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Plug in your glue guns: 43 DIYs to get started on right now ahead of the holidays

All the crafts and keepsakes to keep you busy from now ‘til New Year’s.

All the crafts and keepsakes to keep you busy from now ‘til New Year’s

Brittany Toole · CBC Life · Posted: Nov 12, 2019 7:17 PM EST | Last Updated: November 12, 2021

(Credit, left: Autumn Hachey; right: Lady Hayes)

This article was originally published Nov. 12, 2019 and was updated Nov. 12, 2021.

With the holiday season just around the corner, we're making our to-do lists and checking them twice. And on those lists are so many makeable table accents, terrariums and treats to prep in time for the season ahead. We've rounded up some of our most stellar standouts to share with you, because there's simply something so special about adding a homemade touch to festive decor, gifts, and even wrapping. Here are 43 delightful DIYs to tackle, starting right now.

Festive decor

A fireplace mantel with three knitted stockings hanging from it.

DIY charger plates

A white plate on a table set for the holidays. The plate is on a charger plate that has mini candy canes and purple, blue and silver decorations glued around the edge.

Victorian abundance tablescape from Steven Sabados

Steven Sabados standing behind a dining table decorated with greenery, red velvet, fruit and lit candles. — (Photography by David Bagosy)

4-step foraged and vintage centrepiece

(Photography by Lady Hayes)

Fully foraged holiday sunburst wreath

(Photography by Lady Hayes)

Magical winterland terrariums

YouTuber ALB standing in front of a DIY holiday terrarium made with a glass cloche and pastel trees inside it. — (CBC Life)

No-sew DIY table runner

(Photography by Wade Muir)

Faux floral wreath

(Photography by Lady Hayes)

Festive NYE place setting

NYE champagne bottle piñata

Easy DIY advent calendar

Outdoor urns made with evergreen or everlasting materials

(Photography by Lady Hayes)

Small spaces holiday tree

Your very own indoor snowballs

Potato stamp Christmas stockings

Little world ornaments

Canadian YouTuber ALB holding a homemade Christmas tree ball that is painted light green and has mini deer and trees inside. — (CBC Life)

Homemade holiday wrap

French fashion-inspired gift wrapping

(Photography by Autumn Hachey)

Dollar store gift wrap

DIY Holiday gift wrapping paper

Elaborate kitchen crafts

An entirely edible cookie advent calendar

An advent calendar made of gingerbread with colourful icing. — (CBC Life)

An entirely edible cookie dreidel

A dreidel made from a sugar cookie topped with blue and white icing. Gold coins sit around it. — (CBC Life)

Stocking and pine cone hand pies

2 plates of cookies on a wooden table. One plate has 4 red and white stocking-shaped cookies. The other plate has 5 hand pies made to look like pine cones. — (Photo credit: David Bagosy)

Giftables

2 photos of withwendy wearing a blue sweater and a stack of scrunchies in a pony tail on top of her head. — (Credit: withwendy)

2 quick and cozy DIY gifts to make for yourself this holiday season

DIY friendship bracelets

left: overhead shot of bracelet making supplies. right: a hand making a peace sign, with a beaded bracelet that says 'peace' around the wrist.

Floral arrangements

three images of floral arrangements. left to right: a small, medium and large bright floral arrangement with dried florals — (Photo: Mariah Hamilton; styling: Abigail Ballanger)

Left: a swan-shaped dish; right: withwendy holding the dish and smiling to camera — (Credit: withwendy)

Custom shaving cream and aftershave

left: a shaving brush on a sink; right: 2 small mason jars stacked and tied with a bow. — (Photography by withwendy)

Homemade belly oil, nipple butter and solid perfume

left: a hand holding a small bottle of beauty oil; right: a hand with a small jar of body butter in it. — (Photography by withwendy)

Chunky knit scarves

Marbled jewelry dishes

Overhead shot of 2 marbled trinket dishes with jewelry in them. — (CBC Life)

Custom, large-scale wall tapestry

left: hands making a large, woven tapestry. right: withwendy standing in front of the woven tapestry.

Crystal-studded ombre tassel earrings

(Photography by Lady Hayes)

Unicorn horn ring holder

DIY wood photo transfer

Disco ball planter

Empress star crown

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