Light Up Santa Bag | Christmas DIY Craft Idea | Holiday Decor Project
Get ready to add a magical glow to your holiday décor with this Light Up Santa Bag DIY! This festive project combines mini-Christmas treasures, soft lights, and a handmade touch that’s perfect for centerpieces, mantel displays, or gifting. Whether you love working with Dollar Tree finds or you're always searching for the next fun idea using budget-friendly materials, this craft is merry, bright, and surprisingly easy!
To watch a full video go to YouTube
https://youtu.be/UatoToye27w
🎄 Supplies You’ll Need:
- Red chalk paint (or color of your choice)
- Tacky glue
- Light string (Temu or Dollar Tree)
- 3-inch wood disk
- Foam board
- Mini gift boxes and toy ornaments
- Wood drum ornament
- Snowman skewer
- Gingerbread skewer
- Glass candle holder (Dollar Tree)
- Black cord (Michaels)
- 4 white pre-printed wood beads (Dollar Tree)
- 2 mini candy cane ornaments
🖌️ Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1: Paint the Glass Candle Holder
Start by lightly painting your glass candle holder with red chalk paint. Chalk paint adheres well to glass and metal surfaces, giving a matte, festive finish. Don't overdo it—you want the lights to shine through! If it ends up too thick, dab gently with a damp cloth or baby wipe. A great trick: place the light string inside and turn it on to see how much light shines through. Adjust the paint coverage as needed.
Step 2: Build the Gift Platform
This will be the lid-like base that holds your mini presents.
- Trace your 3-inch wood disk onto a foam board.
- Draw a second circle inside your traced one, about ¼" smaller. Cut out the inner circle.
- Repeat the tracing and cutting process one more time to create two foam board rings.
- Stack the two foam board rings onto the wooden disk and glue together using tacky glue.
- Paint the entire base red to match your painted candle holder.
Step 3: Decorate with Mini Christmas Gifts
Now the fun part—decorating!
Arrange mini gift boxes, candy cane ornaments, the snowman and gingerbread skewers, and any other small festive finds to look like toys and gifts spilling out of Santa’s bag. Layer and glue them on top of the platform for a whimsical, full look. (Tip: Mini ornaments from Hobby Lobby or Michaels’ miniature Christmas tree aisle work perfectly here.)
Step 4: Finish with a Bow and Beads
Wrap a black cord around the neck of the candle holder and tie a neat bow. Then, tie 2 pre-printed white wood beads to each end of the cord. This little touch gives the look of a real Santa bag drawstring.
🎅 Display and Enjoy!
Place your light string inside the glass holder and switch it on. The warm, festive glow will shine through the translucent red, illuminating your stacked presents like Santa’s toy sack on Christmas Eve! This DIY craft looks magical on a holiday mantel, tabletop, or even as a handmade gift.
📌 Craft Tips:
- If you’re gifting this, secure all pieces well with tacky glue so it stays in place better then hot glue.
- Try gold, green, or even snowy white for different Santa bag themes.
- Use battery-operated LED lights for safety and ease!