Simple Christmas Ideas

It’s important to me to focus on the magic of Christmas, family and friends during the holiday season. I don’t want to spend a lot of time decorating, choosing gifts, wrapping gifts or cooking. I want to pamper my family and friends during the holiday season, but I don’t want it to overwhelm my time or energy. These are simple Christmas ideas that any busy person can really do and be proud to share. 

Simple Christmas Ideas

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Planning and Organizing

Free Christmas Planner Printable – 14 different pages to plan your entire Christmas day and preparation leading up to the big day.  

How to Toddler Proof a Christmas Tree – Simple tips that really work from a mom of three and parent educator. 

Holiday Air Travel Tips – Traveling over the holidays can be stress-free and even enjoyable with these simple tips. 

Yearlong Gift Planner – Plan your gift giving and accomplish it all year long so that you’re not stressed out at the last minute. 

Gift Receipt Folder – Create a cute and useful folder to track receipts from the gifts you’ve purchased. 

Organize a Holiday Meal Planner Printable – Holiday meal preparation can be organized and stress-free with this free printable planner. 

Packing Christmas Decorations to Survive a Military Move – Tips from my 20+ moves with the military. My decorations have survived moves all over the world thanks to these packing tips. 

How to Store Your Decorations to Survive a Military Move  – How you store your decorations are important for preserving them through moves and years of storage in all types of environments. 

Free Printable  Christmas Labels – Use these free printable Christmas labels to organize your Christmas decorations. 

Un-decorating Christmas

Advent Calendars

Easy Homemade Advent Calendar – Make this easy Advent Calendar from items you probably already have. 

DIY Advent Calendar – This DIY Advent Calendar is perfect for sending to deployed troops or college students. 

Repurposed 45 Record Advent Calendar – You’ll be rockin’ around the Advent calendar when you make a one-of-a-kind Advent calendar featuring an upcycled record. 

Decorating and Entertaining

Easy DIY Ornaments – You can make these charming ornaments for a dollar each. They only take minutes to make. 

Personalized Christmas Tree Ornaments – Make these personalized ornaments to give as gifts or as unique decorations for your tree. 

DIY Twine Balls – Beautiful Christmas decor you can make for pennies. A fun craft to make with children. 

Upcycled Christmas Card Holder – A unique card holder idea from the 1960’s. 

Christmas Decor from Repurposed Game Blocks – A charming addition to your Christmas decor made from repurposed wood game blocks.

Recycled Laundry Scoop Decoration– Make a beautiful and magical Christmas decoration from a simple recycled laundry scoop. 

Easy Candy Wreath – Create a fun and festive wreath from candy. Makes a wonderful gift. 

Upcycled Book Page Christmas Wreath – A sophisticated holiday decoration for the book lover. 

Gift Giving and Wrapping

Christmas Gift Wrap Idea – Create magical gift wrap that warms the heart. It all starts with recycled sweaters. 

Christmas Gift Wrapping Idea – A fun and unique gift wrap idea for the aviator or aviation lover on your list. 

Best Gifts for Teen Girls – It can be tough to shop for teen girls. Don’t worry, gotcha covered.

DIY Santa Sack – A simple, beginner’s sewing project to create beautiful gift bags. These are perfect for toy donation gifts. 

Easy Envelope Gift Bag – Sometimes you need a last-minute gift bag. You can make these in minutes with items you probably already have. 

Repurposed Sweater Sleeve Gift Bags – Charming gift bags are made from recycled sweaters. 

Easy to Make Felt Gift Bag – You can make charming felt gift bags for Christmas or Hanukkah. 

Repurposed Packaging for Homemade Treat Gift Giving – You can make gift giving containers for your homemade baked treats. 

Fabric Gift Bags – Make lovely fabric gift bags that are earth-friendly since you can use them again and again for years. 

DIY Gift Card Holders – Gift cards are the perfect gift for so many situations. Jazz up those gifts with handmade, unique gift card holders.

30+Creative Christmas Gift Wrapping Ideas – There are ideas here for everyone. Christmas gifts wrapping should be fun and creative. 

Crafts

DIY Christmas Candy Wrapper – Who doesn’t love candy for Christmas (or any time, really)? Decorate a gift of candy with this easy-to-make and adorable Santa wrapper. 

DIY Decorative Matchbox from Recycled Christmas Cards – Make adorable decorated matchboxes to accompany charming gifts of candles. 

Christmas Decor from Repurposed Game Blocks – A charming addition to your Christmas decor made from repurposed wood game blocks.

DIY Snowflake Votive – You can make these decorated votive candles in minutes and for pennies. They make great party decorations, favors and small gifts. 

Recycled Laundry Scoop – Make a beautiful and magical Christmas decoration from a simple recycled laundry scoop. 

Easy Candy Wreath – Create a fun and festive wreath from candy. Makes a wonderful gift. 

Repurposed Santa Treat Box

Repurposed Plastic Container Snowman – Craft a 

Quick Retro Decorated Tin – Retro, nostalgic decorations are my favorite. You can make a fun retro tin for decorating or gift giving for just pennies. 

Repurposed Christmas Cards – Don’t just throw away those beautiful cards that flood in every year. Repurpose them and enjoy them a second time around. 

Child’s Sweatshirt to Treasured Pillow – Turn a cute school project into a new family tradition. 

DIY Wintery Epsom Salt Jars – An upcycled craft using recycled glass jars and simple epsom salt. These lovely and magical jars can be used as decorations on a mantle or table or given as party favors. 

Stocking Stuffers

DIY Christmas Candy Wrapper – Who doesn’t love candy for Christmas (or any time, really)? Decorate a gift of candy with this easy-to-make and adorable Santa wrapper. 

Edible Wizard’s Crafts – Make unique edible treats that are perfect for the Harry Potter and fantasy genre fans on your gift list. 

DIY Gift Card Holders – Make adorable and personalized gift card holders from recycled and repurposed Christmas cards. Creating a one-of-kind gift card holder jazzes up the gift. 

Charitable Ideas

DIY Santa Sack for Christmas Toy Donations

Decorated Cookies

Best Decorated Sugar Cookies – Our family’s tried and true decorated cookie dough recipe. We’ve used this recipe for two generations in my family.

Doctor Who Cookies – Eleven of the doctors made from a simple gingerbread man cookie cutter and store bought icing.

Philadelphia Flyers Cookies – Using just a gingerbread man cookie cutter and a toothpick, you can create your favorite sports figures.

Fun with Decorated Cookies #AdventureTime – My children are fans of Adventure Time. They created the characters from simple cookie cutters we already had. 

Recipes

Holiday Almond Cookies – These cookies are as pretty as they are delicious. They’re a much-requested holiday cookie in my family. 

Easy White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe – These mini no-bake cheesecakes are scrumptious and perfect for holiday entertaining. 

Holiday Party Recipe – Warm Seasoned Pecans – We always serve these savory nuts at holiday parties and often give them as neighbor homemade gifts. 

Chili Mixed Nuts Recipe – Spicy, mixed nuts that are perfect for entertaining or gift giving. 

Pecan Tassie Cookies – These bite-sized cookies are the best of mom’s pecan pie in a mini version. 

Peanut Butter Balls Candy – My auntie’s famous candy recipe. It may be our number one favorite holiday treat. 

Old Fashioned Jam Thumbprint Cookies -This nostalgic cookie uses my grandmother’s favorite recipe. 

Cannoli Pie – This creamy pie is always a holiday hit. 

Simple Christmas Ideas share the true magic of the holiday and give you the extra time to spend with family and friends.