Create stunning recycled Christmas decorations from everyday materials like tin cans, scrap fabric, and old wine corks for a budget-friendly holiday.
Every year, like clockwork, I find myself rummaging through my recycling bin to whip up some Christmas crafts. Why buy expensive decorations when my recycling pile is a craft supply store waiting to happen? With a bit of imagination (and a trusty hot glue gun), you can turn what most people throw away into holiday treasures that look just as good—if not better—than anything you’d find in a store. Who needs another plastic snowman when you can make your own out of old wine corks, tin cans, and toilet paper rolls?
Christmas Recycling Resources
Here’s a peek at some of the unsung heroes of my recycled Christmas crafting:
- Old wine corks: Classy and rustic ornaments with just the right touch of DIY charm.
- Scrap fabric: From garlands to gift wrap, fabric scraps are the Swiss army knife of Christmas crafting.
- Toilet paper rolls: These humble cardboard tubes can become beautiful Christmas decorations.
- Plastic bottles: With a bit of snip and a dash of paint, these can become festive baubles or glimmering snowflakes.
- Tin cans: Luminaries, shadow boxes, or hanging decorations—who knew dinner leftovers could be so decorative?
- Old Cards: Repurpose old Christmas cards into gift tags or new ornaments that add a nostalgic touch to your tree.
- Scrap denim: Denim seams and patches give a cosy, upcycled vibe that’ll have your tree looking ready for the runway.
- Jars & bottles: Add fairy lights to create a magical Christmas lantern, or turn the lids into ornaments.
- Cardboard Packaging: With a bit of clever cutting, you can turn them into stars, mini villages, or even Christmas trees!
The best part? Not only do you save a few pennies and cut down on waste, but no one will believe your gorgeous Christmas decorations came from the recycling bin. They’ll be too busy asking where you bought them!
Recycled Christmas Decorations: Easy Upcycled Holiday Crafts
Get inspired to make recycled Christmas decorations using upcycled materials like old denim, plastic bottles, and toilet paper rolls for festive charm.
How To Upcycle Packaging Into A Gingerbread Garland
Have lots of fun upcycling all those Amazon boxes in the most creative ways with this gorgeous gingerbread garland.
How To Make A Vintage DIY Christmas Butterfly Ornament
Create stunning butterfly diorama ornaments using old tuna cans and vintage book pages. This simple upcycled craft adds a whimsical touch to your holiday decor while keeping it eco-friendly.
How to Make a Clothespin Angel (with Free Template)
Are you looking for a DIY Christmas decoration idea that’s both simple and unique? Try making a boho-style angel entirely from clothespins!
Easy To Make Unique Denim DIY Christmas Tree
Use the belt loops and seams leftover from your jean upcycles to make these adorable rustic denim Christmas trees for unique decor.
Giant Cardboard Christmas Trees
Turn scrap cardboard into festive giant Christmas trees for an eye-catching holiday display! These fun upcycled crafts are easy to make, eco-friendly, and perfect for adding a bold, creative touch to your seasonal decor.
Easy Denim Christmas Ornaments
Repurpose your old jeans to make these gorgeous hanging rustic Christmas ornaments.
Christmas Rag Wreath
Create charming Christmas wreaths using leftover fabric scraps for a cosy, upcycled holiday decoration. This easy DIY project adds festive charm to any door or wall.
DIY French Macaron Ornaments
Paint, ribbon, and hot glue can be used to create adorable French macaron ornaments from old bottle caps. Upcycling Christmas ornaments is a fun project!
Simple to Make Repurposed Sweater Felt Garland
Cut old sweaters into colourful fabric scraps to create a fun craft project that will transform your holiday decor. These cheerful Christmas garlands add a pop of colour and texture to any mantle or tree.
Christmas ornaments with toilet paper roll
Can you believe these beautiful star-shaped Christmas ornaments are made from simple cardboard toilet roll tubes? I love how they’re strung together to create a stunning Christmas wall hanging.
Christmas Card Wall Art
Turn your old Christmas cards into unique wall art this holiday season! By repurposing the beautiful designs and festive imagery from past cards, you can create one-of-a-kind decor that adds a nostalgic and personal touch to your home.
Sparkling Star Wine Cork Decor
This wine cork Christmas decoration would also make a wonderful festive Christmas gift for wine lovers.
DIY Paper Christmas Trees
Recycle old books, newspapers or magazines to make some pretty tabletop Christmas tree decorations.
Repurposed Eyeglasses Ornaments For Christmas
Recycle those broken old eyeglasses into senitmental hanging Christmas ornaments.
DIY Stockings Made From Old Flannel Shirts
Turn old plaid shirts into beautiful Christmas stockings—no sewing machine required! With a little creativity, this simple, no-sew project lets you easily upcycle fabric into cosy holiday decor.
How To Make A Repurposed Paper Bag Advent Calendar
Recycle those beautifully printed Christmas gift bags into a festive advent calendar that doubles as eye-catching home decorations. This fun, creative project brings holiday charm while reducing waste, making your home stylish and eco-friendly this Christmas season!
DIY Punched Tin Lantern Upcycle
Create charming lanterns for your table or mantle using old tin cans, like this snowflake design. Punch out festive patterns, add a candle, and watch your upcycled decor bring a warm, cosy glow to your holiday setup.
DIY Snow Globe Using A Plastic Bottle Tutorial
Use empty soda bottles to make the glass domes for Christmas snow globe ornaments.
Paper Pine Cone Ornaments
Transform old road maps or vintage music sheets into stunning hanging paper pinecone ornaments! This creative upcycling project adds a charming, nostalgic touch to your holiday decor.
How to Make Giant Christmas Candles
If you're looking for larger Christmas decorations, why not try these giant candles made from upcycled cardboard packing tubes? They’re an impressive, eco-friendly addition to your holiday decor, adding height and festive charm without breaking the bank!
DIY Recycled Christmas Card Blocks
Recycle your favourite Christmas card designs into gorgeous wooden blocks that you can use year after year to decorate your home.
Dictionary Christmas Decoupage Baubles
Repurpose the book pages from an old dictionary to create these interesting Christmas baubles and add some vintage charm to your tree decorations.
Wallpaper Angel Garland
Please don't throw away those leftover scraps of wallpaper. Repurpose them into a beautiful Christmas angel garland complete with gold leaf wing tips.
Easy Cookie Cutter Sweater Upcycled Christmas Ornaments
Upcycle your old sweaters into cute Christmas ornaments using Christmas-shaped cookie cutters for the templates.
Night Light Bulb Christmas Ornaments
Recycle old light bulbs into beautiful Christmas decorations by transforming them into vintage-style glass baubles. This eco-friendly craft adds a nostalgic charm to your holiday decor while giving new life to discarded items.
DIY Christmas Craft: Tin Can Snowman
If you’re looking for a quick and easy Christmas craft, this adorable tin can snowman is just what you need! It’s a fun way to upcycle those leftover tin cans, and the best part is that it’s fast, simple, and so much fun to put together. Perfect for adding a bit of festive charm without the hassle!
Beautiful Fabric Star Ornament
Although this is a scrap denim Christmas craft, it can just as easily be made with other fabric scraps.
Making Memory Ornaments with Clothing
Learn how to turn the old shirt of a loved one into a lovely keepsake ornament.
DIY Christmas Village Using Toilet Paper Rolls
Create a stunning Scandinavian Christmas village just with some toilet roll cardboard tubes.
Paper Tube Ornaments
Brighten up your holiday decor by painting toilet paper tubes in vibrant colours, then cutting them into pieces to craft cheerful ornaments. These upcycled paper decorations are perfect for hanging on the tree or stringing into festive garlands, adding a fun and eco-friendly touch to your Christmas setup.
Soda Can Star Ornaments
Learn how to deconstruct soda cans and fold them into stars to make these colourful Christmas tree decorations or hang them in a garland.
Personalized Snow Globe Christmas Ornaments
Recycle Christmas cards, tuna cans and polystyrene balls to make cute personalized Christmas snowglobe ornaments for the tree.
Giant Cardboard Christmas Ornaments
Another creative way to upcycle those Amazon packages is to transform them into giant statement Christmas ornaments! These oversized decorations are perfect for hanging on your walls, adding a bold, festive touch to your holiday decor while recycling cardboard in a fun and stylish way.
Super Easy to Make Cute Norwegian Christmas Gnomes
These adorable Norwegian gnome Christmas decorations are made from recycled sweaters and wooden logs, and the best part is that they’re super easy to create—no sewing required! With just a few simple materials, you can craft these charming, rustic gnomes to add a cosy, Scandinavian touch to your holiday decor.
Snowman Hat Centerpiece
Looking for something different for your Christmas table centerpiece then how about this snowman hat made from an upcycled tin can.
Repurposed Tin Can Ornament For Christmas
Transform old sardine cans into one-of-a-kind Christmas tree ornaments using vintage Christmas cards! Create a mini diorama inside each tin to tell a festive story, turning these recycled cans into charming, eye-catching decorations that add character and nostalgia to your holiday decor.
Cork Polar Bear Ornament
Recycle champagne corks into the cutest of polar bear decorations. Check out this collection of seven more unique Christmas wine cork characters.
DIY Cardboard Christmas Decorations with Old Postage Stamps
All you need is some cardboard boxes and old postage stamps to create a rainbow of 3d ornaments to brighten up the Christmas tree.
Unique DIY Wooden Christmas Tree With Knobs On
Make a statement Christmas tree that stands out from the crowd by recycling woodscraps and hardware. This tree can be free standing or hang from the wall for those short of space.
DIY Sweater Stockings
Give your Christmas mantle a cozy, homespun touch by hanging beautiful stockings made from upcycled sweaters. These repurposed knits add warmth and charm to your holiday decor, creating a festive, rustic feel with a personal, eco-friendly twist.
Soda Bottles Snowflakes
Recycle the bottom of plastic soda bottles into fun snowflake Christmas decorations.
Scrap Fabric Twine Recycled Christmas Ornaments
Learn how to turn your scraps of fabric into fabric twine and then use this to make colourful Christmas baubles to brighten up your tree this Christmas.
Recycled Christmas Candle Holders
Transform glass soda bottles into charming Christmas tree candle holders with a coat of paint. These festive bottle-turned-candles make the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table.
Easy DIY Picture Jar Lid Ornaments For Christmas
These charming jam jar lid ornaments were made using vintage images of tropical birds, but they could easily be customized with personal photos to create unique, meaningful tree decorations. Whether using nostalgic prints or family snapshots, these upcycled ornaments add a beautiful and personalized touch to your Christmas tree.
DIY Wooden Ornaments From Repurposed Curtain Fixings
Even curtain rings and fixings can be recycled into the Boho style unique Christmas decorations.
DIY Plaid Fabric Reindeer
Here’s another fantastic way to upcycle old clothes this holiday season: turn those plaid shirts into adorable, freestanding reindeer decorations! These recycled fabric creations add a rustic, festive touch to your Christmas decor while giving new life to well-loved clothing.
Easy Christmas Bottle Lights
Recycle old glass bottles into illuminated Christmas decorations to brighten up your home on cold winter evenings.
How To Upcycle China Plates
Even broken China can be recycled into Christmas decorations, Wih the right tool you can cut chipped plates into Christmas tree shapes.
Magazine Christmas Trees
With a clever bit of simple folding old magazines and junk mail can be repurposed into decorative table top Christmas trees.
Easy To Make Super Cute Christmas Cloche
Believe it or not these cute mini terrirums were once Nutella jars. That's not the only thing recycled the bases are wood slices and the trees mini pine cones.
Wooden Thread Spool Ornament
Upcycle old thread spools into charming ornaments by wrapping them with the lyrics of your favorite Christmas songs. This simple craft not only adds a nostalgic touch but makes your decorations even more personal and meaningful for the holiday season.
Conclusion
So, every year, instead of braving the crowds and spending a fortune on decorations, I dive into my recycling bin and let the magic happen. Who says eco-friendly and budget-conscious can’t be glamorous? These DIY Christmas decoration ideas prove that with a bit of wit, creativity, and some everyday materials, you can craft holiday decor that’s every bit as stunning as anything store-bought.
Here, you’ll find all my Christmas crafts ideas. For more eco-friendly Christmas decorating, don’t forget to check out this collection of nature Christmas Craft ideas.