CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
TO MAKE
2006
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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.
Baby Block Elf
To make this little guy, cut a piece of red felt 4.5" x 5/8" for the arms. Round off the 4 corners for hands. Cut another piece
1.25" x 3" for the legs; a red circle 1.5" diameter using pinking shears or snip tiny fringe along the edge; and a triangle with a
curved base about 2 3/4" going up about 2" to a point, like the photo. Use hot glue to attach the 3" rectangle to the bottom of a wooden baby block. Mine has "S" showing to remind me
of my grandson, Sam. Snip a wedge in the bottom center of the rectangle, creating legs. Now glue on the long strip of red to the top
of the block for arms / shoulders. Glue the circle to the top center for a collar. Roll the curve-bottomed triangle into a pointy
hat shape and glue the overlapped edges together. Fit the hat onto a 3/4" styrofoam ball or wooden face bead. Attach some tiny wisps
of doll hair or similar fluff for hair to the sides of the head. Use markers, beads or glue-on dots for eyes and nose. Tie a
small ribbon or cord in a bow and apply it to the collar at the little guy's neck. Glue the head to the body. Glue on pompoms for
2 hands and 2 feet, and a smaller one at the tip of the hat. I used the pompoms with glittery hairs in them to increase the cuteness
factor. Sew or glue a hanger at the tip of the hat, or sit him on the edge of a shelf, window sill or gift!
Glitter Cards
Here is a fast, fun ornament. Choose a Christmas card scene or figure you like. Crop it, then cut it out, off-center,
leaving room
on one side and bottom to embellish. (Use the back of a card for the back of the ornament, or another scene to make it two-sided.)
Make holes around all 4 edges of both sides with a small paper punch tool, about 3/8" apart. Starting at the
top center, crochet a simple stitch all the way around. Tie the yarn ends into a hanging loop. If you stop at this point, you have an
ornament people have been making for possibly 100 years. But don't stop! Now, go nuts gluing sequins, beads, glitter, and other embellishments
to the margins. Use markers if you like, plus glitter pens, swarovski crystals, acrylic gems, buttons and dry pasta, etc. You can keep
it simple or encrust it -- you decide. After it's all dry, spray it with a clear craft spray or hairspray to seal and protect it.
Use a light color of yarn on the edges to stand out better against the dark green tree. That's it!
Bead and Glitter Flower
Flatten an empty toilet paper roll tube and cut into 8 or 10 circular strips about 3/8" wide. Using tacky or hot glue, attach a wooden
bead to the center of each ellipse, as in the photo. When the glue has dried, glue all the tips together, holding them in place with
paper clips. I glued them in groups of 2, then 4, then both halves together. Alternatively, as in the 2nd photo, glue segments into
difference shapes by
adding shorter strips to each unit. Add paint, if desired. Brush glue onto each point, then dip in glitter. Put some
glue in the center and sprinkle on more glitter. Make a little hole in one of the tips and insert a hanger. For a variation, the
cardboard can first be painted (white would show up great
against the Christmas tree), and you could use other little objects than beads in the elliptical centers.
Bell Angel
Use a jigsaw or coping saw to cut out a bell shape of wood. Mine is 3" tall and 3" wide. Paint the bell to look like the angel in the
photo, but have fun using your own colors and decorative designs. When dry, antique it using a wash of brown paint and
water. Brush on the wash, then wipe it off in strokes going with the grain
of the wood. Paint a 1" wooden bead for the head, noting the example in the picture; antique it also. Let dry, then coat the body and
head with a craft sealer; let dry again. Cut a 10" piece of matching 1/4" ribbon
and thread it through the bead so there's a loop coming out of the top of the head bead and the flaps lay evenly over the shoulders
for wings. Glue the head to the body. Put the year and your name across the bottom. Now make a bunch more!
Chic Wire Tree
This little wire tree is one of the easiest and least expensive ornaments you will ever make, yet they look stunning on a dark green
tree en masse. Bend a 24" piece of thick but pliable wire (I don't know the gauge, but it's firm, yet not too hard to bend) into a
coil for the
base. Put 1 bead on the wire, then bend into the bottom 'branch'. Keep doing this like in the photo. When it is the height you want,
cut the wire leaving about 4". Wind this into a coil for the tree top. For a more traditional look, use gold wire and multicolored
beads. The sample in the photo is about 3.5" tall.
Dog Bone Ornament
Make an ornament for the family dog. I used tiny acrylic jewels to write my Collie's name on a dog biscuit, then outlined them
with a fineline dark
marker. Some more jewels make a paw print in the corner. I glued extra-fancy glitter around the edges and a little silver chain
for a hanger. A bow or a couple bells would look good hanging from the underside.
Southwest Conch
This pretty ornament takes 5 minutes to make but packs a wonderful visual punch. Thread a piece of 1" wide trim through
a large 3" conch. Fold the edges of the trim to the back and glue to secure. I left mine plain, but you could attach beads or
other embellishments. These would be beautiful all over a tree with bandanas tied together for garland. Add a hanger and you're
done!
We Three Kings
These are the Magi, or wisemen mentioned in the Bible story. I used wooden unfinished 'tulip' candle cups from the craft store.
Any similar shape would probably do. Turn it upside down, then glue a round wood ball for the head. Glue a thread or fine wire
to the top of the head for an ornament hanger. Let glue dry. Use acrylic paints to create their robes, including their arms,
such as in the photo. Draw on faces with a fine marker, or paint them on. Add glitter glaze here and there, glue on trims at the
edge of the robes-- decorate to your heart's content.
I glued tiny crowns made from the edges of a gold-trimmed old Christmas card to their heads, then I added itty-bitty acrylic
jewels. Put your name and date on the bottoms for posterity's sake. These would make a nice little gift in sets of three.
Beaded Ornament Hangers
To make these pretty ornament hangers, cut a piece of wire about 4 inches long. With needle-nose pliers, curl one end for the part
that hooks onto the ornament cap. Bend it into a right angle, then thread on a few beads. Now curl the remaining wire into a spiral that
will hook onto the tree or ornament display. Try other shapes and angles and different types of beads. I saw some of these online
for $9.99 for a set of four!
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Instant Ornaments
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved. Updated 7/12/2008.
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