Are you looking to add some festive cheer to your Christmas tree that’s more original than the typical store-bought decor? Making your own natural Christmas tree decorations will definitely make your home feel special this holiday season. It’s also a frugal way to decorate that will encourage your whole family to avoid waste.
There are plenty of natural materials you can forage or purchase at low prices in stores and they are also really easy to work with.
26 DIY Natural Christmas Tree Decorations
From twigs, rocks, and pinecones to fabrics, greenery, and dried citrus fruit, we have so many options for natural Christmas tree decor crafts, it would be a shame not to try at least some of them.
Many of the projects below are perfect for beginners, and if you have children, they might want to join in on the fun!
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1. DIY Drop Cloth Ruffle Christmas Tree Skirt
A skirt might not be the most obvious type of decoration you have in mind for your Christmas tree, but it will make it more elegant!
Natural decorations are perfect for the rustic style, and so is this lovely DIY drop cloth skirt.
You’ll need a sewing machine for this project, since sewing a seam is needed to create those cute ruffles for the skirt.
Credit: itallstartedwithpaint.com
2. DIY Rustic Wood Star Ornament
This large ornament can be hung on the tree or even on a shelf or cabinet! The distressed paint gives it a vintage feel.
Credit: joyfulderivatives.com
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3. Boho-Inspired Hoop Christmas Ornaments
Mini embroidery hoops make the perfect base for gorgeous Christmas ornaments.
This creative project uses feathers as embellishments and the results are so pretty!
I would definitely use these feathery hoops as gift tags too, not just ornaments.
Credit: aprettyfix.com
4. Painted Wood Slice Ornaments Tutorial
Wood slice ornaments are easy to find in craft stores and there are so many ways to customize them.
Even if you don’t have painting skills, it’s possible to make your ornaments appear as if they were.
With stencils, you can give them the flawless painted look. As a bonus, you can reuse the stencils for other projects.
Credit: designimprovised.com
5. DIY Macrame Wreath Ornament
New to macrame? That’s ok! This mini-wreath ornament is the perfect beginners project and adds fun style to the Christmas tree.
Credit: joyfulderivatives.com
6. DIY Christmas Ornaments With Dried Flowers
Clear baubles are another item you can use to DIY some interesting Christmas tree decor.
Filling the with dried flowers is such a simple idea, and you don’t even need to purchase the flowers.
You can pick some from your garden, or during a nature walk and allow them to dry naturally before using them in crafts.
Credit: monstercircus.com
7. How To Make Clay Christmas Ornaments
Air dry clay is easy to work with, so even the kids might want to try it.
Clay ornaments can be shaped using cookie cutters, and you can paint them with your favorite colors and patterns.
Using gold leaf on some of them will add a touch of glam and make your tree extra special!
Credit: countryhillcottage.com
8. DIY Plaid Fleece Wood Framed Ornament
Turn a simple scarf and frame from Dollar Tree into one of my favorite, fun natural christmas tree ornaments!
Credit: joyfulderivatives.com
9. Scented Botanical Wax Ornaments
A charming Christmas tree is nice to have, one that also smells good is even better!
Using wax flakes, dried herbs, flowers, or spices, and essential oils, you can craft these gorgeous ornaments that smell so pretty you can even add them to DIY gift baskets.
Credit: thecentsableshoppin.com
10. Coastal Driftwood Christmas Tree Ornament
Do you live near a beach, a lake, or a river? In that case, you have an endless supply of driftwood which is great for various crafts.
A coastal Christmas tree will remind you of warm summer days and all it takes is to make some easy coastal ornaments using driftwood, sea glass beads, and, optionally, other small beach-inspired decorations.
Credit: thehandymansdaughter.com
11. Modern Salt Dough Ornaments And How To Whiten Salt Dough
Salt dough is another inexpensive material excellent for creating tree ornaments in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
This project also includes details on how to whiten salt dough as it will help you make pure white ornaments.
Painting on white will also make any color you apply look brighter and cleaner.
Credit: lovelyindeed.com
12. DIY Wood Bead Tassel Ornament
Who doesn’t love a good tassel?? These ornaments are super affordable and even jingle, making them the perfect natural christmas tree decorations!
Credit: joyfulderivatives.com
13. DIY Easy Burlap Ornaments
Have some burlap fabric scraps waiting to be put to good use? Try this super easy Christmas craft and make rustic burlap ornaments for your tree!
The fastest way to make them is with a sewing machine, but hand-sewing also works if you’re not in a rush.
Credit: lovecreatecelebrate.com
14. DIY Wood Slice Christmas Ornaments
This rustic, gingham-inspired take on wood slice ornaments requires some small wood beads, paint and an electronic cutting machine such as Cricut or Silhouette.
The vinyl designs are applied on the painted slices and they look adorable!
You can use other designs, thus the ornaments can be easily turned into unique gift tags.
Credit: burtonavenue.com
15. Twine Ball Christmas Ornament Craft
Adding a natural, rustic look to your Christmas tree on the cheap is totally possible!
Twine has a neutral color and uneven texture that allows you to create charming holiday decor.
To make ornament baubles using twine, you will need to wrap it around water balloons, and apply a layer of Mod Podge, or white glue to harden it.
Credit: heartandvine.com
16. DIY Frosted Pinecone Ornament
Turn a backyard pinecone into a fun ornament with this simple tutorial. Pinecones are the perfect option for natural ornaments that don’t cost a thing.
Credit: joyfuldervatives.com
17. How To Make DIY Bird Feeder Ornaments
Ornaments made from nuts and seeds have an interesting texture, perfect for rustic style decorating.
Once the holidays are over, you can actually use them to feed the birds.
To make these ornaments, you will need to make a mixture of bird seeds, dried fruit, nuts, and gelatin and is to fill some greased cookie cutters.
Super easy!
Credit: countryhillcottage.com
18. DIY Clay Mushrooms Christmas Ornaments
Using air dry clay and acrylic or gouache paint, you can have fun making these dreamy pastel mushroom ornaments for a delicate Christmas tree.
This craft is just the thing you might need to relax on a chilly winter afternoon.
There’s a lot of handwork needed to shape the mushrooms, which could be a great exercise for children too.
Credit: papernstitchblog.com
19. DIY Plaid Ornament
Turn an old flannel shirt into a festive plaid ornament with this simple tutorial! It makes the perfect addition to a natural Christmas tree.
Credit: joyfulderivatives.com
20. DIY Pinecone Ornaments
Pinecones are definitely staples of holiday crafting, and what better way to use them than to make festive tree ornaments?
The wire ribbon and jute twine are must haves if you’re after the rustic look.
If you’d like to keep this ornament as natural as possible, you can replace the faux berries and pine branches with real ones!
Credit: domesticallycreative.com
21. DIY Floral Ornaments For Christmas
If you have a garden, or a backyard, chances are there are plenty of dried herbs and flowers during the cold season.
You can mix and match them as you please, and add them to transparent glass or plastic ornaments to give your Christmas tree a natural look.
Use a ribbon that’s neutral colored, or that matches the flowers and herbs you used to fill the ornaments.
Credit: thehoneycombhome.com
22. How To Make Rustic Twig Christmas Ornaments
There are a million ways to use twigs for crafts and decorations, and these snowflake-shaped ornaments are among the easiest!
Requiring just a few inexpensive supplies, including twigs, a hot glue gun, buttons, twine, and sprigs of faux pine and berries, a craft can’t get more frugal than this.
Of course, you can make various shapes and use other small decorative items for your twig ornaments.
Credit: simpleasthatblog.com
23. Dried Citrus Ornaments
Dried orange slices, but also other citrus fruit such as lemons, and grapefruits, can make festive ornaments, and garlands.
You can easily dry citrus slices in the oven or even air dry them if you have the patience.
Then, you just need to pierce the slices, add ribbon or ornament hangers, and pretty up your Christmas tree!
Credit: abeautifulmess.com
24. DIY Fresh Greenery Ornaments
Dried flowers and greenery are lovely, the fresh ones are even better!
These bright ornaments can be more than just tree decor. You can use them for garlands, mantels, centerpieces, and amazing vignettes.
You only need clear ornaments, fresh greenery, and a pair of garden sheers to start crafting.
Credit: themerrythought.com
25. Wooden Bead Star Ornaments
Wooden bead ornaments add a subtle touch to the Christmas tree and pair well with decorations from other materials such as glass and fabric.
Any size of beads can be used for this craft. You can even alternate between sizes to create some unique effects.
Using copper wire, it will be easy to create the star shape, and any other shape, for that matter.
Credit: amylattacreations.com
26. DIY Stove Top Potpourri Fillable Ornaments
Homemade stove top potpourris can make your house smell amazing…..and they can also be used as fillers for Christmas ornaments.
This project uses cedar and blue spruce clippings, dried orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and spices to fill clear ornaments.
They would also make fabulous gifts for family, friends, and neighbors!
Credit: danslelakehouse.com
Where to Buy Natural Christmas Tree Decorations
There are many brands that provide options for natural christmas decorations and ornaments – here are some of my faves!
- Target (especially the Hearth and Hand and Studio McGee lines)
- Amazon (watch for lightning deals by adding things to your cart and they’ll notify you when they go on sale!)
- Etsy (I love supporting small, independent creators through this site!)
- Walmart (they have really stepped up their game in the home decor scene)
- Wayfair (items come and go quickly here, but they’ve got some great deals!)
Best Artificial Natural Christmas Trees
Looking to buy an artificial Christmas tree this year?
Here are some of the best on the market:
So, were you able to get some ideas for fun, natural Christmas tree decorations to get your tree all decked out for the season? I hope so!
