"Old Fashioned" Crafts Give Inexpensive Vintage Look

Christmas crafts can bring to reality gifts that are given with effort. Old fashioned Christmas crafts may be seen today as anything from the construction paper rings we made in grade school as garland to crafts for around the home. Vintage crafts have become popular again and it's a better time than ever to look for old fashioned craft ideas, and put them to use making unique Christmas gifts.

Handmade soaps are an easy but exacting craft to do. Knitting, needlework, crochet and other crafts are thought by some as "old fashioned" crafts that can be done a wide range of ways.

Canning and sewing are considered by some to be old fashioned crafts but ones that can produce many Christmas gifts. There's also metal working, woodworking and candle making that can offer a range of gifts.

Here are three easy crafts that can appear older than they are. All three are easy and with some creativity can lend to decorating the home or as gifts.

For the first rinse out and collect cans - juice cans or vegetable cans but as long as they're all metal it doesn't matter. Lightly draw an outline on the can - it can be a cross or star for example. Simple designs work best. Fill the can with water and put in the freezer so it freezes solid. Have a hammer and nail and pull each one individually to work while frozen...with your hammer and nail make holes in the outline. Think of a dot-to-dot pattern is the result you're aiming for - your creativity dictates how close the dots are together. When you get the outline as you wish simply let the ice inside the can thaw in the sink or use it by sitting in a plant container to water the plant. When it's empty put a small amount of sand in the bottom and put a tea candle in it - the light from the candle shines through the holes for a low cost decorative look that, in a dark area, doesn't appear to be a 'recycled craft.'

The second one also is very easy, needing some plaster of paris (look in the craft department) and a box with sand in it. Make an impression in the sand (you may have to dampen the sand to get it to hold the shape). Mix up some plaster of paris according to the directions and pour into the impression. You can make a small sand covered decorative stand for small candles or put a hanger in it while wet to hang on the wall.

The third easy old fashioned craft is an old time look with a today twist. Get a small vase or jar, a short (25' is plenty) strand of Christmas lights and potpourri. You can use clear lights for year round or colored lights and pine potpourri for Christmas. Put a handful of potpourri in the jar then a 'layer' of lights alternating until only enough cord is left to plug in. take a piece of scrap fabric and a rubber band and secure it over the jar, then tie a ribbon over it to cover the rubber band. You can also use lace or other material.

These are easy and inexpensive crafts to give a touch of the season, in your own creative way.