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Feeling crafty? Holiday DIY ideas for the whole family

Ginger Whitaker | gwhitaker@wtop.com

November 30, 2016, 5:11 AM

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Air drying clay is the secret to these embossed star ornaments. Use stamps, cable knit wool or maybe even lace – as long as you don’t mind it getting dirty – to make your mark (ha!). These ornaments won’t require baking, and you can even experiment with painting them. Full instructions can be found at Gathering Beauty. If you have leftover clay, try these other ideas from the same craft blog: stamped clay magnets and candle holders. (Courtesy Gathering Beauty) (Courtesy Gathering Beauty)
Courtesy Gathering Beauty
(Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker)
A sweet addition to your Christmas tree, these “Petite Gumball Machines” are full of nostalgia. You’ll need a clear glass ball ornament, some beads and card stock for this ornament — head to your local craft store for supplies. Full instructions can be found at Not Quite Susie Homemaker. (Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker) (Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker)
Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker
Another festive tutorial from Not Quite Susie Homemaker helps you create tiny tinsel trees. You can use any color of pipe cleaner for your tree, and little beads for ornaments. If you’re making these with children, they will need a little help and supervision with the cork base. Full instructions can be found at Not Quite Susie Homemaker. (Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker) (Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker)
Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker
A great hands-on craft for kids, this fingerprint lights frame makes a great gift for loved ones. For this DIY, you’ll whip up a batch of salt dough for starters. Then, you can use paint and stamps to make it your own. Full instructions can be found at Teach Me Mommy. (Courtesy Teach Me Mommy) (Courtesy Teach Me Mommy)
Courtesy Teach Me Mommy
These mini yarn hat ornaments come together in just a few minutes. (Courtesy Easy Peasy and Fun)
These mini yarn hat ornaments come together in just a few minutes, and would even look great attached to a wrapped or bagged gift. Choose any color of yarn, or use a mix! You’ll also need paper tubes from a roll of paper towels or toilet paper. Full instructions can be found at Easy Peasy and Fun. (Courtesy Easy Peasy and Fun) (Courtesy Easy Peasy and Fun)
Courtesy Easy Peasy and Fun
Staying with the theme of tiny items of clothing, these mini stockings will require basic knowledge of crochet. Don’t be intimidated – there are plenty of helpful YouTube tutorials out there that helped this amateur crafter learn the basics. Full instructions can be found at Sewrella. (Courtesy Sewrella)
Courtesy Sewrella
Maybe you have a knack for embroidery. If so, use your skills to make personalized portraits for your friends and family! This detailed tutorial is a different style of stitched portrait, but it may give you some ideas for a custom gift. (WTOP/Sarah Beth Hensley)
WTOP/Sarah Beth Hensley
There are dozens of tutorials for DIY snowglobes online – I’m looking at you, Pinterest! For this quick gift, I glued miniatures (found for just a few dollars total at a craft store) to the inside of a Mason jar lid. I went with a bit of an old Coca Cola-inspired theme, with Santa, an old television set and some Coke bottles. Once the glue dried, I put a little fake snow and some white glitter into the jar and then screwed on the lid. Add more snow if it looks a little scant. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
WTOP/Ginger Whitaker
For this homemade snowglobe, I used a tiny Christmas ornament by removing the hook. The tiny trees were found in Target’s $1 section. You can also try water-filled snowglobes, but you’ll need a bit of glycerin to help the glitter swirl. Here’s a tutorial to try. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
WTOP/Ginger Whitaker
This hardly qualifies as a “craft,” but you can at least say it came from the heart! Personalize a wooden/metal letter for a gift by painting it or maybe attaching some yarn. For this soon-to-be door hanger, I painted a wooden letter with gold paint. After the paint dried, I wrapped it in sparkly yarn, attaching it with hot glue every so often. (WTOP/Ginger Whitaker)
WTOP/Ginger Whitaker
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(Courtesy Not Quite Susie Homemaker)
These mini yarn hat ornaments come together in just a few minutes. (Courtesy Easy Peasy and Fun)

WASHINGTON – What can you do with a little leftover yarn, jars, paper tubes and cotton balls? Deck the halls, of course!

Even if you don’t have a pair of pinking shears tucked in a drawer, you can try your hand at a few Christmas and holiday-themed crafts. We’re sharing some DIY ideas that you can tackle on your own, or as a family.

Have some ideas of your own? Share them in the comments below.

Check out our Christmas craft board on Pinterest for more inspiration.

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