CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
TO MAKE
2001
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Instant Ornaments
Every year my mother, sister and daughters and I make ornaments for each other, and now you can make them. Some of
these ideas have been around a long time, while others are our own originals. Use these as a springboard to come up
with your own creations... adapt them and make them unique. There are lots of ornament instructions for the years
1999 through 2007, so check them out. Just click on the thumbnail to see a larger picture.
Lappland Reindeer
I was reading about the Lapps while making a Swedish folk art quilt. My Swedish grandfather used to tell me how when he was a
small boy the Lapps and their herds of reindeer would come through his village every year. He was always a little frightened of
them with their strange words and smells. To make this ornament, I embroidered a running reindeer in metallic gold thread onto
dark blue chiffon (other sheer fabric would be fine). It just so happened that I embroidered this on my sewing machine, but hand
embroidery would be just as good. I embroidered onto a single layer of chiffon, stabilized with 2 layers of Sulky water-soluable
stabilizer. Then with right sides together, I sewed a backing of another single layer of chiffon all the way around the square,
leaving an opening 1.5 inches to turn it right sides out. After removing the stabilizer by gently swishing it in warm water, I dried
the piece and trimmed the seams to 1 8th of an inch, and carefully turned it right sides out by using long tweezers. I then pressed
it, straightening all the sides. This is difficult with chiffon, and I kept those tweezers in hand the whole time to manipulate the
sides as I pressed. Next, I brushed the front with a fabric stiffener (which can be found in Wal Mart's craft department or any craft
store) and let it dry. Then, with a needle and metallic thread, I made a tiny hanging loop at the top, and put a matching tassel at
the bottom. The chiffon and metallic thread made for a very elegant ornament, but the same technique using felt, lamé, quilt fabric,
etc., would be fine too. Use your imagination to create something beautiful. The reindeer embroidery came from VWS Embroidery Library,
copyright 1995 by VWS.
Pearl Cross
To make this cross, I threaded 5mm 'pearls' onto 18 gauge wire, just twisting a small loop with the pliers at the ends. I then made
the horizontal arm the same way, first winding the wire in place. Now, on thinner wire (maybe 24 gauge?) I threaded some small pearls
and bent the wire into a heart. I used a very fine wire (30 gauge?) to fill in the heart with red bugle beads, just threading the beads
across, then winding the wire between the heart pearls to turn and go back the other way, and so on. As I decreased the number of bugle
beads to fit the tapering heart, I would add a small rocaille red bead where needed, then secured the wire when done. I used the same
fine wire to attach the heart to the center of the cross's cross piece, then snipped the ends.
Swirled Icicle
I cut a 30" piece of 24 gauge wire (experiment with the length since you might want icicles longer or shorted than mine), folded it in
half, then in half again. Cut the ends so that you have 2 long folded pieces. Thread one clear bead with both pieces of wire. You have
4 wires coming out. Put pearls on 2 wires, clear beads on 2 wires, alternating pearls and beads until it's the length you want. Secure
the wire ends, trimming if needed. Now wrap the strands around
a pencil to create the swirls, then add a hanger.
United States Flag
Probably many, many christmas trees in American homes will display a flag or some other emblem to represent the tragic events of
September 11th, 2001, the day the U.S. was attacked so viciously. I made this flag as a rememberance of that disaster. It's simply
a waving flag done by machine embroidery. Hand embroidery would be fine, and would only take an evening or so to do the stitching.
I fused red felt to the back, then used tacky glue to attach the 'pole' (a barbeque shishkabob stick). I painted the pole metallic
gold, then squirted a no-fray liquid around the edges of the flag. I fused a small label on the back showing my initials, the year,
and a small '911' in the corner, and with a sharp needle I attached an irridescent metallic thread to be the hanger.
Treasure Chest
To make this ornament, draw the pattern (click on pattern thumbnail below) on cereal box cardboard, then bend at the lines to form
into a box. Use a hot glue gun on the gluing flaps so you have a box (I made a couple using tacky glue, but the hot glue gun was
faster and more secure).
Make the lid sides and glue them to the curved lid. I used a pencil to curl the cardboard. Then cut and glue on thin little strips
that appear to be metal bands, handles, lock hasp, etc. Use a long sharp needle threaded with a metallic thread and a tiny bead, poking
a hole in the center lid from the inside. Pull the tread part way through, then thread the needle with the other end of the tread, pull
it through to the top so the bead is on the inside keeping the thread from popping through the hole. Now paint the whole thing with
cheapy gold acrylic paint. Paint the 'metal' bands gray or silver. Let it all dry. Use a fine point indelible marker to put tiny dots
on the metal bands where screws, nails or bolts would be. Get 2 Kleenexes, fold them like little blankets to take up most of the space
inside so as to not have to fill the treasure chest with jewels from the bottom up, and squirt some glue in the bottom to secure the
Kleenexes. Next, glue all kinds of beads, tiny buttons, sequins, whatever doodads will look good to you. I pick up bags of beads and
junk at yard sales just for this type of purpose. Broken jewelry is good, too. I also added some 'jewels' from the craft department at
Wal Mart. The last step is put your name and year on the bottom. I love miniatures, and this treasure chest would have been magic to me
as a child.
Silver Bead Star
This star is fast and easy. Note that the picture makes it look dark, but in real life it's very bright and shiny. For this ornament
you need about a yard of stiff wire, about 16 or 18 gauge, plus some 1" or 1.25" bugle beads, medium size irridescent opaque glass
beads, along with some silver round beads and some 'crystal' plastic faceted beads (all about 5mm). You also need some very fine wire,
about 30 gauge or higher, or maybe some dental floss. Thread a bugle bead onto the stiff wire at about the halfway point, using
needle-nose pliers to bend the wire so the bead doesn't come off. Put on an irridescent bead, bend the wire again, add another bugle
bead to create your first of eight points. Just repeat this process with each side of the wire until it has the number of points you
want. The stiffness of the wire should be strong enough to hold the star shape by itself. Twist the ends tightly several times, cut
off one wire, bend the other into a hanger. Thread the thin wire into one of the inside point irridescent beads. to each side put 5
silver beads to connect the inside points of the star. Twist the ends of the wire tightly and hide them. With another piece of thin
wire, thread it through the center silver bead of one of the groups of 5 to about the halfway point on the wire. Thread 3 crystal
beads, then put the wire through the middle silver bead and continue around until done, twisting and hiding the clipped ends. Make
sure the star is completely flat by bending it into shape. You could go one step farther than I did: you could hang a special large
bead or other item in the center of the star, but I leave that to you.
Tiny Snowman
Glue together 3 pompoms, small medium and large, into a snowman shape. Cut a piece of red (or other color) cloth for scarf, about
1/4" x 5 inches. Fray the 2 short ends to look like fringe. Tie it around his neck, secure with a hidden dot of glue. Cut 2 white
chenille stems (pipe cleaners) about 1.25" for arms. Apply glue to one end and stick it way inside the middle pompom. Do the same
on the other side. Cut a tiny piece of orange paper for the nose, or color the tip of a toothpick, and glue one end and poke it where
his nose goes. For the coal facial features and buttons, glue on black seed beads or tiny snips of black paper. Finally, glue on a
tiny homemade or boughten black top hat. (You can find them in wedding supplies or craft stores.)
Stained Glass Window
To make this ornament, carefully cut a square of glass, about 4" x 4". Cutting the glass is easy (but be careful!): get a glass cutting tool (under
$2.00) from the home center. Lay a ruler on a piece of scrap glass (old picture frame glass), then drag the cutter along the ruler.
Position the scratched line over a pencil or the tool and gently press on each side of the line. The glass will break cleanly. Use some
sand paper or a grinder to take some of the edge from all 4 sides. Draw the outline of a design (good ones in coloring books) with glass
paint "lead". Squeeze a line of it around all 4 sides of the glass as well. Shape a wire (paper clip will do) into a hanging loop and
work it into the "lead" (before it dries) at the top center edge. Use a brush to apply glass paints (like Gallery Glass) to
your design. Let it dry thoroughly. Note: Do *not* store this ornament in the attic if your summers are hot!
Glitzy Christmas Tree
You may have seen these little trees in various forms for more than 50 years, most often as a Christmas pin. Now you can
have fun making these for all your friends. Cut a tree shape from green felt (mine's about 3.5" tall), then embellish it over the top
with beads and sequins. The gaudier the better! When you think you can't cram one more sequin or bead on, add 5 more! Attach a hanging
loop to the top back, or even glue on a pin back for old time's sake.
1999 |
2000 |
2001
2002 |
2003 |
2004
2005 |
2006 |
2007
Instant Ornaments
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved. Updated 1/4/2008.
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