25 Fun Ways to Prep for the Holidays

Start with 3-D papier-mâché numbers. Using a crafts knife, remove part of the back, fill with candy and patch with masking tape. Snip foil and crepe paper streamers with fringe scissors and attach to the numbers with a glue stick. Screw an eye hook into each top and hang. Break open on Christmas!

Numbers: Darice 12"-tall papier-mâché numbers, $5 each, JoAnn stores; Streamers: Shindigz Metallic 2"-wide foil streamers in green and red, $8.50 per roll, and Fun Express Crepe 2"-wide paper streamers in white, $9 per roll, all amazon.com

This coir mat is extra-wide for max impact — and there’s plenty of room to stomp snow off your boots.

Tag Winter Wishes 18" x 40" coir doormat, $45, amazon.com

Use a pom-pom maker and various colors of yarn to make small pom-poms. Attach an ornament cap to each one by squeezing the cap’s prongs together and pushing them into the pom-pom, then hang.

Pom-Pom Maker: Clover Small pom-pom maker, $6.50 for a mixed set of 2, michaels.com; Ornament Caps: 6½-millimeter tin ornament caps in silver, $11 for 20, bluewhalearts.etsy.com; Tree: 24"-tall white balsam pine mini artificial tree, $8, christmascentral.com; Planter: African Mudcloth 6"H x 6"-diameter cotton and plastic planter in black, $39, nomadcloth.etsy.com

Buy a case of wine and a dozen of these linen bags — now you’re ready for unexpected gift exchanges.

From left: Itsy Belle Studio Brushed Chevron wine bag in forest, $10, and Snow and Ivy Mod Hatch wine bag in strawberry, $10, both minted.com