Christmas craft ideas & recipes
What you are about to discover...
How to make DIY Christmas decorations?
And here we are! We’ve entered the most festive time of the year. Between the guest list, finding gifts, preparing the menu, decorating, and especially the entertainment… it’s easy to feel overwhelmed!
This year, at Escape Kit, we’ve prepared everything to lend a hand in this big holiday marathon. We’re sharing the best tips to make your Christmas crafts a total success.
A perfect plan for the day: Ready for something different?
After lunch, how about some fun games? It’s ideal to relax before the much-anticipated moment of the Christmas log cake. Embark on an unforgettable adventure with a Christmas escape room. With over 10 scenarios available, you’re sure to find one you love!
The key: organization with lists. The secret to not forgetting anything is to make lists. This way, you can organize all the important tasks and avoid stressing out before the big day.
Start with a guest list. This will help you plan the rest of your preparations. A tip: always leave an extra seat at the table… Christmas is for sharing!
I- Easy recipe ideas
The wait for Christmas can be tough, especially for the kids. Advent calendars are the best remedy for impatience, both for the little ones and the grown-ups.
The calendars sold in stores aren’t always that special… Why not make one yourself? There are plenty of DIY ideas to surprise your family every day until the 24th.
Get tempted by creating a wonderful Advent calendar inspired by a forest, perfect for a beautiful holiday decoration!
You can use an Escape Kit and solve a puzzle each day. A fun and original way to count down to the big day!
Ready to wait until December 24th? (Greed is a small flaw, but at Christmas, it doesn’t count).
1. The much-anticipated meal: menu ideas!
The holiday season is the perfect time to enjoy and, most importantly, to delight your loved ones (the gym can wait). We’ve prepared easy and quick recipe ideas to impress your guests’ taste buds.
- For the appetizer:
25 Christmas recipes: an original appetizer to open your guests’ appetites.
- For the main dishes:
Traditional main dishes: we don’t change good habits. You can serve them with potatoes, vegetables, gratins… So many options!
For dessert:
The classic chocolate log with raspberries, tested by us and approved by everyone. Here’s our step-by-step recipe:
2. Easy Christmas log recipe: an infallible classic!
For the cake:
- 115g of flour
- 125g of sugar
- 15g of cocoa powder (like Van Houten)
- 5 eggs
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Beat the sugar with 1 whole egg and 4 egg yolks. Add the flour and cocoa, mixing well.
- Whisk the 4 egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture.
- Spread the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan and roll the warm cake in a clean towel.
7. Cook the raspberries gently in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water, then mash them with a fork.
For the ganache:
- 300g of dark chocolate
- 150g of heavy cream
- 150g of frozen raspberries
- 50g of butter
Instructions:
- Cook the raspberries slowly with a tablespoon of water and mash them with a fork.
- Boil the cream with the raspberries, pour it over the chocolate and butter, and mix until smooth.
- Unroll the cake, spread 2/3 of the ganache, and roll it back up. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Cover the log with the remaining ganache and decorate to taste (sugar sprinkles, icing, decorations, chocolates).
A little culture: Do you know the tradition of the 13 Christmas desserts? A Christmas log with hazelnuts, dates, clementines, fresh fruit, or dried fruits will work perfectly…
But we won’t leave you with just fruit, so here are some easy and quick recipes to finish with a gourmet touch. If you like tradition, prepare some delicious Christmas cookies.
II- Decorating your home without spending much
The magic of Christmas fills the streets from November… And your home? Decorating the tree is essential, but sometimes the decorations are out of budget. Here are our DIY ideas to create the magic without spending too much!
1. The Christmas tree: A must-have!
If space or budget is limited, try a wall tree with string lights:
- Use pushpins to form a zigzag tree.
- Decorate with dried flowers, fir branches, photos, or Polaroids.
Sometimes logistics and budget aren’t on our side…
We’ve found some easy and quick crafts to decorate your tree or even make it yourself.
Here’s an idea for a homemade garland that will fill your home with a delicate scent. A simple and quick decoration! 😊
What you need:
- Kitchen twine
- Citrus fruits: oranges, grapefruits, mandarins
- Cinnamon sticks
- Star anise stars
How to do it:
- Cut the citrus fruits into slices.
- Dry them in the oven or naturally near a radiator (for several days). If using the oven, place them on a tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 100 °C for 1.5 to 2 hours.
- Let them cool for a few minutes.
- Make a garland by threading the twine through the slices, or create “decorative balls” by tying a small piece of twine on each slice to hang them, for example, on the tree.
- You can also add cinnamon sticks or star anise!
And voilà, beautiful, inexpensive decorations that will perfume your home all winter long!
What about the tree? Sometimes we don’t have enough space or just want to do something different to be more eco-friendly or original. This year, we tried a wall tree for a quick and charming result! 😉
What you need:
- A string of lights
- Pushpins
- A star (cardboard, paper…)
- Optional: dried flowers, pine branches, cinnamon sticks, Polaroid photos, chocolates…
How to do it:
- Start by securing the end of the string of lights with a pushpin at the top of what will be the Christmas tree.
- Go side to side, forming zigzags with the string of lights, leaving more length with each turn to give the tree its shape.
- Place a pushpin at each “zigzag.”
- Continue until the string of lights runs out.
- Decorate with dried flowers, pine leaves or branches you’ve gathered, and add some photos or small cards.
- Finally, place the star at the top of the tree.
It’s a lovely activity to do as a family! 😊
2. The door wreath: A warm welcome
A tradition that can’t be missed on our doors in December… the Christmas wreath! Discover how to decorate your entrance with our DIY tutorials.
STOP: Don’t throw away those toilet paper rolls! At Escape Kit, we’ve found a solution to recycle them: make a Christmas wreath for an easy and quick craft.
III- Christmas table decoration
The big day is almost here! It’s time to dive into the decorations and plan the table setting for the festive night. Decorations are usually the same year after year, but how do you find original and budget-friendly ideas? At Escape Kit, we’ve done it for you. Here are our DIY Christmas decoration tutorials, perfect for impressing your guests!
IV- Gifts: Essential for the magic of Christmas
Wanting to make someone happy is the motto of this special season. But when inspiration is lacking, the Christmas magic can turn into a real race against time.
Ah, if only Santa’s elves could help us… Well, the elves at Escape Kit are here! We’ve found original DIY gift ideas for all ages:
- A mini puzzle, perfect for challenge lovers.
- A Christmas garland to gift.
- A craft made with salt dough.
- An Escape Room kit to enjoy at home: the perfect gift to entertain both young and old.
What about gift wrapping?
Before placing the gifts under the tree, wrapping them is an inevitable task… and not always easy! What if we leave behind the issues with paper that’s too small, too large, or lacking tape?
Luckily, this year we’ve found more eco-friendly and original solutions to avoid the classic wrapping disasters. It’s your turn to try it!
¿Why not venture into Christmas this year?
An unforgettable family moment awaits.
30 minutes of preparation, 1 hour of play, satisfaction guaranteed or your money back!
The main ingredients for Christmas magic are: sharing, enjoying delicious things, and spending time together… Take advantage of these moments with your loved ones. And to add an extra touch of magic, dare to take on a family adventure with one of our Escape Room kits!
Have you tried one of our DIY tutorials? Leave us a comment, we’d love to see them! 😊
By CatalinaI am fascinated by cycling, photography and always curious to discover new horizons. My favorite Escape Room is «Heist of the Century» because I am a fan of the Netflix series «Money Heist».
