Gone are the days of late-night partying — today’s youngsters are all about staying in and crafting.
It’s no secret that Gen Z and millennials have turned crafting nights into the new going out, bonding over “junk journaling” and tiny trinket-making like it’s a competitive sport.
As a result, social media is flooded with clips of friends huddled around hot glue guns, proving nothing brings people together faster than creating cute clutter.
It seems to be not only an inexpensive hobby, but it also serves as an escape from mind-numbing social media scrolling and the stresses of everyday life.
With salt-dough keepsakes and paper stars that sparkle under your tree lights, crafty content creators are showing that a little elbow grease can go a long way — and yes, it’s way more fun than fighting for that last glittery bauble at the mall this holiday season.
Here are some nifty ideas to draw DIY inspiration from for your next craft hangout or if you’re looking for some sort of stress outlet.
Ornament obsession: Salt dough and felt-framed snapshots
Forget pricey ornaments — this year, it’s all about creating your own. Salt dough is making a serious comeback: mix, mold, bake, and voilà, you’ve got personalized shapes ready to hang.
DIY guru @minaelleskitchen is one of many who are proving you don’t need a craft store haul to deck out your tree — just a little flour, salt, and water.
In a recent clip, she shows how to whip up 20 to 30 ornaments with a simple salt-dough mix: roll it out, cut your shapes, and bake at 200°F until they’re firm enough to hang but not hard enough to double as weapons.
Then comes the fun part — paint, seal, string, repeat. She even flexed a gingerbread-shaped set and one adorable ornament stamped with her cat’s paw print, turning kitty toes into holiday keepsakes.
If you’re feeling extra nostalgic, Polaroids and picture frames are getting a festive twist, turning snapshots of your favorite memories into tree-worthy décor that’s way more meaningful than anything on a store shelf.
TikTokkers like @mel.part are turning felt scraps into festive photo ops, stitching together tiny frames perfectly sized for Polaroids.
The result? Mini memory displays you can hang on your tree — or anywhere that could use a little holiday humblebrag.
Garland Glory: Ruby ribbon and tangy twists
Whether you’re wrapping a banister or sprucing up your home’s entryway, this year’s garlands are giving less “holiday default mode” and more “I made this myself — you’re welcome” vibes.
Some creators, like @kalli.likethestate, show off their technique: looping strips of colorful, textured ribbon into rings, stapling them shut, and linking them together until they become a full-on statement garland.
As @lunalifted explained in another video, these garlands are “versatile, so inexpensive, and so easy to make.”
For her holiday decor piece, she threaded a stretchy bead string through each dried orange slice using a needle, alternating the slices with cinnamon sticks — tying knots around each one and gluing star anise on top. She then finished by hanging the entire thing from the curtain ring clips attached to 3M hooks in her window.
They’re bright, fragrant, and Instagram-ready — basically a fruitcake that won’t be judged.
Shake things up with homemade snow globes
Snow globes are also having a major DIY moment right now.
Some crafters like @misonani are taking it as far as throwing “DIY snow globe girls’ nights,” by grabbing cheap glass jars from IKEA, mini bottlebrush trees from Michael’s, wood beads, tiny figurines, velvet ribbon, Dollar Tree LED lights, and already owned acrylic paints.
She layers in white sugar for “snow” and whatever other add-ins fit the vibe, turning each jar into a glow-in-the-dark, fully customizable snow globe made with budget-friendly ingredients.
Makeshift mini Xmas trees to jazz up any mantle
Apart from the DIY snow globe craze, TikTokkers are decking their mantles with pint-size Christmas trees made from triangle-shaped Styrofoam — then stabbing them with pins and sequins until they go from ghostly white (so-last-season) to a timeless disco-bright.
In one viral clip, creator @bekmarsden turns the whole thing into a “girl’s night craft,” proving that nothing bonds a squad faster than bedazzling foam into festive glory.
Light up the night sky with paper stars
For those who love a celestial touch and origami, paper stars are trending hard — easy to fold, dazzling to hang and guaranteed to make your holiday décor feel next-level.
Craft lovers like @auroramccausland are folding 3D stars out of colored construction stock paper to hang alongside their garlands, while creators such as @skripnik_katya are cutting up recycled book pages — from already damaged, partially missing books that would’ve been tossed — to craft 3D tabletop Christmas trees.
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