We’ve got a great selection of handmade decoration ideas – they’re great fun to make and will add a touch of personality to your home this Christmas.

Paper snowflakes

Great for getting the kids involved in creating this classic Christmas window decoration.

You will need:

• Sheets of A4 plain white paper
• Scissors for cutting
• Pieces of white ribbon for hanging
• PVA glue to stick the ribbon to the snow flake

To make:

1. Begin with a square piece of paper and fold in half to make a triangle.
2. With the longest edge at the bottom fold the left corner to meet the right corner.
3. Now fold in half again, bringing the top corner down to meet the bottom corner.
4. With your scissors cut shapes and sections out of the folded paper. You can cut out as much or as little as you like, just be sure not to cut away all of the folded edges or your snowflake will fall apart.
5. Open up to reveal your snowflake. You can keep opening and refolding and cutting until you have your desired effect.
6. Glue a piece of ribbon to the snowflake for hanging – use different lengths to create the desired effect.
7. You could hang these onto a wire coat hanger and hook the coat hanger over the curtain rail in front of a window for a great Christmassy effect.

Christmassy pomander

You need to make these at least 4 weeks before Christmas.  Place several pomanders in a bowl to add a splash of colour and a sweet spicy scent to your home.

You will need:

• Citrus fruit such as a tangerine, orange, lemon and lime (use a mixture for extra colour)
• Skewer or toothpick to prick the skin
• Paper bag or tissue paper
• 1½ tsp each ground nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves or 1 tbsp of allspice (per pomander)
• 1 tsp ground orris root powder per pomander (optional, but helps preserve the fruit)
• Few handfuls of cloves per pomander

To make:

1. Use a toothpick or skewer to lightly pierce the skin of the fruit. Make holes in vertical lines around the circumference of the fruit, or any pattern you’d like to do if you’re feeling creative. The cloves should be close together but not touching. The aim is to cover the fruit with cloves as completely as possible. (Use cloves with the heads still on as it will look prettier).
2. Combine the ground spices and roll the fruit in them before placing it in a paper bag or wrapping in tissue paper.
3. Store in a dark, dry place for at least four weeks. Check it every now and again to make sure it is still in good condition and drying well.
4. Your pomander will be ready when it has shrunk and feels light and hollow.  It’s now ready to display in a pretty bowl.

Pine cone Christmas decorations 

You can use these indoors or outdoors – either way they will look really festive!

 You will need:

• Natural raffia, string or festive ribbon
• Pine cones
• Sprigs of holly, ivy or evergreen foliage
• Florist’s wire
• Rosehips or other red berries (if the holly has no berries)

To make:

1. Wrap wire around the stem of a sprig of holly or ivy that’s longer than the stem, wiring in a rosehip or two if you fancy.
2. Wind around the scales of the pine cone to secure.
3. Take a length of raffia, string or festive ribbon and tie the loose ends around the scales of the cone, to make a hanging loop. If you want the foliage and the loop at the same end of the cone, you can wrap the wire around the foliage and the string together.

Christmas pot pourri 

Create an aromatic atmosphere with winter pot pourri scented with spicy essential oils

You will need:

• Whole cloves
• Cassia
• Cinnamon bark
• Nutmegs
• Cinnamon sticks
• Dried rosehips
• Cardamom pods
• Star anise
• Christmas spice oil
• Poly bag

To make:

1. Put whole cloves, pieces of cassia or cinnamon bark, nutmegs, cinnamon sticks, dried rosehips, cardamom pods and star anise in a poly bag.
2. Add several drops of Christmas spice oil, or a combination of essential oils such as orange, cinnamon, clove and frankincense.
3. Tie the bag and shake up to mix. Leave for a week before using.

To freshen up when the smell begins to fade, add drops of oil to keep it fresh over the Christmas period.

This is also great as a lovely festive home-made gift.  Simply put the pot pourri in cellophane bags to give as presents, adding dried red chillies and dried orange slices for colour.

Sequined Christmas bauble 

This bauble looks amazing hanging on your Christmas tree.  It’s quick and easy to make and you can get the kids involved in making their own individual baubles too, using whatever colour and shapes of beads they like.

You will need (use whatever colour beads you’d like):

• 1 tube each of bronze and gold 1/8in (3mm) pearl beads
• 1 tube each of silver, pink, gold, and blue 1/4in (5mm) cup sequins
• 1 pack crafting pins or dressmaking pins
• 2in (5cm) polystyrene crafting ball
• 2 small pointed metal beads
• 1 tube of blue round glass beads
• 1 tube of turquoise flat beads
• Chiffon ribbon to hang

To make:

1. Thread one bronze pearl bead, then one gold sequin onto a pin and push it into the centre of the polystyrene ball.
2. Continue like this until you have made a circle around the circumference.
3. In the same way, make further rows around the ball in any beads or sequins in any colours you choose to make your desired pattern.
4. Put a pointed metal bead onto a pin and fix into the bottom of the ball.  Do the same for the top of the ball.
5. Continue making rows round the ball until the whole ball is covered with beads or sequins.
6. Sequins cover the polystyrene very well and can easily be slightly overlapped. Sometimes, the polystyrene glares through from between round beads, so slip a sequin under these for better coverage.
7. Remove the metal bead at the top position, thread a length of ribbon onto the pin for hanging, and a sequin to act as a washer, then replace the pin in the polystyrene ball.