Christmas is on Monday. What?! I’m so excited! A few weeks ago I got a text from my friend Sami saying she’d found some festive things on Pinterest that she wanted to try. I was stoked when she asked my best friend Madi and me to do them with her – I love this kind of stuff but it’s not as fun to do by yourself! We had such a good time listening to Christmas music, making tasty holiday drinks and snacks, and doing a few DIY projects.
Today I’m going to share with you guys how to make this cute yet minimalistic Christmas wreath. It is SO EASY that literally anyone can do it. I’ll also include a few of the recipes we tried that were delicious! None of these things take much time so they’d be great to make this weekend as last-minute Christmas prep.
Hint: Want to add the photos from this post to your holiday Pinterest board? Just hover over the photo and click “Save” in the corner.
Christmas Wreath DIY
What I love about this Christmas wreath DIY project is that you can completely make it your own. My friends and I all used the same gold hoop base but chose slightly different materials to decorate it with.
You’ll need:
- Large gold hoop (mine is about 8″ in diameter)
- Twine
- Gold wire
- Strong scissors or wire cutter
- White or green floral tape
- Wooden letters
- White acrylic paint + paintbrush
- Hot glue + hot glue gun (not necessary!)
- Fake eucalyptus stems
- Glittery Christmasy garnish
I bought every single one of these items from JoAnn’s. The fake eucalyptus and other garnish-y things were all 70% off, so the total only came out to about $25. Wayyyy cheaper than buying something like this at a home decor store!
Step by step:
- If you want to paint your letters, do that first so that they can dry.
- Take the gold hoop and begin wrapping twine around it again and again. Secure with small pieces of gold wire where necessary.
- Using strong scissors or wire-cutters, cut off pieces of your greenery + other decor.
- Use small strips of floral tape to attach these pieces to the bottom of the hoop one at a time, alternating sides and keeping it somewhat even. Floral tape pretty much sticks to itself so this part is really easy!
- Cut separate pieces of twine and hot glue one to each letter. Let it dry for a sec and then tie there other end to the top of your hoop wherever you please, securing with wire if needed. If you don’t have a hot glue gun & don’t want to buy one, just tie the twine around the letters instead.
Super straightforward. Mine took about an hour to make. THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT!
Now for some extra tasty Christmas drinks… I would recommend making these first and enjoying them while you craft.
Kahlua Hot Chocolate
You’ll need:
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unprocessed unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1 oz. Kahlua coffee liqueur
- Mini marshmallows
- Chocolate syrup
Step by step:
- In a medium saucepan, combine milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg over medium heat until heated through. This will take about 2-3 minutes unless you double the recipe. Remove from heat and stir in Kahlua.
- Add mini marshmallows and chocolate syrup if desired.
- Enjoy!
Recipe found on Pinterest: originally from www.damndelicious.net.
White Wine Christmas Sangria
You’ll need:
- 2 bottles Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay
- 3/4 cup sparkling apple cider
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cranberries, halved
- 3/4 cup cranberries, whole
- 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
- 3 rosemary sprigs
- 1 orange for garnish
Step by step:
- Combine all ingredients and stir together until sugar is dissolved.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving (tastes best this way!).
- Serve chilled over ice and add orange garnish.
- Enjoy!
Recipe found on Pinterest: originally from www.cakenknife.com.
White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
You’ll need:
- Pretzel rods
- Vanilla candy coating
- Candy canes
Step by step:
- Crush candy canes, place in a bowl, and set aside.
- Break candy coating into chunks and put in a pot on low heat. Melt while stirring consistently with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Pour candy coating into a skinny jar or cup (a bowl will work, this is just easier!).
- Lay out parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
- Dip your pretzel rods into the coating and use a spoon to spread/add coating where needed. Sprinkle your crushed candy cane and/or sprinkles and put on parchment paper to set.
- Enjoy!
Recipe found on Pinterest: originally from www.lilluna.com.
We also made some DIY gift tags, bath salts, and more. You can find other fun ideas on my Holiday Pinterest board! Hope you enjoy getting into the holiday spirit with these festive ideas and please let me know if you have any questions!
XO Sorelle