Have Yourself a Crafty Little Christmas This Year…
- Words by Peppermint
Saying Christmas has become an over-commercialised holiday is a bit like saying water is wet or global warming is a serious concern that requires immediate drastic action. It’s like… yeah, duh.
But Christmas isn’t about buying a bunch of unnecessary trinkets to be disposed of come January, it’s about peace and love and family and good vibes and stuff. To get in touch with those warm fuzzy feelings without a price tag attached, why not gather round with your loved ones and craft some Christmas cheer yourselves?
To ensure you have some good times making good memories and useful, economical, ethical or at least adorable Christmas DIYS, we’ve compiled a few great ideas to get you started.
Trim the Tree
We don’t all have space in our humble abodes to cram in the traditional Christmas tree. Real trees are usually the most sustainable option but are sometimes not the easiest, and who wants to shell out for a scratchy plastic replica?
DIY queen Geneva Vanderzeil of Collective Gen has a whole series of space-saving Christmas tree alternatives including a DIY Foraged Branch Tree to bring that touch of nature, an All String Lights Tree, or a DIY Tree made out of hanging shelves – an absolute stroke of genius which can be used to store presents out of the range of pesky pets and children…
Deck the Halls
From basically October onwards, stores are overrun with cheaply made, poor quality, plastic Christmas decorations. Instead of contributing to that, why not make your own? You’re never too old to give your parents something terrible made of popsicle sticks that they have to hang on their tree but if you want to go a bit more upmarket there is a whole world of gorgeous DIY decorations out there.
You can use origami to make sweet little stars out of fabric scraps, leftover gift wrap or cereal boxes and other cardboard. You could go all natural and dry out some citrus slices to make traditional, festive and fragrant garlands. And if you have a handle on terracotta clay sculpting and a little bit of imagination, the world of ornaments is your oyster.
Wrethink your Wreaths
Wreathe your house in festive cheer with some funky homemade wreaths! There are a million and one ways you can remix that simple circle into a one-of-a-kind work of art that reflects your own personal style and the supplies you have at hand.
You can make a Scandi-style wreath out of leftover fabric scraps, a leafy paper wreath out of wrapping paper – go full collage art and upcycle some old magazine or comic book pages – or head out in nature and forage up some greenery to create a beautiful Christmas wreath out of Australian native botanicals!
WANT MORE DIY CONTENT? RIGHT THIS WAY!
top image GENEVA VANDERZEIL
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“My piece of advice for makers and designers? Run your own race… make sure your key decisions stay anchored in your brand’s core beliefs.”
- Bec Bligh
Quick show of hands: who’s opened a water bottle expecting a refreshing sip… and instead been greeted by the unmistakable whiff of uh-oh?
Because for something that follows us everywhere (desk, car, hikes, yoga…), the humble drink bottle is strangely prone to becoming a science experiment. Hard-to-clean corners and gaskets. Mystery smells. Bec Bligh and her husband Tim know it well. A six-month sailing trip along the Queensland coast left them with a lifetime of memories and one stubborn annoyance: mouldy water bottles they couldn’t properly clean.
So they did something about it.
Enter @EverVessel. Thoughtfully designed borosilicate glass and stainless steel bottles that keep things beautifully simple: durable materials, wide openings, easy-to-clean parts and none of the techy gimmicks that tend to age badly. Turns out simplicity, done well, is pretty powerful stuff. (Their many design awards agree!)
And lately they’ve added a little extra delight: the Artist Series, where creatives like Paola Castro, Ben Miners and Martin Thompson transform these everyday companions into tiny travelling artworks. There are more colabs in the works, too: hydration, but make it joyful! 🎨💧
We chatted with Bec about the sailing trip that started it all, the philosophy behind Ever Vessel, and why the most sustainable product is often just the one you keep using.
Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation. 🚰
#EverVessel #ReusableWaterBottle
Pull up a chair… there’s room at this table!
For the first time, Feast for Freedom is bringing people together for a spectacular long-table dinner as part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
A Longer Table is exactly what it sounds like: one beautiful shared table inside the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1), piled with generous dishes inspired by this year’s hero cooks, Noha and Nige.
From 6 to 9pm on Wednesday, 25 March, this is what you can expect:
🍽 A three-course shared feast
🍷 Matched drinks
🎶 Live entertainment
✨ A room full of good humans
Your ticket doesn’t just buy you a delicious dinner. It supports the ASRC’s vital work and helps create a fairer future for people seeking asylum.
Seats are limited, and long tables have a way of filling up quickly – head to @MelbFoodAndWine’s website to book now: feastforfreedom.org.au/mfwf
#FeastForFreedom #MelbourneFoodAndWineFestival #LongTableDinner #FoodForChange
Sew versatile! 🪡
Another great make from Lisa from @SunnySewsEveryday:
My #PeppermintWaratahWrapDress is finished and I’m so proud of it. It has been designed not to flap open and flash your pants in the wind, so I feel confident it will be a great wheelchair or standing dress in English weather.
#PeppermintPatterns #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
Frame your face with the Peppermint Bucket Hat!
Stay safe and stylish in the sun with your very own self-sewn and self-drafted wide-brimmed bucket hat. This beginner-friendly sew is perfect for a sunny day. Get out your pencils – this pattern is created using equations and maths!
This DIY project was featured in Issue 53 and now you can access it for the lovely low price of only $5.
Sun-safe chic is always in style. ☀️
Find it via the link in our bio!
Photos: @KelleySheenan
#PeppermintPatterns #PeppermintBucketHat #BucketHat #BucketHatPattern #DIY
✨ INSTANT CLASSIC ✨
The Peppermint Myrtle Shift Dress is a beginner-friendly make with a few special details based on the ever-stylish shift shape – the perfect dress you need in your wardrobe right now!
Myrtle cuts above the knee with options to customise the length. Don’t think she’s reserved for hot weather either: try a heavier-weight fabric to turn your Myrtle into a pinafore-style garment for layering.
For our fabrics we chose two from our lovely sewing partner @Karmme_Apparel – the bold Rottnest Stripes in a lightweight, soft-drape cotton, and the quality linen in the handpainted Mexico Collection.
Get making the Myrtle – the only question is, can you stop at just one?
Link in bio 🪡
Fabric: @Karmme_Apparel
Sewist: @Laura_The_Maker
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Models: @SerahSews and @Pins_And_Tonic
Location: @ShareTheDignityAustralia
#PeppermintMyrtleShiftDress #PeppermintPatterns
It’s time to Feast!
Some recipes travel a long way before they land on your table to delight your taste buds. This year’s Feast for Freedom invites us to gather our friends, cook something delectable and raise funds for the incredible work of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (@Asrc1) while we’re at it.
The 2026 Feast features recipes shared by two remarkable cooks: Noha, who brought the flavours of Palestine with her when she arrived in Australia, and Nige, a Sri-Lankan Tamil cook whose journey with food began in the most unexpected of places.
You can host your own Feast up until 30 April – simply register online and get planning! Host a dinner, organise a workplace lunch, or gather your community… However you do it, the idea is simple: cook, connect and celebrate the cultures and stories that shape Australia.
Want to find out more? Head to the link in bio to meet Noha and Nige, learn more about their stories, and discover a delicious recipe to try.
#FeastForFreedom #PeppermintMagazine #FoodForGood #ASRC
