Your new favorite Christmas craft costs less than $10. And this one is honestly addicting. Read on because I’m going to show you how to make DIY sugared fruit with Epsom salts and Mod Podge – the prettiest frosted Christmas fruit for under $10, using supplies you already have at home.

Sugared fruit is everywhere this Christmas – that frosted, sparkly fruit piled in bowls, tied with ribbon as ornaments, and tucked into garlands and wreaths. But the sets at the store? $35 for a set of 4 pieces. I made about 20 pieces for $10 total, and that even includes the berry stems I kept from an old wreath. Nothing is just one thing around here.

Here’s how to make sugared fruit with Epsom salts, the easy way, with supplies you probably already have in the house.

What you’ll need to make sugared fruit

– Thrifted faux fruit
– Mod Podge
– Epsom salts
– A paintbrush
– Ribbon, if you want to turn them into ornaments
– Glass microbeads (optional, as an alternative to the Epsom salts)

How to make sugared fruit with Epsom salts

This is the whole DIY sugared fruit tutorial, and it’s almost embarrassingly simple. Paint a coat of Mod Podge onto the faux fruit, then sprinkle it generously with Epsom salts. Let it dry. That’s it.

The Epsom salts give you that frosted, sugared look everyone is loving right now. And here’s the part that makes this version different: most sugared fruit tutorials use glass beads. The salts are something most of us already have in the house, so there’s no extra trip to the craft store! And the finish looks just as beautiful. Glass microbeads work too, if that’s what you have, but the Epsom salt method is the one I keep coming back to.

How to style sugared fruit for Christmas

This is where one little craft turns into your whole Christmas decor. Here’s what I did with mine:

– In a bowl: I piled mine into a thrifted antique silver bridal basket layered with faux greenery picks. I put it together in a few minutes and it instantly looks like it belongs in a fancy Christmas catalog. A vintage bowl works just as beautifully.
– As ornaments: Tie a ribbon around each piece and hang them right on the tree.
– In garlands and wreaths: Tuck the sugared fruit in among the greenery for a frosted, collected look.

Why this thrifted Christmas craft is worth making

First the price. The store charges $35 for 4 pieces, but I made about 20 pieces at home for $10using thrifted faux fruit and supplies I already had. Second, the reuse. Those berry stems came off an old wreath I was about to get rid of, and now they’re part of my Christmas decor again. And third, it’s just plain fun. Fair warning, once you start, you won’t want to stop.

So save this and schedule a craft night immediately. Where would you put yours first, a bowl, a wreath, or a garland?

Looking for more Thrift Store Makeover Ideas for Christmas? Start HERE! And don’t miss my newest DIY for our dining room – My $5 thrifted lampshade tree collar with velvet ribbon!