Ornaments2007

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
TO MAKE
2007

1999 | 2000 | 2001
2002 | 2003 | 2004
2005 | 2006 | 2007| 2008
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.

Victorian Card Ornament
This is not quite the usual recycled Christmas card ornament. It can be as elegant or as primitive as the picture you choose. Cut out a picture from a Christmas card, calendar, etc. Cut a matching-size piece of cereal box cardboard, plus a same-sized piece of scrapbooking paper, wrapping paper or fabric for the back. Glue the 3 layers together with tacky glue, spreading glue to all edges. String about 20 beads on a thread or fine wire to make a decorative hanging loop. Tie off the loop in a circle, set aside. Make a lace bow for the top, then hot glue both the bow and the loop to the top edge of the card. If necessary, trim any paper edges that are a little frayed with scissors to make crisp edges. Using a soft brush, paint on a clear, glitter coating to both sides. Let it dry and make lots more!

Tiny Quilt
Cut four 2.5-inch squares of contrasting fabric and sew them together as shown in the picture. Trim the 4 edges so you have a basic square or rectangle. It doesn't have to be perfect. Cut a piece of quilt batting or old blanket, old wash cloth, etc for the middle layer, and another piece of fabric for the quilt back. They should be the same size. Put in a safety pin or two to hold the quilt together, then insert it into a small embroidery hoop. Mine is about 3? in diameter. Tighten the screw to hold it in permanently. Thread a needle and sew a running stitch near the seams where the 4 corners meet in the middle, just as if you were quilting a bigger quilt. When you?re happy with the amount of stitching, run the needle part way in and out a couple times and stop. Put a drop of Fray Check or glue to hold the needle in place. Glue on a cheapy thimble, a button and maybe a little spool of thread. Write your name and date on the inside of the embroidery hoop on the back.

Wood Initial
My youngest daughter made these for our Christmas of 2005. Get a wooden initial from the craft store. Mine is about 3” wide, but each letter will vary in size. These letters are 3D, rather than just flat ones. Mine is about 3/8” thick. Paint the letter your desired color, let dry. Screw in a tiny screw-eye in the center top, being careful to find the center for balance. Glue on a miniature Santa and itty-bitty holly or other greenery. Spread a little glue on the top and sprinkle on some colored or holographic glitter. Label your ornament on the bottom and put a ribbon or metal hanger through the eye. You could go crazy and make these to spell words like Merry Christmas or Cool Yule.

Folk Art Heart
From white felt, cut 2 hearts about 4” x 4” and a red felt strip 7” x ˝” for a hanger. Cut out some small decorative shapes (this one has diamonds that meet in the middle, plus little hearts) and machine stitch them to one of the hearts with a close zigzag or satin stitch. With right sides out, sew the hearts together almost all the way around and leave a small opening for stuffing. Poke some pillow stuffing (or dryer lint, finely shredded paper, or potpourri, etc) in the heart until it’s the degree of firmness you want. Carefully stitch the opening closed. Use pinking shears or very sharp embroidery scissors to make a pinked edge around the heart. Decorate both sides if you don’t want a plain back. You could make other shapes like stars, paisleys, circles, half moons, etc.

Lavish Velvet Star
To make this ornament the way I did, cut out 2 stars, one of velvet and one of Dupioni silk, including a seam allowance all the way around. (Mine is about 6 inches across.) Sew it together with right sides together, leaving an opening for stuffing. Clip where the arms join the ‘body’ of the star. Turn right sides out. Stuff the star, then sew up the opening. Embellish with bugle and seed beads, sequins, and whatever else you like. Gaudy is good. Add a thread or wire hanger. I decorated only one side, but do both sides if you’ll be able to see both the front and back on the tree. To label your star, don’t write on the silk because the ink will spread. Write on a small piece of paper label and glue it on.

Victorian Tassel
To make this ornament the way my daughter did, cut a 2 inch-long piece of one-inch wooden dowel. With white glue attach paper cutouts from wrapping paper, magazines, etc, into a little collage. Coat with a layer of gesso or other clear or glittery sealer. Let it dry, then hot glue on a piece of 2 inch-long fringe, as well as a cord for a hanger.

Elegant Lady's Shoe
Cut out a little shoe shape from 2 layers of cloth, including a seam allowance. Sew them with right sides together leaving an opening for stuffing. Clip all the curves, turn right sides out. Stuff it and sew the opening closed. Now for the embellishment: sew or glue a line of hand stitching around the edges with metallic thread. Sew or glue seed beads and bugle seeds into a snazzy arrangement. This one has starbursts and squiggly lines and flowers. Use the same shiny thread to make a hanger, then put your initials and date on the back. Use these instructions to make a shoe of any size. Just remember the larger the shoe, the more beads or other embellishments you’ll need to fill the space. You could make the shoe chunky and decorate it with wooden beads and feathers, or use vinyl, velvet or fur!

Christmas Dolly
My older daughter made this original, patternless ornament when she was a kid. She freehandedly cut out a basic doll shape and sewed it with right sides together, leaving an opening. She turned it right sides out and stuffed it with batting or Kleenex, then sewed up the hole. With a quality fabric marker, she drew on eyes nose and mouth. She either glued or stitched on some doll hair. Then she cut a large circle of fabric for a dress, and made a neck hole and 2 small armholes. She tied a ribbon around her waist. You could add craft-store doll accessories like hats, shoes jewelry—the sky is the limit. My daughter labeled hers on the young lady’s rear end! Wouldn't a whole bunch of these in different colors be so cute to decorate a table top tree? Their skin, clothes and hair could be as varied as real people. Their hands could be glued or stitched together to make a garland.

Hickory Flower
To make this humble, old-timey ornament, in the Fall, gather some hickory nuts with the hulls still partly attached. Actually, you don’t need the nuts themselves, just the hulls. Let them dry out to the hardest state... not mushy, not wet, or full of bugs. For each flower you need 5 quarter-hulls. Using a hot glue gun, attach the five petals at the center to make a flower shape. Add a hanging loop and glue that on. Then, paint the whole flower your favorite color. Let it dry, then glue on a few raw popcorn kernels. Coat the whole flower with a clear sealer for a little shine. Some glitter might be snazzy, or just leave the flower plain and simple.

Tomte
This is a little Swedish traditional Christmas character. He's pushing a wheelbarrow with his little christmas tree in it. To make him, create a 'sausage' tube of red cloth such as flannel or corduroy for the body (hot glue works well, and sewing is fine). Stuff it with polyfiber fill, or old pillow filling, cotton balls, dryer lint, shredded fabric, or even shredded paper. Make 2 smaller 'sausages' for the arms and attach to body. Glue a circle of fabric to the bottom to finish the body. For the head, cut a big circle, run a line of stitching around the edge and begin pulling the thread. Stuff the head before closing the circle all the way. Attach it to the top of the body. Now repeat this with a much smaller circle for the nose, and attach. Glue on a little more stuffing for a beard. Make another tube for a hat. Gather one end and attach a bit of fluff as a pompom. Glue the hat on his head so the edge is just above the nose. Now glue an object in his hands. There are lots of miniatures at the craft stores. A cuckoo clock, mini christmas lights, tiny baking sheet with cookies on it, are just a few ideas that come to mind. The Tomte could also just be draping his arm over the back of a reindeer. Don't forget to sign and date it on the back or bottom.

Gem Necklace
I made this quick ornament to share with my family and friends who got together to make beaded jewelry this year. What makes it an undisputed necklace or bracelet is the closure. Just attach wire or cord to one side of a closure finding, then string beads in whatever design you like (the more realistic jewelry-looking, the better). At the end, attach the other half of the closure, then add an ornament hanger. Voilá! Done! There's a lot of room for creativity here.

China Disc Ornament
This is a super-fast ornament- takes only 5 minutes! Purchase a blank ornament from the craft store, along with some rub-on decals. Regular water-dipped decals would be fine, too. Just choose an arrangement of decals that look good to you, then apply them according to the package instructions. Thread a decorative ribbon through the hole for a hanger. That's it!

1999 | 2000 | 2001
2002 | 2003 | 2004
2005 | 2006 | 2007
Instant Ornaments

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