5 Christmas DIYs to try this weekend

Does your home need a few fresh touches for Christmas? Why not do them yourself, and have some fun while you're at it?

Here are a few ideas to get you inspired this weekend.

• P.E.I. DIY: How to make your own Christmas wreath

1. Felt candy garland

Australian blogger Lorelei at Craftsmumship found directions for this fun felted "candy" garland in a book, Fa la la la Felt.

She used a rotary cutter instead of scissors to cut red and white wool felt in about half-inch strips.

She threaded them together, interspersed with red and white beads.

She made 24 felt lollies which made a "nice small garland," but suggests making it slightly longer.

Complete directions here.

2.Wood pallet Christmas trees

Heather at the blog Wildflowers and Pistols created outdoor wooden Christmas trees made of old pallets, but adds "you can definitely use new wood!" and stain it to appear older.

"Using pallet wood, mod podge, napkins, buttons and some Wildflowers & Pistols Milk Paint I created my version of the pallet wood christmas tree," she writes.

First, tear apart the pallet. You can often find old pallets cheap or free at garden and building supply stores.

She created three different tree sizes with different lengths of "branches" find the complete directions here. Dry-brush on some milk paint or flat paint.

Heather then applied pretty floral paper napkins using Mod Podge glue on every second or third tree branch, tearing off the excess napkin when dry and lightly sanding the surface to expose some of the wood underneath. She then sealed the effect with more clear urethane to protect them from the elements.

On the treetops, glue pre-made stars or make your own, using heavy duty glue such as wood glue. Glue on large white buttons as "ornaments."

The result is a pretty, romantic-looking decoration that is inexpensive, one-of-a-kind and should last for years. This would also make a lovely gift!

3. String Christmas trees

Youtuber Rachel at the channel SeasonThemedDIY shows how to make these very easy and inexpensive Christmas trees from just string and white glue.

By making these in different sizes and colours and adding unique decorations, each tree will be different but you can create groups of them for a cohesive decorating scheme.

Buy a foam cone form at the dollar or craft store or create your own from lightweight cardboard covering it with tinfoil and brushing with olive oil.

Pour your glue into a bowl and dip cut lengths of string into the glue. Wrap the string around the cone, overlapping the string as shown in the video. Let dry this can take a day or two.

Carefully remove the string "tree" from the cone and voila! That's basically it. You can light it from inside with a battery-operated tea candle, paint it, or decorate the heck out of it with glitter, snowflake stickers, pom pom ribbon, fake pearls -- whatever you have on hand or strikes your fancy at the craft store.

More tutorials on the same subject from The Frugal Crafterand Love Create Celebrate.

4. Copper leaf ornaments

This copper leaf ornament DIY is for the somewhat more advanced crafter. See the complete tutorial here.

You'll need copper metal sheets (available at craft stores), an embossing tool which is sometimes included with the metal sheets, a glue gun, hole punch, scissors and copper thread.

Trace a leaf pattern onto the copper sheet using an embossing tool. You can order one from this site, or eyeball the design and make your own template. Cut out the leaf shape, and punch a hole in the top.

The trickiest part might be using the embossing tool to round the leaf between each scored line, and curling the edges down. Tie the copper thread through the hole and hang.

5. Mason jar lid ornaments

Mason jar lid ornaments by Barbat the blog The Everyday Home are what she calls "farmhouse style."

She chose cute Christmas-themed scrapbook papers including a traditional plaid. Tracecircles fromlarge mouth jar lids onto the back of the paper, then cutthem out and glue them inside the lid, with the pattern side down. Then glue in the jar lid, shiny side out, as the ornament back.

Accessorize the front with stickers the author found cute deer ones and hot glue on a jute twine loop. You can add a jute bow, some red berries and fake greenery.

Read the step-by-step tutorial here.

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