Create a Handmade Cottage Christmas: Cozy Crafts, Sneak Peeks & Holiday Maker Magic at Steel Roots Market
Create a Handmade Cottage Christmas: Cozy Crafts, Sneak Peeks & Holiday Maker Magic at Steel Roots Market
Thanksgiving week is here.
The grocery lists, travel plans, and to-do notes are probably piling up on the counter. Maybe you’re getting ready to host, maybe you’re heading to family, maybe you’re simply trying to make your home feel a little more cozy, delightful, and welcoming for the season ahead.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, there is a small, quiet invitation:
What if this year, Christmas felt a little more handmade?
A little more cottage, a little more vintage, a little more you?
If you’ve ever dreamed of a handmade Christmas—with DIY ornaments, paper crafting projects, creative hostess gifts, and one-of-a-kind decor—this is your personal invitation to come sit at the creative table with me at Steel Roots Market.
This blog post is your guide to:
Creating a handmade, cottage-style Christmas
Finding DIY Christmas decor and gift ideas
Discovering sneak peeks of upcoming creative bundles, surfaces, and workshops
Learning how to make the most of my holiday specials and limited-edition offerings
Setting up a simple, cozy creative workspace at home
Think of this as your holiday maker’s guide—rooted in creativity, slow living, and meaningful making.
Why a Handmade Christmas Matters (and Why Your Home Deserves It)
There’s something incredibly special about decorating with pieces you’ve made with your own hands.
A handmade ornament that holds a memory.
A vintage-inspired tag on a gift.
A little paper-crafted piece tucked into a wreath or garland.
A small DIY decor board on a mantel that makes you smile every time you pass it.
Handmade Christmas decor and gifts:
Add warmth and story to your home
Make your space feel uniquely yours
Offer a slower, more thoughtful way to enter the season
Create meaningful moments with family, friends, and kids
Turn “holiday stress” into creative joy
You don’t need a perfect house or a huge craft room to be a maker.
You just need a few supplies, a tiny corner, and permission to slow down and play.
That’s what Steel Roots Market exists for—to be your cottage maker’s haven and to help you gather the creative supplies, surfaces, and printables that make handmade feel doable and delightful.
Sneak Peeks: Cozy Winter Crafting, New Surfaces & Creative Bundles
This week begins a brand new season here at Steel Roots Market—one that blends:
Cottage style
Vintage and nostalgic details
A touch of bohemian charm
And a boutique, artisan feel
Behind the scenes, I’ve been:
Designing small-batch creative bundles for paper crafting and Christmas projects
Cutting and preparing new laser-cut surfaces in the shop
Curating limited-edition kits for winter and Christmas
Mapping out upcoming workshops and creative gatherings for the holiday and early winter season
I’m intentionally keeping details flexible because I build many of these offers in small, thoughtful batches, often inspired by what I’m currently creating in the studio.
What you can expect:
Beautiful new surfaces perfect for ornaments, small decor pieces, and mixed media
Creative bundles that blend printables, papers, and embellishments for junk journaling, tags, and paper crafting
Workshops and creative sessions (online and/or in-person) to help you make meaningful pieces for your home and for gifting
I’ve also recently added a new oval surface that’s already appeared in a few of my projects and videos. You’ll see it sprinkled into my content as a sweet, versatile base for winter and Christmas decor.
The best way to see what’s new each day?
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Visit the shop regularly (especially during Thanksgiving weekend and the first week of December)
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Follow along on YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook
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Turn on notifications or favorite my page so you don’t miss a limited release
Because of the way I create—small-batch, curated, and often limited—some bundles or surfaces will quietly appear and then sell out before I can feature them in a newsletter. Think of this season as an evolving holiday atelier, where new ideas and pieces are gently unfolding day by day.
Today’s Maker Special: DIY Christmas with IOD Moulds & Free Ornament Bases
At the time of writing, today’s holiday special in the shop is:
✨ 30% off IOD moulds
✨ A FREE DIY ornament base with a $50 order
✨ FREE shipping + TWO ornament bases with a $100 order
That means you can stock up on IOD moulds—beautiful for:
Handmade ornaments
Gift toppers
Garlands
Mantel decor
Mixed-media tags
Cottage-style Christmas projects
…and get free ornament surfaces to start creating with right away.
These moulds are incredible for makers who love to:
Work with clay
Add dimension to their projects
Create reusable elements that work across seasons
Turn a simple surface into a high-end artisan piece
This special is a perfect nudge to begin a handmade Christmas ornament collection or to plan a little Christmas crafternoon with friends or family.
And remember:
Holiday deals and creative offers will change throughout the season.
Check back often—each day may bring a new little surprise for makers.
How “Open Box” Makes Holiday Shopping Easier (and More Fun)
I also want to highlight a feature that’s especially helpful during busy holiday and Black Friday / Christmas shopping:
The Open Box Option
When you shop at Steel Roots Market, you may see a shipping option often called “Open Box” (or similar). Here’s what it means, in simple terms:
You can place an order now, secure your items,
Choose the Open Box option at checkout,
And then continue to add more items over the coming days as new bundles, surfaces, or kits are released.
When you’re ready, we’ll close your box, pack everything together, and ship it out.
This helps you:
Grab limited-quantity items before they’re gone
Save on shipping by combining multiple orders
Shop as you see new releases—without feeling like you have to “wait” and risk missing something
If you’re a maker who loves to build a stash for winter crafting, junk journaling, or Christmas decor, Open Box is your friend.
Setting the Scene: Your Cozy Cottage Holiday Workspace
Before you dive into DIY Christmas projects, take a moment to set the stage for slow, meaningful crafting. You don’t need a full studio. Just a small, gathered, intentional spot.
Here are some simple ideas:
1. Claim a Tiny Corner
A spot at the kitchen table, a small desk, or even a tray you can move around the house can become your holiday maker station.
Keep nearby:
Scissors and a favorite pair of detail snips
Glue or adhesive
A small stack of papers or printables
A little dish with embellishments (buttons, ribbons, charms, fussy cuts)
One or two surfaces or tags ready to be transformed
2. Add a Little Holiday Magic
Turn on a Christmas or winter playlist.
Light a candle or turn on a cozy lamp.
Make a cup of tea, coffee, or cocoa.
Let this be your reminder that it’s okay to slow down for 20–30 minutes and make something with your hands.
3. Create in Layers, Not in Rush
You don’t have to finish a whole project in one sitting.
Glue down a background today.
Stamp or stencil tomorrow.
Add embellishments and words later in the week.
This is slow crafting, not rapid production. Each step can be a small retreat in your day.
4. Involve the People You Love
If you want to, invite your kids, a friend, or a family member to join you:
Make matching ornaments
Create handmade gift tags for your family Christmas
Craft a few little decor pieces as hostess gifts
Let this season of making become part of your family story.
Handmade Christmas Gift & Ornament Ideas (Using What You Have)
As you gather supplies from your stash and from the shop, here are some simple DIY Christmas ideas to get your creativity flowing:
Vintage-style ornaments using a small surface or tag + decoupage paper + a moulded embellishment
Cottage Christmas tags layered with printable images, postage marks, lace, and twine
Handmade gift toppers created with moulded shapes, tiny tags, or fussy-cut images clipped to a simple wrapped gift
Junk journal Christmas pages using printables, ephemera, and bits of ribbon or sari silk
Keepsake boards or plaques with a meaningful quote, a winter image, or a favorite family saying
Over the coming days and weeks, I’ll be sharing:
Printables and papers perfect for Christmas junk journaling and paper crafting
Videos that show how I build layers, choose images, and create high-end looks from simple pieces
Sneak peeks of future kits and bundles that make it easy to sit down and start creating
I’m also working on a special free printable ornament project that you’ll be able to download and enjoy—something simple, beautiful, and in that familiar cottage + vintage maker style. Keep an eye on the blog, shop, and email for when that becomes available.
Watch & Create with Me: YouTube, Tutorials & Slow Crafting
If you’re more of a visual learner, or you just enjoy crafting along with a calm, chatty video, make sure you’re following my YouTube channel: Steel Roots Market.
There you’ll find:
A sweet little fawn project on one of my surfaces
A Santa-themed piece that’s perfect for Christmas decor or gifting
Other paper crafting, ornament, and decor videos that blend cottage charm with easy, approachable steps
These videos are made for you to:
Gather your supplies
Press play
Craft at your own pace
If you enjoy them, it helps me immensely when you:
Click like
Subscribe to the channel
Hit the little bell icon to be notified when new videos go live
Share them with a friend or family member who loves handmade, vintage, or cottage-style projects
Every small interaction tells YouTube, “Yes, show me more from Steel Roots Market,” and it supports this creative business in a very real way.
Visit Steel Roots Market YouTube Channel
Don’t Miss a Thing: Social Media, Algorithms & Staying Connected
Because I create in small batches and often release limited-edition bundles, surfaces, and kits, not every new item or promotion will make it into an immediate email—especially during busy holiday weeks.
To make sure you don’t miss out:
1. Follow Steel Roots Market on:
YouTube
2. Interact with My Posts
If you’re not seeing my posts regularly, it may be the algorithm quietly hiding them.
You can fix that by:
Liking a few recent posts
Leaving a simple comment (even “Love this!” or an emoji is helpful)
Saving or sharing a post that inspires you
Those tiny actions tell the platforms:
“Yes, I want to see more from Steel Roots Market.”
And that means you’re more likely to see when:
A new surface quietly drops in the shop
A fresh bundle or digital printable set goes live
A workshop or creative session is announced
A flash holiday special appears for a short time only
A Gentle Holiday Invitation
This Thanksgiving week and into the Christmas season, wherever you are—traveling, hosting, quietly at home—I hope you’ll allow yourself:
Small pockets of creative time
Moments of slow crafting and paper play
A chance to turn ordinary supplies into something extraordinary and meaningful
Let this be the year you lean into:
Handmade Christmas decor
Cottage and vintage-inspired gifts
DIY ornaments and paper crafting projects
Workshops and creative time just for you
I’ll be here at Steel Roots Market, in our little cottage maker’s atelier—designing, curating, and sharing the things that help you create a home and holiday season rooted in grace, charm, and creativity.
Before you go, you can:
Visit the shop to see today’s specials and new arrivals
Choose Open Box at checkout if you’d like to build a holiday box over several days
Subscribe on YouTube and catch a cozy video while you craft
Follow on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest so you don’t miss the next sneak peek or limited bundle
From my cottage-style home and small farmstead to yours,
may this season be filled with handmade beauty, cozy moments, and creative joy.
♡ Carrie
Steel Roots Market
