Brighten your holiday home with these clever handmade Christmas decorations.

Patterned-Paper Christmas Trees

Spruce up your holiday decor with patterned-paper trees. Cut or punch a decorative edge from 1x2-1/2-inch and 3/4x2-1/2-inch strips of patterned paper; curl the edges by wrapping them around a pencil. Hot-glue the pieces to a foam cone (ours are 9, 12, and 15 inches tall). Top each tree with a star cut from felt and held in place with wire. Add a gem for sparkle. Trim the tree with button, brad, and gem ornaments.

Holly Leaves Christmas Tree Skirt

Make a tree skirt that you won't want to cover with gifts. To make the skirt, cut a desired-size circle, with a slit for the tree trunk, in the fabric of your choice. Cut holly leaves from two colors of green fabric and in two sizes (24 and 26 inches long), and cut circles from red fabric for the berries. Hand-stitch long straight stitches with embroidery floss down the center of the leaves. Glue the leaves and berries onto the skirt.

Felt Medallion Window Garland

This garland gives a window a lift. Hot-glue 2-inch felt circles to string; hang. Then attach felt-embellished medallions as desired.

Ribbon Christmas Card Hanger

Display a friendly season's greeting to all guests. To create a ribbon card hanger, simply stitch ribbons in flaps and attach a kicky bow at one end with a few stitches. Add a picture hanger to the back of the bow and hang on the wall. Tuck a card under each flap and adhere with double-stick tape.

Felt Dove Garland

These pretty felt doves will add subtle holiday cheer to a fireplace mantel or shelf when paired with similarly styled natural decor.

Festive Holiday Urn

Turn a garden urn into a sophisticated Christmas decoration by using it as a stand for an evergreen wreath. Adorn the arrangement with berries, pinecones, and sparkling orbs. Add symmetry with neatly wrapped presents in brightly colored packages on both sides of the urn.

Retro Ornaments Felt Stocking

This hand-sewn felt stocking will brighten your fireplace mantel with its colorful 1950s-style ornaments and white Christmas stars.

Colorful Holiday Pillow

Give a plain pillow a holiday makeover by giving it a new slipcover made from red burlap and acrylic paint.

White Yarn Christmas Wreath

This festive Christmas wreath made from white yarn and felt will stand out against a brightly colored door; if you have a plain white door, reverse the colors for the same contrasting look.

Embroidered Fabric Christmas Tree

Craft a clever Christmas tree from colorful fabric scraps and display it front and center in a bright frame to make a fun holiday decoration.

Tied in a Bow

Buy pillows in holiday colors and then wrap them with ribbon to look like pretty Christmas packages.

Sweet Treats

Make a tasty felt lollipop by sandwiching a poster board circle between two decorated felt circles; sew the stack together with a blanket stitch, leaving a small opening for the stick. Cut a length of dowel and insert it in the bottom of the lollipop. Hot-glue a ribbon bow to the dowel and display in a small vase filled with tiny marshmallows.

Wire Ornament Holder

Gather your favorite collectible ornaments and trim the boughs of a whimsical art piece. Hung inside a frame topped with a bow, the ornaments are the center of attention.

Winter Flurry

This picturesque scene is crafted using simple knitting, crocheting, and embroidery techniques. The winter wonderland pillow is great for Christmas decor and can be displayed all winter long.

Pretty Packages

To make a pretty floral gift, cover a block of florist's foam with button mums. Stick a pearl-head pin through the center of each flower to secure it to the foam. Tie a red velvet ribbon around the finished package, or hot-glue it to the top.

Red & White Christmas Pillows

Pillows add instant personality to any room. And handmade pillows like these are sure to be used for the holidays year after year. Our tree pillows were done in red-and-white, but you can use different color felts to match your style.

Photo Finish

Mounted on cardstock and trimmed into photo-framing ornament shapes, these paper accents make whimsical decorations for the tabletop or mantel.

DIY Snow Globe

Snow globes can be found in stores by the dozen. Why not make your own? The trick is to use liquid glycerin -- an ingredient used to make handmade soaps -- available at crafts stores.

Christmas Village

Build a neighborhood of houses for your Christmas mantel or table. Our "blueprints" give you the dimensions for re-creating these miniature homes.