My mom had them, and we would make gingerbread cookies every Christmas with them.

Of course, I didn’t find all five at the same time. I collected them along the way on different trips to antique stores that I visited. Some were pretty beat up.

To give them a new life, I spray-painted each a sparkly pink and used wire ribbon to string them together around a clear glass vase to make a DIY candle holder.

5. Distressed Paperback Book Stack

Turn paperback books into a beautiful rustic book stack by distressing them with chalk paint!

This cute stack of books is easy to make with just a few supplies. For more details on how to make them, check out the full tutorial here –> How to Distress Dollar Store Books with Chalk Paint.

6. Holiday Yardstick Magnets

Cut up an old yardstick and make these beautiful holiday magnets. Get all the details on this easy DIY here –> DIY Holiday Ruler Box Magnets.

7. Tart Tin Christmas Trees

Repurpose new or vintage tart tins to make these beautiful Christmas Trees. There’s also a Valentine’s Day version of this craft. Get the details and links to the supplies here –> How to Make Repurposed Tart Tin Trees.

8. Scrap Wood Stocking Holder – Free SVG File

This beautiful stocking holder is made from a 2×4 that I had in my garage. We don’t have a fireplace mantel to hang Christmas stockings on so this holder works perfectly for our family. If you’d like to make one, check out the complete tutorial and get the free art here –> DIY Farmhouse Wood Signs – Free SVG Files

9. Christmas Card Holder

Make a beautiful Christmas card holder using inexpensive stretch canvases.

Supplies: Two stretch canvases (mine are 11×14 size), a roll of wide wire ribbon (about 2.5 inches wide), 2-inch mending brackets, a screwdriver, a set of battery-powered string lights, a hot glue gun, acrylic paint, chip brush, and velcro (or another way to secure the string lights battery pack to the back of the frame).

To make the cardholder, start by removing the canvas from both frames. Use 2-inch mending brackets to secure your frames together at the back as shown below. You may need shorter screws than the ones that come with the brackets.

Next, paint your frame any color you like, then wrap your wire ribbon around the center and make a bow for the top. If you need help making a bow, check out this video from Julie’s Wreath Boutique. Use hot glue where needed.

String fairy lights horizontally to clip your cards onto. I secured the battery pack for the fairy lights by hot gluing velcro to the back and hid it along the bottom behind the ribbon. When selecting a spot for your battery pack, just make sure the on/off button is easy to get at.

Tip: Swap out one of your wall art frames for the season and you won’t even need to make a new hole in the wall to hang it.

10. Upcycle Christmas Tree Box

I found this wooden Christmas tree-shaped box at the thrift store for a couple of dollars. It was ugly but I thought it would make a cute ornament storage box. I filled it with vintage glass ornaments that I’ve collected along the way. This would be a great box to store and keep your most treasured ornaments safe. Here are before and after photos…

11. An Old Globe Updated

I thought this tabletop globe could use an update for the holiday, so I added Santa’s sleigh and reindeer!

The sleigh and reindeer pieces were cut from black card stock on my Cricut Maker. I cut two of each, glued them to wire, and secured the wire ends with clear tape to the back of the globe stand.

12. DIY Flocked Christmas Tree

I was given this 24″ Christmas Tree and thought it needed a refresh.

To start, I hot-glued floral foam into a thrift store wicker basket. Then I removed the tripod base from the tree and hot-glued the tree stem into the foam.

For a flocked look, I used chalk paint and an old chip brush to dab the paint on the ends of the branches. The process was a bit messy but it worked well. I put this little tree in my antique booth and it sold the next day!

13. Rustic Christmas Tree Crate

Pick up an old wooden crate from the thrift store or make one out of scrap wood to add a little farmhouse charm to you holiday decor!

Here I used my Cricut Maker to cut black vinyl for the type and a stencil for the tree graphic. The SVG cut file can be purchased here in my Etsy shop!

14. Snow Scene Dome

Cheese domes are another thrift store item to look for. Here I cut a few bottle brush trees in varying sizes and hot glue them to a disk of foam board. For a little sparkle, I hot-glued faux snow around the edges

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Clean out your kitchen cupboards and check out these super easy DIYs! Read More: 37 Clever Ways to Repurpose Old Kitchen Items

RELATED CRAFT IDEAS:

• How to Distress Dollar Store Books with Chalk Paint
• Glass Gem Votive Candle Holders
• 10 Creative Ways to Upcycle & Display Vintage Tins
• How to Make Vintage-Style Clipboards

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Link to the full tutorial here –> How to Make a Jingle Bell Wreath