How to Update Christmas Decorations

Learn how to update Christmas decorations when you want to change your holiday color scheme or match a new decor style.

Have you ever come across a holiday decoration that you really loved but wished it was a different color? That’s what happened to me while doing some after-Christmas shopping last year.

I was sifting through the “dregs” looking for that diamond in the rough. Y’all know what I’m talking about!

A large metal Santa caught my eye. It was tossed aside along with other unwanted decorations. It had no price tag, scratches galore, missing embellishments, and it didn’t match my Christmas decor colors.

After mulling it over, I decided I could eventually makeover this Santa decoration somehow in the future. No price tag, ugh, it’s got to be dirt cheap, right, it’s the “dregs.”

This 36-inch Santa ended up costing me only $5.00 – SOLD – my diamond in the rough!

HOW TO UPDATE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Keep in mind that you can update practically any kind of holiday decoration, whether it be from your existing collection, you buy something new, or if it’s a thrifted item.

Updating Christmas ornaments seems to be the number one decor item DIYers tend to give a makeover, but, hopefully, my updated Santa idea will give you the inspiration to upgrade much larger Christmas home decor.

Even if you’re on a budget and need to be cheap on the supplies needed, most of what you will need can be found at Dollar Tree stores. They even stock name brands, such as, Mod Podge and Tacky Glue. Even yarn and fabric can now be found in most of their stores.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

• Christmas decoration
• craft paint
• fabric fat quarter
• yarn
• faux fur
• hot glue gun
• Tacky Glue
• Mod Podge
• scissors
• pencil or marker
• artist brush
• sponge foam brush

HOW TO UPDATE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS – A SANTA MAKEOVER

STEP 1 – PAINT THE SANTA

Since the surface areas to be painted didn’t need sanding, I gave each area a couple of coats. I ended up painting Santa’s face again because of all the scratches, plus I didn’t care for the existing flesh color shade.

STEP 2 – ADD FAUX FUR

I’ve never crafted with faux fur before, so I made a couple of blunders at first. I discovered I would have to sew the tops of each pattern piece that I cut out or I would be creating a huge furry mess. Clearly, I didn’t think things through at first!

UPDATE – Sara, from Birdz of a Feather, says “The trick to cutting faux fur, without having to sew, is to use a craft knife to cut it from the back just through the fabric to separate it from the furry part; that way everything stays put without shedding.”

MAKE THE PATTERNS:

• I made my patterns for each section by using a piece of white computer paper.
• Placing the paper on top of the area, I pressed the paper down and creased the paper around the entire outer edges using my finger.
• This gave me a molded pattern piece to cut out. I labeled each pattern so I wouldn’t get confused along the way.
• Place each pattern on the back side of the fur piece flipping each pattern backwards from what my picture below shows.
• I traced around each pattern using a black marker.

GLUE ON THE FUR PIECES:

• I used hot glue to attach the fur to my Santa.
• I applied hot glue to the tip top, back side, of each pattern piece, and pressed down.
• Then applied hot glue to the entire back of each pattern piece and attached the fur to the cuffs, boots, and hat.

STEP 3 – MAKE FABRIC HAT AND ATTACH

I created a pattern for the fabric the same way I did for the faux fur (described above), which was using computer paper. Again, don’t forget to flip the pattern before tracing on the back of the fabric.

• Cut out the fabric piece leaving about a 1/4 each extra around the pattern.
• Use a foam brush to apply Mod Podge to the hat area.
• Press the fabric on top, smoothing as you go along.
• I dipped my finger in the glue to push that extra 1/4 inch towards the back side of the hat area.
• Just keep dipping and applying the glue until the back edges are secured.

STEP 4 – MAKE YARN BEARD & EYEBROWS AND ATTACH

I used “Big Twist” ribbon yarn that I purchase on sale at JoAnn’s Fabrics. It was perfect for using for Santa’s beard. You can stretch it in different directions to get a curvy, textured beard look.

• I used Tacky Glue to attach the beard, pinpointing the applicator to certain areas of each beard tendril to get the curvy, textured look.
• For the eyebrows, I just cut a little piece straight across the yarn piece and formed it to the eyebrow section.

STEP 5 – ADD EMBELLISHMENTS

Since my Santa decoration was missing an embellishment at his hand area, it was a clear cut decision to add a small wreath.

I cut a piece of pine off a cheap garland, formed it into a wreath, bent 2 of the pine sprigs around the hand, and stuck a Christmas ornament in the wreath.

My embellishments can easily be changed out since I didn’t glue anything to the hand or wreath.

I hope I’ve provided some inspiration for you to update your own Christmas decorations or maybe you’ll be able to use one of my crafty techniques on your future holiday project!

I’ve joined a group of designers this month to share our Christmas upcycles and makeovers with all of our readers. We take something old and/or unused and ‘do it over’ into something new. Our items can be found in closets, barns, garages, yard sales, thrift stores, you name it! Be sure to click their project links below to see what they’re sharing. Don’t miss out!

MEET YOUR “DO-IT-OVER DESIGNERS” BELOW AND CLICK THEIR LINKS TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE CREATED!

Modern on Monticello

Pandora’s Box

Purple Hues & Me

Southern Sunflowers 

Unique Creations by Anita

Interior Frugalista

The Apple Street Cottage

Birdz of a Feather

Exquisitely Unremarkable