Easy DIY Christmas Shaker Box + MORE Christmas Projects!

Happy Christmas Season, friends!! Now that Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror, I think we can all agree that it’s CHRISTMASTIME!!! This also means that Baby Rissler is ALMOST HERE! My due date is Tuesday, so I’m hoping he shows his face sometime this week. Yay!

*This post was originally published Nov 25, 2017, and was updated December 2018.*

Today I’m excited to share my own DIY project with you, as well as posts from my fellow home decor bloggers! Scroll down to the bottom of this post to get inspired by lots of other DIY Christmas ideas. I’m especially loving the cookie cutter Christmas tree garland and the DIY rustic Christmas tree!

As I’ve been doing tons of Christmas decor shopping over the last couple weeks, I saw fun little Christmas shaker boxes. I almost bought one, then realized, “Hey… I can make that!!” Thus, this DIY project, the DIY Christmas shaker box, was born!

easy DIY christmas shaker box

Materials for the Christmas Shaker Box

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you click a link and make a purchase.*

I got all my supplies at Hobby Lobby it only cost me about $15. Not bad!

  • 8×10 Shaker Box
    • I found mine at Hobby Lobby for $12.99 + 50% off
  • Scrapbook Paper
    • Dark is better for more contrast
  • Shaker Box Filler (jingle bells, mini trees, fake snow, cinnamon sticks.), at least 1 cup
  • White vinyl
  • Transfer paper
    • This is the BEST transfer paper that will easily peel of your vinyl. I swear by it!
  • Cricut or Silhouette craft machine
    • I LOVE my Cricut Explore Air 2, linked above!

christmas shaker box filling

How to Make a Shaker Box

I’m not kidding when I say this: It couldn’t be more simple.

  1. Cut the scrapbook paper to the same size as the cardboard back of the shadow box (8×10)
  2. Dump the filler into the shadow box.
  3. Place the scrapbook paper and cardboard back onto the frame.
  4. Make your own design for the glass, or opt-in below to get the one I used fo’ free! At first I used a chalk marker, but this year I erased it and made a design using my Cricut. It looks much more crisp and professional, so I’d definitely recommend that method!
  5. Print/Cut the design onto the white vinyl, then stick transfer tape over the design. This will help hold it all together so you don’t have to place the letters on one-by-one. Stick the vinyl onto the glass, them remove the transfer tape and the excess vinyl. Wah-lah! Done!

Tips for Designing Your Christmas Shaker Box

First: Keep it simple! Don’t get a super busy background or your design won’t pop as well. Here are the before-before versions when I used a chalk marker. I changed it in 2018 to use the Cricut vinyl design.

christmas shaker box comparison

Second: Get a variety of different fillers, big and small! This year, I added a few cinnamon sticks and fake snow.

Tips for Designing a Christmas Decal

I love finding different graphics, icons, and images on Creative Market. I often find packs of Christmas graphics for less than $5.

Also, I often use dafont.com to find pretty fonts. Much prettier than standard computer-system fonts! If you’re using the Cricut Design Center, it will pull in any fonts downloaded on your computer, so you can use them there, too. I often design my entire decal in Photoshop, save it as a PNG, the upload it into the Design Center. Just a personal preference. 🙂

easy DIY christmas shaker box

Aannndddddddd that’s it! It really is a simple DIY project that adds a little spice to your Chistmas decor. Plus, you can customize it with your last name or your favorite Christmas saying. Next time I check in, I’ll most likely have a baby! I may be taking a bit of a hiatus for a couple weeks, but I’ll be sure to post as soon as I’m back at it. 🙂

MORE DIY Christmas Inspiration!

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2 thoughts on “Easy DIY Christmas Shaker Box + MORE Christmas Projects!”

  1. These are so cute! I love to make these also. Such a cute and simple way to add decor to the walls.
    By the way thank you so much for putting this Holiday link-up together! You seem quite busy right now. Congratulations on your new baby!!

  2. My Sweet Lilac

    Such a lovely and versatile little craft. Thank you for sharing – yours turned out wonderful! And CONGRATS on your new little bundle of joy! What a great addition to this season’s celebration! -Molly

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