DIY Christmas Ornaments & Gift Wrapping on a Budget
A handmade Christmas doesn't have to cost handmade-boutique prices. Every December, stores sell dried-orange ornaments for $8 apiece and "artisan" gift wrap for $12 a roll — for things you can make in an afternoon with an oven, a bag of oranges, and a roll of kraft paper. This year, our whole holiday look — a full tree's worth of ornaments plus wrapping for every gift — came in at $24.
The secret is a simple formula: natural materials, one color palette, and repetition. Dried orange slices, cinnamon bundles, and salt-dough ornaments all share the same warm amber-and-wood tones, so they look intentional and expensive together. Pair them with kraft-paper wrapping tied with twine and sprigs of greenery, and every gift under the tree looks like it came from a design studio.
Materials You'll Need
- 3 navel oranges (makes ~15 dried slices) — $3
- 1 bag cinnamon sticks — $4
- 1 roll kraft wrapping paper — $6
- 1 roll jute twine — $3
- Small bunch of eucalyptus or cedar clippings — $5
- 1 small bag whole cloves — $3
- 1 cup flour + 1/2 cup salt (salt-dough, from the pantry) — on hand / $0
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Dry the orange slices (oven method). Slice the oranges 1/4 inch thick — even slices are everything. Blot both sides with a paper towel, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 200°F for 2–3 hours, flipping halfway. They'll darken to a glowing amber and make your kitchen smell incredible. Let them cool completely; they should feel crisp, not leathery.
- Make the cinnamon-twine bundles. Group 3 cinnamon sticks together, wrap twine around the middle 4–5 times, knot it, and leave a 4-inch loop for hanging. For a combined ornament, thread a dried orange slice onto the twine loop before tying the knot — the slice sits right against the bundle and looks professionally styled.
- Cut the salt-dough ornaments. Mix 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup water into a firm dough. Roll 1/4 inch thick and cut stars and circles with cookie cutters; poke a hanging hole with a straw. Press whole cloves into the soft dough in a ring or star pattern for a studded look, then bake at 200°F for 2–3 hours until hard all the way through.
- Wrap everything in kraft paper. One paper for every gift is the trick — it unifies the whole pile under the tree. Wrap with the seam on the bottom and fold clean hospital corners on the ends; press creases sharp with a fingernail. Kraft is forgiving and never looks cheap, unlike thin patterned paper that tears at the corners.
- Master the three ribbon tricks. The double-twine bow: wrap twine twice around the box crosswise, tie a simple bow, and slide a sprig of eucalyptus under the knot. The diagonal wrap: run twine corner-to-corner on both sides for a chic X that reinforces the corners. The living tag: thread a dried orange slice or mini cinnamon bundle onto the twine before knotting — the ornament doubles as the gift tag.
- Hang and style the tree. Hang orange slices and salt-dough ornaments at varying depths (some near the trunk, some at the branch tips) so the tree has dimension. Cluster cinnamon bundles in groups of three, and tuck leftover greenery sprigs into bare spots in the branches. Set the wrapped gifts underneath and step back: everything shares one palette, so the whole scene reads as one design.
Budget Breakdown
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 3 navel oranges | $3 |
| Cinnamon sticks (1 bag) | $4 |
| Kraft wrapping paper roll | $6 |
| Jute twine roll | $3 |
| Eucalyptus / cedar clippings | $5 |
| Whole cloves (1 bag) | $3 |
| Flour + salt (pantry) | $0 (on hand) |
| Total | $24 |
Before & After
Before: a tree full of mismatched plastic ornaments collected over a decade, and gifts wrapped in whatever paper was on sale — three different patterns, curling ribbon, tape showing. It looked like Christmas, technically, but it didn't look like a Christmas. Cohesive, it was not.
After: the tree glows amber and gold with dried oranges, studded salt-dough stars, and cinnamon bundles that scent the whole room. Underneath, every gift is wrapped in the same kraft paper with twine bows and sprigs of eucalyptus — they look like a curated set even though the gifts inside cost wildly different amounts.
The real win is the feeling: guests assume you spent a fortune or hired a stylist, and the total was less than one dinner out. Natural materials photograph beautifully too — this is the most-pinned holiday project we've ever published.
Tips for Your Own Holiday Crafting
- Slice oranges evenly — 1/4 inch. Too thick and they never dry through; too thin and they scorch at the edges. A sharp knife and a steady hand beat a mandoline here.
- Dry the oranges a day ahead. They keep for weeks in a paper bag, so there's no reason to rush them on decorating day.
- Buy cinnamon in the international aisle or bulk bins — it's routinely half the price of the little jars in the spice aisle, and you need volume for bundles.
- Keep salt-dough ornaments dry. Humidity softens them over time, so store them with a silica packet and skip hanging them on outdoor trees.
- Clip greenery for free from your own yard, a neighbor's hedge (ask first), or the trimmings bin at a Christmas tree lot — most lots give cuttings away.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do dried orange slices attract bugs or go bad?
- When fully dried — crisp, with no moisture or leathery spots — they last for years. Store them in a paper bag, not plastic, to avoid condensation. If any slice feels soft, give it another hour in the oven before hanging it.
- Is kraft paper strong enough for heavier gifts?
- Standard 50–60 lb kraft handles books, mugs, and folded clothes with no problem. For genuinely heavy items, double-wrap or use the diagonal twine wrap, which reinforces the corners where tears start.
- Can kids help with the salt-dough ornaments?
- Absolutely — it's the most kid-friendly craft in this project. Let them cut shapes and press cloves into the dough; you handle the oven and the hanging-hole straw if they're very small. They make great grandparent gifts too.