Welcome to another Wacky Workshops project – Aussie themed Christmas decorations to make.

It always strikes me as a bit strange to see snowflake decorations shimmering in the Aussie heat during Christmas. A real snowflake wouldn’t have a chance in hell of surviving our wonderful sunshine filled Christmas season.

If Santa wore his big cosy suit while delivering presents in Australia, he would surely faint from the heat and suffer from heatstroke.

Yet, for some weird reason, we’re still following traditions that make sense only on the other side of the planet where Christmas lands during winter.

These projects celebrate Christmas Aussie style. Even better, they’re easy and fun to make.

AUSSIE THEMED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS –  CORK KOALA

These are so cute and ridiculously easy to make.

MATERIALS

• Wine corks – the ones with a thicker top that come on sparkling wine work best.
• Grey or silver craft pompoms
• Tiny eye hooks
• Red ribbon
• Tiny bell or another embellishment
• Fishing line
• Grey paint
• Black marker

METHOD

• Paint the cork with grey paint.
• Screw the eye hook into the top of the cork when the paint is dry
• Add some fishing line to the eye hook for hanging
• Tie a little red or green ribbon around the cork, just below the thick part on top
• Add any embellishment to the centre of the ribbon with glue
• Glue on the pompom ears
• Draw on the facial features with the marker.

AUSSIE THEMED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS –CLEVER COCKIE

This cute little sulphur-crested cockatoo is clever because he’s helping to decorate the tree with the tinsel in his mouth.

MATERIALS

• Thin white cardboard
• Scissors
• Fishing line
• Markers
• Glue
• Tinsel

METHOD

• Cut a simple parrot shape from the thing card. Or print out the template here and cut it out.
• Cut out the wing shape.
• Use box cutters to make a slit in the body and thread the wing shape through that
• Colour the crest yellow and the beak black or grey.
• Use a pin or skewer to make a small hole at the top of the bird’s body. Thread fishing line through the hole for hanging
• Glue the tinsel to the bird’s beak

COOL YULE ROO

This kangaroo makes a cute tree decoration but could also be attached to a gift, a tiny present presented in the pouch.

MATERIALS

• Thin red or brown cardboard
• Scissors
• Glue
• String for hanging
• Googly eyes (optional – you can draw them on)
• Red pompom (optional but adds a Christmassy feel)
• A tiny trinket for the pouch

METHOD

• You can follow the picture to draw and cut out your own roo shapes or download and print the template here.
• Once you have your pieces cut, follow the picture to glue them in the correct spot
• Add the eyes and nose as well as the string for hanging.
• Put whatever you like into the pouch. It could be a tiny bracelet or ring, a lolly or a tiny Christmas decoration like mine.

AUSSIE THEMED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS – FESTIVE FRILLED NECK

So cute and so simple. All you need is green or red cardboard and matching cupcake liners. Draw a simple lizard shape on the cardboard and cut it out. Or print out the template here and cut it out. Make a slit in the cupcake liners and thread the lizard head through that. Add facial features and string for hanging.

 PAINTED GUM LEAVES

It’s hard to get more Aussie than gum leaves. I love the look of them in vases just as they are, but for an extra festive feel, you can spray paint them gold or silver. Their shapes work perfectly as a canvass for Santa faces.

AUSSIE THEMED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS A NATURE CHALLENGE

Collect some pods and twigs and see how you can transform them into Ausiee themed Christmas decorations.

I used pinecones and ribbon to make a Christmas emu. Jacaranda pods transformed into a little bush Christmas fairy. A combination of nature finds put together became a beautiful bush Santa. You can find some more ideas when you read How to Craft a Natural Christmas.

Challenge yourself to come up with your own designs and let’s celebrate the things that make Christmas so wonderful in this country.

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Happy crafting and have a gleeful week, Tamuria