43 Upcycled Christmas Decorations You Can Totally DIY

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Upcycled Christmas decorations from thrift store finds and household castoffs: wreaths, trees, ornaments, signs and outdoor decor you can totally DIY.

Upcycled Christmas decorations usually mean using everyday items in unexpected ways. Using things you’d otherwise throw away and turning them into something new and exciting requires a bit of imagination, some courage to do the unexpected, and quite a lot of free spirit thinking to step out of the box.

But when you do end up with totally unique, one-of-a-kind upcycled Christmas decorations, you will not only have saved some things from ending up in the waste pile. You will also have avoided the trap of buying new all the time. Your wallet and the earth will be grateful.

Through my years of blogging, I have gotten to know some real upcycling, junk style, steampunk-loving queens of decorating. Today I present a collection of my favorite upcycled Christmas decorations from fellow bloggers. Enjoy!

5 Upcycled Christmas Wreath Ideas

What is a properly decorated Christmas home without at least one Christmas wreath? Right! Here are some truly original recycled Christmas wreath ideas.

1. Mason Lid Christmas Ornament Wreath

Want something unique for the front door this Christmas? Make this industrial Mason lid Christmas ornament tree wreath instead! Don’t have a stash of old and vintage lids yet? A set of wide mouth mason jar lids covers this wreath in one go. Donna shows you how over at Funky Junk Interiors.

2. Recycled Clock Christmas Wreath

Anything can be turned into a lovely wreath, as demonstrated by this recycled clock wreath. You will find the full how-to over at Homeroad.

3. Thrift Store Bottle Carrier Advent Wreath

A thrift store bottle carrier becomes the base for an easy and quick Advent wreath that lasts all Christmas season. Add four red taper candles and the carrier turns into an instant Advent wreath. I show you how I made mine right here on the blog.

4. Kitchen Wreath With Vintage Tart Molds

This Christmas kitchen wreath by Lora Bloomquist made from vintage tart molds is just too much fun, and easy to make.

5. Vintage Ski Wreath Display

Pam shares her holiday porch, and just look at this vintage door decor. Who would have thought that decorating with skis for Christmas would be so much fun? I love those vintage skis painted red. You can find the tutorial for painting old skis to look this good at House of Hawthornes.

7 Upcycled Christmas Tree Ideas

Christmas without a Christmas tree seems impossible. But sometimes there isn’t room for a big tree, or maybe one tree is just not enough. You can make big and small Christmas trees out of all kinds of materials. Here are some junk style Christmas tree ideas for a rustic Christmas.

6. Pallet Wood Christmas Tree

If you can find a pallet, you can make this pallet wood Christmas tree practically for free. The step by step instructions are over at Scavenger Chic.

7. Wooden Slats Christmas Tree

Another wood Christmas tree by Julie from Farmhouse at 52. From leftover wooden slats to this beauty of a Christmas tree. Julie shares the tutorial at Farmhouse at 52.

8. Upcycled Lamps With Pinecones Christmas Trees

Did I say anything can become a Christmas tree? These pinecone Christmas trees are crafted from pinecones with upcycled bases from lamp parts. If you are not up for collecting pinecones yourself, a bag of natural pinecones from the craft store saves the foraging. See the whole tree farm over at Urban Patina.

9. Rustic Pallet Wood Christmas Tree

How cute is this old wooden Christmas tree? You can build this unique rustic Christmas tree with the easy woodworking plans that are given in the post. Grab the free plans at Her Tool Belt.

10. Reclaimed Wood Christmas Tree

Another pallet wood tree idea. This one looks a bit more sophisticated but is still totally DIY-able with the instructions from KariAnne. KariAnne walks you through it at Thistlewood Farms.

11. From Vintage Chair Legs to Christmas Trees

If you want to know how to repurpose a vintage chair into Christmas decor, you’ll have to check out this post. Aren’t those repurposed Christmas trees cute? See how she did it at A Lovely Life.

12. Easy DIY Reclaimed Wood Christmas Tree

Learn how to build this easy DIY wood Christmas tree and star for free using scrap wood! Easy instructions make this a quick project, perfect for a front porch or Christmas decor for anywhere! The full build is over at Funky Junk Interiors.

5 Easy Upcycled Christmas Ornaments

If you have a Christmas tree, you will need some Christmas ornaments too. These upcycled Christmas tree decorations are totally up my alley. They add glamour and glitz while at the same time being truly one-of-a-kind originals.

13. Repurposed Drawer Pull Christmas Ornament

Carlene from Organized Clutter made this Christmas ornament that started life as a very ordinary drawer pull. Great vision and perfect execution! Carlene shows you her vision at Organized Clutter.

14. Mini Ornament Wreaths From Mason Jar Lids

Mason jar lids are ideal for upcycling into mini Christmas wreaths to hang on your tree with this simple DIY idea and tutorial! The little tutorial is over at Sadie’s Season Goods.

15. Upcycled Tart Tins Christmas Tree

We saw cake tins turned into a wreath. But when you find tiny tart tins, you can totally transform them into these super cute tart tin ornaments. Watch the tin tree come together at Magia Mia.

16. Repurposed Crochet Doily Ornaments

Crochet blankets and doilies are not hard to find in thrift stores. That those usually have stains and damage is not a problem at all when you turn the good bits into upcycled crochet doily Christmas ornaments. Thrift stores are full of them, but if you’d rather skip the hunt, a set of lace doilies works beautifully here. I share my full how-to right here on the blog.

17. Repurposed Vintage Scrabble Ornaments

Who doesn’t love a family game at Christmas? Well, turn the incomplete set of your favorite game into these fun Scrabble tile ornaments for a good upcycle Christmas project. No incomplete game at home? Lots of loose Scrabble tiles are easy to find online. Homeroad shows you how to make them.

If you are looking for even more handmade ornament ideas check out my post with 26 DIY Christmas ornaments.

5 DIY Upcycled Christmas Signs and Letters

Christmas comes with a message of peace and harmony. Maybe that’s why Christmas decorations featuring letters and signs are so popular. And if those Christmas signs are made from repurposed materials, all the better. Here are my favorite examples of upcycled Christmas signs and letters.

18. Scrap Wood Display For Christmas Cards

This fun way to display Christmas cards (made from scrap wood) is just one example of a fun way you can decorate with your Christmas cards shown in the post linked below. I’ll show you my favorite ways right here on the blog.

19. From Cabinet Door to Christmas JOY Sign

An old cabinet door is repurposed as a fun Christmas JOY sign on a buffalo check background. Carlene walks you through it over at Organized Clutter.

20. Repurposed Ironing Board to Christmas Sign

Talk about the unexpected. This upcycled Christmas countdown sign is made from an old wooden ironing board. How fun! Grab the full tutorial for this project at MyCreativeDays.

21. NOEL Letters With Grapevine Wreath

Simple and effective, this NOEL letters DIY project features repurposed wood and a leftover grapevine wreath. Grab a plain grapevine wreath from the craft store if you don’t have a leftover one; it’s the cheapest part of this project.

22. Vintage Silver-Plated Tray Christmas Sign

This lovely winter scene sign is made with a thrift store sign and decoupage technique. You can buy the prettiest winter scene decoupage papers online to make a similar project. Get the instructions for making this tray at SustainMyCraftHabit.

5 Unique Upcycled Christmas Decorations

Sometimes your home just needs a little something something in a corner or two. These DIY rustic Christmas decorations are quirky and fun and beautiful, and inspiring at the same time.

23. From Molds to Silver Bells

How to repurpose vintage jello molds as whimsical Christmas bells. Cecilia shows you how at My Thriftstore Addiction.

24. A Repurposed Laundry Stomper Christmas Angel

I have no idea what a laundry stomper is, all I know is that this angel is super cute. Wonderful see-through-it vision by Organized Clutter. The angel lives over at Organized Clutter.

25. From Thrift Store Chandelier to Stunning Vintage DIY Christmas Bells

Looking for a fun Christmas bells craft idea? You’ll love these vintage-style DIY Christmas Bells made from a thrift store chandelier. Come see how I made them right here on the blog.

26. Vintage Doily Tree Skirt

If you have been around, you know I just love doilies. So how could I resist featuring the lovely doily tree skirt that JunkinJane made?

27. Twig Christmas Decorations

Sometimes the materials to use for your Christmas decorating are totally free. Like when you use twigs from the garden to turn into rustic Christmas decor. These twig Christmas decorations might give you some inspiration to get started. You know where to find me; the full tutorial is right here on the blog.

6 Steampunk Repurposed Christmas Decor Ideas

Steampunk and Junk Style decorating are two sides of the same coin. Using old and rustic industrial tidbits and turning them into truly original decor pieces or even artwork is the highest level of upcycling and repurposing. Have fun with these steampunk Christmas decorating ideas.

28. Stacked Gear Christmas Tree Candles

Learn how to make these stacked (and safe) industrial gear Christmas tree candles, perfect for either battery or real candle votives! A pack of flameless votives fits right in and keeps the whole thing worry free. Donna stacks the gears over at Funky Junk Interiors.

29. Bed Spring and Vintage Ornaments Tree

A repurpose of a repurpose. The bedsprings were made into a Christmas tree and then Cecilia from My Thriftstore Addiction refashioned the tree into this lovely ornament tree wreath. Cecilia takes you through the remake at My Thriftstore Addiction.

30. Vintage Oil Can Ornament Display

Vintage oil can ornament holders! Who would have thought about that. Aren’t they lovely! See them over at Funky Junk From the Country.

31. Rusty Spring Decorating

This project proves that old bed springs are beautiful in their simplicity. Who would think that it would be so easy to create this rusty bed spring Christmas decor. Homeroad has the simple how-to.

32. Christmas Tree Made From Steamer Parts

A Christmas tree from steamers. Steamers from the thrift store are disassembled and put together again in the shape of a Christmas tree. It is rustic and shiny at the same time. Love it. The whole build is over at Color Me Thrifty.

33. Upcycled Strainer Tree Stand

Tired of your faux tree? Give it one more life by adding real branches to it! Here’s my faux to real mini Christmas tree in a strainer with wooden presents. See the faux to real magic at Funky Junk Interiors.

5 Rustic Outdoor Christmas Decor Ideas

Looking for some unique Christmas outdoor decorating ideas? Why not make some rustic outdoor Christmas decorations by repurposing the old, the vintage, and the rustic.

When turning our homes into a Christmas extravaganza, we shouldn’t forget about the front door, porch, and garden. So here are some upcycled outdoor Christmas decorations for you to be inspired by.

34. Upcycled Vintage Skates Christmas Decor

What a fun little decoration for your front door. Ice skate decoration ideas are perfect for winter and holiday decorating. These upcycled ice skates from Prodigal Pieces can stand in for a front door wreath anytime. Larissa shares the full post over at Livin’ Real with Larissa.

35. Rustic DIY Front Door Christmas Garland

Learn how to make a rustic DIY front door Christmas garland using natural evergreens, pinecones, and burlap. An easy, cozy tutorial for outdoor holiday decor with a charming handmade look. If you can’t forage fresh evergreens, a faux cedar garland gives you the same look year after year. I’ll walk you through it right here on the blog.

36. A Rustic Ski Themed Winter Christmas Outdoor Vignette

Christmas and winter decor go together like a hand in a glove. What better way to decorate your outdoor spaces than with accessories from winter games and sports. This recycled winter fun outdoor decor is a wonderful inspiration. Take the full tour at Organized Clutter.

37. Outdoor Rustic Christmas Vignette

Create a pretty Christmas display on your porch in true upcycled style. I am loving these examples of Christmas outdoor decorations in junk style, especially the use of rusty old milk and oil jugs. See the whole junker porch at Organized Clutter.

38. Upcycled Sled and Sweater Mittens Porch Decor

The mittens are handmade from a recycled scarf or sweater, and the sled is repurposed into a wreath holder. Loving this sled and mittens for Christmas outdoor decor. Find the full sled makeover at Sadie’s Season Goods.

5 Easy Upcycled Christmas Crafts

Not all upcycled Christmas decorations need to be show-stopping large. Sometimes just making a little Christmas craft is all you want.

Using recycled materials for your Christmas crafting is the way to go in my book. You’ll end up with a mix of materials and some vintage style decorations. What is there not to love?

39. How to Make Old Fashioned Christmas Decorations From Vintage Cards

Looking for ideas for old fashioned Christmas decorations to make? These vintage homemade ornaments are fun to create and a great way to use old Christmas cards. I’ll show you how right here on the blog.

40. Shabby Angel Wing Ornaments

Tiny bits of leftover lace, ribbon and doilies are repurposed into these lovely vintage paper angel wings. What a sweet Christmas paper project. A remnant of lace trim is really all you need beyond the paper and glue. The sweet tutorial is over at Heritage Farm.

41. DIY Altered Readers Digest Books

Old books that are destined for the bin are not hard to find. Turn them into these altered books for a truly fun Christmas decor project. See the folded pages over at Artsy VaVa.

42. How to Make a Wreath Christmas Gift Tag

Vintage paper gift tags made from stained cardboard, paper scraps, and a bit of damaged evergreen wreath. Grab the tag tutorial at Duct Tape and Denim.

43. Vintage Tags Advent Calendar

This Advent Calendar is made by adding all kinds of repurposed tidbits to tags that are decorated with leftover craft materials. Great way to use up lots of your crafting stash. A pack of small made -to-look vintage manila tags gives you a head start if you don’t have a stash of your own.

I hope you liked my collection of upcycled Christmas decorations and that you are inspired to take a second look at that thrift store find and turn it into your next Christmas decorating project. Let’s save the planet, one DIY project at a time.

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