Welcome to the Great Christmas DIY Roundup of 2016. At Decoist we love creating original holiday projects and celebrating the imaginative work of other design bloggers. Below are 20 of our favorite festive DIY ideas from 2016, spanning decorations, trees and ornaments, wreaths, outdoor styling, and creative gift wrap. Each project shows how simple materials and thoughtful design can transform a home for the holidays. Enjoy the inspiration.
Setting the Stage
A clever display can make the whole season feel magical. If you want dramatic results from minimal supplies, try the Christmas Party Office Paper Decorations idea from The House That Lars Built, which uses a single ream of office paper to create chains, lanterns, angels and snowballs that together form a winter wonderland.
For glossy, festive texture, A Subtle Revelry’s Tinsel Weave Wall Hanging is built around a simple wooden dowel with tinsel woven to create a shimmering focal point that’s perfect for holiday parties.
Don’t forget outdoor flair. Studio DIY’s playful DIY Lawn Flamingo Sleigh pairs pink plastic flamingos with a toy car for a retro-meets-modern yard display. For evening ambiance, Random Acts of Pastel shows how rainbow string lights and a laser projector can make a patio merry and bright.
Inside, small table centerpieces can be unexpectedly striking. Oh Happy Day’s Balloon Ornament Centerpiece combines balloons and mirror board for a reflective, celebratory arrangement that’s simple to assemble and perfect for the holiday table.
Trees and Ornaments
Holiday trees come in many creative forms. Sugar & Cloth’s DIY Pegboard Christmas Tree uses painted pegboard and simple embellishments to create a retro-modern tree that’s easy to dress up. For clean Scandinavian lines, Homey Oh My’s DIY Wood Dowel Tree arranges dowels into a striking, minimalist tree silhouette.
Handmade ornaments add personality and texture. Oh Happy Day’s DIY Honeycomb Ornaments turn paper honeycomb pads into colorful retro-inspired shapes. A Beautiful Mess transformed geodes into glittering, wire-wrapped DIY Geode Ornaments with gilded edges for a luxe, natural look. For whimsical toppers, try A Beautiful Mess’s simple constructions made from pipe cleaners and thin metallic wire.
Holiday Wreath Style
Wreaths now explore shape, color and texture beyond traditional greenery. Asymmetrical designs that reveal part of the wreath base are modern and eye-catching—see Paper & Stitch’s take on Asymmetrical Wreaths. For small, classic accents, Say Yes shows how to wire fresh eucalyptus and boxwood into DIY Mini Window Wreaths that look lovely hung in clusters.
The House That Lars Built offered a beautiful Paper Dresden Ornament Wreath, a paper-based homage to 19th-century Dresden forms. Studio DIY’s colorful Ornament Wreath packs impact with saturated baubles. For a quick, elegant option, try a grapevine base with eucalyptus and faux white berries, the basis of Decoist’s own Earthy, Elegant DIY Holiday Wreath. If you prefer a monochrome metallic look, our DIY Gold Holiday Wall Hanging delivers shiny, modern holiday style.
For a bright, modern take, A Subtle Revelry’s Colorful Advent Candle Wreath brings color and accessible DIY technique together to create a vibrant seasonal centerpiece.
Gift Wrap
Gift wrap is a final creative touch. A Bubbly Life’s DIY Paint Splatter Gift Wrap uses diluted paint flicked across plain paper to make playful, modern patterns. Camille Styles presents Hand Painted Holiday Book Wraps that transform white poster board with soft brush strokes and a polished envelope-style finish—perfect for books and boxed gifts. For a metallic accent, Decoist’s DIY Painted Gift Bags show how simple paint techniques can dress up kraft paper with luminous details.
These projects prove it’s easy to be creative during the holidays. Whether you prefer natural textures, shimmering metallics, playful color, or minimalist lines, this roundup offers approachable ideas to personalize your home and gifts. Happy holidays and happy crafting!