16 DIY Christmas Ornaments Minimalists Will Love

Nov 15, 2023

Though the holidays are typically a maximalist‘s dream, we’re seeing a trend toward the streamlined. Perfect example? The capsule wardrobe and the rise in popularity of the #KonMari Method. Yes, everyone can appreciate an over-the-top light show or stocking-stuffed mantel, but the spirit of simplicity is definitely in season. Try it on for size by taking inspo from these DIY ornament ideas.

Glistening Silver Ornament

More of a silver than a gold person? This DIY is for you. Though glitter can be chaotic (it is, after all, the chicken pox of craft supplies), it keeps its minimal feel by acting as a single-hued ornament. (via Brit + Co)

Geometric Clay Ornaments

These eye-catching, 3D clay ornaments stand out all on their own. (via Brit + Co)

Dipped Glitter Ornament

Just because you’re going minimal doesn’t mean you can’t embrace glitter! You can also personalize these with names and beloved holiday sayings. (via The Beauty Dojo)

Eye Ornament

Don’t the eyes always have it? This DIY definitely thinks so. As #NYFW proved, graphic illustrations are really having a moment. It’s only right you allow your Christmas tree to make the same bold fashion statement. (via A Beautiful Mess)

Wooden Tassel Ornaments

For a more natural, subdued vibe, try fashioning these neutral wooden ornaments. We’re loving that the tassels add just the right amount of holiday flair. (via The Merry Thought)

Painted Ornaments

Minimal doesn’t necessarily mean neutral. Try making this tricolored ornament for a bold pop of color that doesn’t feel overpowering. (via Design Improvised)

Easy Stitched Leather Ornaments

Not only do these ornaments look great riding solo on a tree, but they also make excellent gifts for long-distance SOs, friends or family members. (via A Beautiful Mess)

Metallic Wooden Ball Ornament

This little ornament rocks the monochromatic look with ease. (via Lia Griffith)

DIY Moon Phase Clay Ornaments

We found them on scarves and calendars this past year, and now they’re on our tree. For a really modern look, try pairing these white ornaments with a white tree. (via Alice & Lois)

Pipe Cleaner Himmeli Ornament

Sometimes the simplest idea has the biggest impact. At least that’s what these little DIY diamonds prove. All you need is some leftover craft supplies and a few hours and you’ll have your tree lookin’ like a million bucks. (via Smile and Wave)

Repurposed Ornaments With Ribbon Tape

Instead of tossing old ornaments, grab some ribbon tape and update those little buggers. You’d be surprised how such a simple idea can completely transform your decor. (via Up to Date Interiors)

Geometric Clay Christmas Decorations

Bling out your Christmas tree with a few dazzling gems. (via Make and Fable)

Hand Painted Pastel Ornaments

These beautiful hand-painted ornaments are therapeutic to make and are the best pop of color for your tree. (via Alice & Lois)

Paper-Covered Ornaments

If you're a book girly, these ornaments are going to be right up your alley. (via The Turquoise Home)

Rudolph Ornaments

These Rudolph ornaments are seriously adorable and so easy to make! (via Studio DIY!)

Gradient Ornaments

These gradient ornaments are unique and add an awesome pop of color! (via A Kailo Chic Life)

After all this inspo, who’s ready to minimal-ize their Christmas tree? Show us your tree on Instagram using hashtag #iamcreative!

30 Ornaments That Will Have You Rockin’ Around The Xmas Tree

You’ve picked out the perfect tree topper and DIYed a few festive holiday garlands; now all that’s left to do is to decorate the tree. Whether you’re looking for quirky and colorful ornaments or you’re going for a more sleek decorating scheme, these ornaments will have your friends and family singing “Oh, Christmas Tree” in no time. They make great stocking stuffers too for the ornament collector; the foodie, animal lover, or artist in your life; or anyone who takes joy in the holidays. Oh what fun!

Framed Beetle Ornament

These framed beetle ornaments are a great addition to your Christmas tree if you still have Halloweenon the brain.

Forest In Glass Ball Ornament

For color lovers, these glittery trees create a colorful forest on your festive tree.

Wondershop 'merry Christmas' Record Player Christmas Tree Ornament

Let this cute retro record player ornament help you ring in the sweet tunes of Christmas.

Glitterville Ice Cream Cone Ornaments (Set of 3)

These cute pastel ornaments will bring a tasteful (pun intended!) touch to your Christmas tree. And of course, if you start to crave the real thing, we have amazing ice cream sundae recipes for you to make at home!

MoMA Craftspring New York City Felt Hat Ornament

If you live in or just love NYC, here's a little felty tribute.

Wondershop Sequined Felt Donut Christmas Ornament

We're into this whole food theme with a sequined felt donut ornament.

Wondershop Felt Dragon Fruit Christmas Ornament

What a sweet little dragon fruit.

Wondershop Taco Glass Ornament

Taco dreams? Start with this quirky ornament.

Anthropologie Tinsel Cocktail Ornament

Cocktail wishes? Toast the new year with this sparkly tinsel ornament.

Anthropologie Travel Poodle Ornament (New York)

Get ready for your first solo travel trip by placing this travel poodle on your tree.

World Market Wool Smiling S'mores Ornament

Channel summer campfires with this charming s'mores ornament.

Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Mirror Ornament

Pop a photo into this gleaming primrose mirror ornament for an on-trend tree.

Bloomingdale's Hot Air Balloon Ornament

Take flight with this monochromatic hot air balloon ornament.

World Market Glass Oat Milk Carton Ornament

Dairy-free? This shimmering ornament is too! ($8)

Anthropologie Macaron Box Glass Ornament

Macarons are a favorite around here.

Bloomingdale's Gum Ball Machine Ornament

You won't find this classic gumball machine anywhere else except in this unique collection from Bloomingdales. ($7)

Altar'd State Sparkling Water Ornament

Sparkling water is a must if you're not drinking during the holidays.

Urban Outfitter's Croissant Ornament

Bakers will delight in this buttery treat.

Anthropologie Paint Palette Ornament

Your Christmas tree won't be complete until you add this paint palette ornament to it.

Craft Spring Hand Felted Pink Desert Ornament

We love the idea of a whole tree inspired by the desert.

H&M Dog Christmas Ornament

Got a beige dog? Now you do.;) ($7)

Hallmark Balloon Dog Ornament

How cute is this balloon dog in ornament form?

Kurt Adler Plastic Sushi Ornament

Keeping with the foodie theme, why not have 3 sushi rolls on your tree?

GAUMAANLEI Set of 2 Mac and Cheese Glass Ornaments

Yes please for mac and cheese!

Craft Spring Hand Felted Yellow NYC Taxi Cab Ornament

Here's your ticket to a nostalgic NYC-inspired tree.

Sudha Pennathur Empire State Building Ornament

Or if you prefer to focus on the Empire State building, here's a beaded version to help bring you holiday joy.

Harley Lilac Mushrooms Ornaments

This quartet of velvet beaded mushrooms is the sweetest for your forest-inspired tree.

Sur La Table Layer Cake Glass Ornament

A triple layer cake after an amazing Christmas dinner? We'll gladly take one!

Anthropologie Eiffel Tower Christmas Ornament

Bring a bit of Paris to your living room with this Eiffel Tower Christmas ornament.

H&M Lip Gloss in Ornament

H&M has a sweet surprise for you in the form of mini lip glosses encased in a clear ornament. It's the perfect gift that'll be hidden in plain sight!

Subscribe to our email newsletter for more holiday gifting ideas. Follow us on Pinterest too for tons of holiday decor and recipe inspiration!

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated with additional reporting by Jasmine Williams.

Featured images via West Elm, Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie and World Market

“Protective” Peter Gallagher Is “So Grateful” Mischa Barton Survived “Toxic Fame”

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”

What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

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These Punny Ornaments Are Exactly What Your Tree Needs

We love a good pun. With theholiday season upon us, why not put the two together with these punny DIY Christmas ornaments for your tree?! They’re super easy to make, so you’ll be able to save some time for a big mug of hot cocoa. More importantly, you’ll definitely be “sleighing” it (wink) with the decorations this year! Here’s the how-to. If you believe in your “elf,” you’re sure to do a great job!

How To Make DIY Christmas Ornaments

Materials:

colorful ornaments
vinyl in gold, white and black OR letter stickers

Tools:

Cricut Explorer (or other vinyl-cutting machine)
ruler

Instructions:

Measure the approximate size of the front of your ornament with a ruler.
Once you have the size, determine how large or small the vinyl letters need to be.
If you are using a Cricut Explorer (or other vinyl-cutting machine) and a blank vinyl sheet, create a file with your puns and cut out the letters as per the instructions on your machine.
Locate the center of your ornament and estimate where the first letter needs to be placed.
Place all of the vinyl letters, making sure to space them evenly apart.

*If you don’t have a Cricut Explorer or other vinyl cutter, you can use store-bought vinyl letters to apply the puns.

Don’t worry if you misplace the letters. They’re just stickers, so they’re easy to take off and re-apply! And don’t fret if you don’t have a vinyl-cutting machine and don’t want to spend time hand cutting all of the letters! Your local craft store should have letter stickers in black and white that will do the trick.

Real Housewives of New York cast member Heather would definitely love the “Happy HOLLA Days” ornament, am I right?

Your tree will win the award for funniest this year!

Have any more Holiday puns? Or just a funny Holiday joke? Let us know in the comments below and follow our TikTok for more holiday DIYs like these DIY Christmas ornaments!

This post has been updated.

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See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

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A post shared by Barbara Palvin (@realbarbarapalvin)

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

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Elle & Dakota Fanning Will Collab On Apple's 'Margo's Got Money Troubles'

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

Amy Sussman/Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

Ron Lach/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

Brit + Co may at times use affiliate links to promote products sold by others, but always offers genuine editorial recommendations.

This post has been updated.

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