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. 

Champagne & Wine Corks Craft – Use repurposed corks from wine and champagne to create these charming Christmas tree decorations. They can be hung on the tree or placed on tables and mantles. 

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.