Easy Holiday DIY Crafts Inspired by Nature

As soon as snow starts to fall, many Calgarians break out their holiday decorations to add some festive cheer and warmth to their homes. Even though the winter season is cold with long nights, you can still find plenty of beauty in the season, especially out in nature! We pulled together some crafty DIY holiday décor ideas inspired by the snowy season that you might find walking through nature. Many of these crafts are all easy to do with kids and are a great activity for a cold day when you just want to stay inside.

Faux Birch Logs

If you close your eyes and picture a cozy winter day at home, the first thing that comes to our mind is a crackling fireplace with logs stacked nearby. While most fireplaces are electric or gas these days, it doesn’t mean you can’t still achieve those traditional fireplace vibes. You might not believe it, but these faux birch logs are made from old pool noodles, toilet paper, mod podge, and paint!

Tool Box Divas has an easy to follow tutorial for these cozy lightweight logs.

faux birch logs with boughs of pine tree and pine cones next to a fireplace — Photo credit: Tool Box Divas

Cinnamon Stick Candle Holders

Okay, technically you won’t find cinnamon sticks while out on a walk in Fish Creek Park, but cinnamon is a classic winter smell, so it deserves a moment on this holiday DIY décor blog. These cinnamon stick candle holders are both adorable and functional and would make a great centerpiece for your dining room table or coffee table while you watch holiday movies with the family.

All you need to make these are unscented candles, cinnamon sticks, burlap ribbon, and some twine. Check out the tutorial from Louise Roe and get DIY’ing.

woman's hands holding a candle center piece with cinnamon sticks — Photo credit: Louise Roe

A note for pet owners: Because Wolf Willow is a very pet friendly neighbourhood (with a dog park coming soon!), we wanted to note that while cinnamon sticks are technically classified as non-toxic to pets, they can cause irritation or allergic/respiratory reactions if consumed by cats and dogs in particular. If you have any curious pets that like to chew/lick things, be sure to keep these out of their reach if you make them!

DIY Snowy Mason Jars

When you live in Canada, snow is synonymous with winter. These Snowy Mason Jars are the perfect accent piece to bring in some of the snowy magic inside, but without the melting mess. They also light up with tea lights, which will add some extra sparkle to your home at night.

A Pumpkin & A Princess has a tutorial for these easy to DIY mantlepiece decorations. Craft supplies include mason jars, Epsom salt, glitter, greenery, twine, electric tea lights, and various glues.

mason jars with greenery, twine, and cranberries that look like they're filled with snow — Photo credit: A Pumpkin & A Princess

Asymmetrical Holiday Wreaths

These asymmetrical holiday wreaths have been rising in popularity and are perfect for those who prefer a more contemporary or minimal design aesthetic.

This tutorial from Martha Stewart uses fresh holiday foliage and greenery to create a wreath, though you can use artificial greens as well if you want to reuse it for years to come. For an even more asymmetrical approach, use a hoop wire frame and leave some of the wire exposed.

asymmetrical holiday wreath with lots of greenery, pinecones, and ribbon — Photo credit: Martha Stewart

Wreath with Dried Oranges and Florals

If you want a more traditional symmetrical wreath, this gorgeous, dried orange and floral holiday wreath caught our eye! It takes the classic holiday wreath for a spin by using seasonal greenery, and dried orange slices instead of poinsettias or holly berries.

This tutorial from Romantic Homes walks you through the process of drying your orange slices and different wreath making techniques.

homemade dried orange wreath hanging on an old antique dining room chair — Photo credit: Romantic Homes

Dried Orange Garland

If you have extra citrus left over after making your wreath, why not continue the crafting with this dried orange garland? One of the benefits to decorating with dried orange slices is that they’ll last the whole holiday season, and they retain a slight citrus scent after drying.

Check out this tutorial from The Ginger Home so you can make your own dried orange garland!

DIY garland with dried orange slices, twinkle lights, and scissors — Photo credit: The Ginger Home

Wood Slice Snowman Ornament

This snowman ornament made from wood slices is an easy DIY, and it’s a great craft to make some memories with your kids as well!

Follow It’s Always Autumn’s easy tutorial to make this ornament. For supplies, you’ll need wood slices, ribbon/fabric scraps, toothpicks, markers, and twine.

snowman decoration made from wood slices and ribbon — Photo credit: It’s Always Autumn’s

Holiday Pinecone Ideas

Like we mentioned in our Fall Décor blog, pinecones are super versatile, seamlessly transitioning your home from fall to winter. If you collected extra pinecones this autumn, The Cottage Market has a great collection of winter themed uses for pinecones, including painted/glittery pinecones, wreaths, Christmas ornaments, centerpieces, and more.

centerpiece made of pinecones, pine tree boughs, and candles in votives — Photo credit: The Cottage Market

SHOP FOR CRAFT SUPPLIES NEAR WOLF WILLOW

If you need to stock up on craft supplies before you can get DIYing, here are some stores you can visit near Wolf Willow. Or if you’d rather shop for finished décor, there are plenty of shops nearby that have you covered.

Legacy Township

Legacy Township the closest shopping centre to Wolf Willow. Here you’ll find many businesses, including restaurants, general shopping, health/beauty, grocery stores, fitness, pet stores, and more. Head on over to Dollarama or Winners to find a hearty selection of crafting supplies or holiday décor. In 2023, access to Legacy from Wolf Willow will be even easier with the construction of 210^th Ave SE, a central road leading in and out the community.

Shawnessy

You can also check out Shawnessy, which is just a quick drive from Wolf Willow via Stoney Trail. Here you’ll find the Shawnessy Shopping Centre with more stores to help you DIY some fun holiday projects. In addition to another Winners, you’ll find a Michaels and Walmart here for craft supplies.

crate of diy christmas boughs outside a popular retailer

Where to Find Fresh Greenery?

Many of these tutorials have the option to use fresh greenery versus artificial. If that’s the route you’d like the take, there are plenty of grocery stores in the area with floral shops, such as Sobeys/Safeway (Legacy and Shawnessy), Save-On Foods (Walden), and Superstore (Shawnessy). Spruce It Up Garden Centre is also open year-round and is near Legacy Township.

We hope you enjoy decorating this holiday season. Make sure to tag Wolf Willow in your creations if you share them on social – @WolfWillowYYC on Facebook and @westcreekdevelopments on Instagram!