Easy Garden-Inspired Holiday Crafts

There’s something about the holidays that makes crafting a little more special. Whether your crafts are gifts or decor, it feels good to create something that adds a little beauty to the world. If you enjoy nature or gardening, you might even want to see a little of that reflected in your project. That’s where evergreen stamping comes into play. With just one little sprig of evergreen foliage, you can create an array of gorgeous art. We used Pinpoint® Blue false cypress and North Pole® arborvitae for the projects you see below. Stroll through your own space and collect any leaves or flowers that you’d want to try as a stamp. 

A close view of a garden inspired holiday ornament made with Proven Winners ColorChoice Pinpoint Blue false cypress foliage as a stamp.
A Christmas tree decorated with handmade paper ornaments stamped with Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrub prints.

Potential Projects

– wrapping paper
– ornaments
– gift tags
– wall hangings or garland

Materials Needed

– brown craft paper or construction paper
– white paint (and red if you’re feeling splashy)
– a paintbrush or foam brush 
– paper plate
– glue
– twine or ribbon
– scissors

Step One

– Grab your evergreen cutting, paper plate, brush (bristles or foam will both work), and paint.
– Brush a light layer of paint onto the plate. Place the cutting on top of the paint and lightly brush* paint on top of it. 

*Adding too much paint can result in a blob-like look. 

Step Two

– Place your painted cutting onto the paper.
– Use scissors to cut rectangles of paper out. Make them roughly the size of your cutting.

Step Three

– Place the paper on top of the painted cutting.
– While holding the paper in place, gently rub over the cutting to make sure you get paint on both pieces of paper.

Step Four

– Stamp as much as you’d like! Fill up the entire sheet of craft paper if you intend to use it as gift wrap.

A crafter paints the back of a future ornament with glue.

Step Five

– If you intend to make gift tags, ornaments, or a wall hanging, paint some glue* on the back of the cut piece of paper with the print. 
– If you’re making an ornament or wall hanging, you’ll want to have a double-sided piece. Carefully match up your cut pieces of paper, ensuring that the stamps will be in roughly the same place, and stick them together. Smooth any bumps out of the glued papers.

* Gluing two pieces of paper together will create a stronger, more finished-looking product. If you happen to be using a really thick piece of paper, you can just stamp both sides.

A crafter cuts a paper garden-inspired holiday ornament to size.

Step Six

– Use scissors to tidy up the edges of your glued paper piece and cut into your desired shape. 
– Punch a hole at the top.

Step Five

– Add any extra elements you’d like. For example:
          – A line of paint around the edge of the entire piece.
          – Lines or dots to add character to the design.
          – Glitter or stickers. 
          – To and from notes. 
– For a wall hanging, string your twine between each paper piece. Tie a loop with a knot at each end.
– For ornaments and gift tags, string a piece of twine or ribbon through the hole and tie ends together.

And now it’s time to put your crafts in place and enjoy them! 

A wall hanging with dozens of hand stamped papers made with Pinpoint Blue false cypress.
Gifts wrapped in various papers, and two are wrapped in hand stamped, garden-inspired paper.
Written by
Kristina Howley

Kristina Howley

I am all in when it comes to gardening. Almost every part of the experience delights me – new leaves emerging in spring, pollinators buzzing in summer, birds devouring berries in fall, and the somber beauty of seed heads in winter. Thanks to a background in horticulture and gardening my own clay-filled, flowery USDA zone 5b plot, I’ve learned plenty of practical things as well. I like sharing these joys and lessons with my fellow gardeners and soon-to-be gardeners any way I can.

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