Handmade Christmas Ornaments

[Colleen27]

I'm looking for some ideas for homemade Christmas ornaments. The kids and I are planning to make ornaments for my mom as her Christmas gift this year to, but I'm at a loss for good ideas!

It can be anything, from the ornaments kids used to make in school to more complicated craft projects. I just want to come up with a wide range of ideas so that we can try to pull together enough for her to decorate the potted (table-top size) tree we're buying to go along with the ornaments. She's been really down about losing of all the ornaments we made and bought over the years in the fire, so I'm thinking this will be the perfect gift for what will be a very difficult holiday season for her.

Please, crafty DISers, help me brainstorm!!

 

[pfishgirl]

popcicle stick frames, ribbon to make a loop, construction paper for background and add a picture of the child.. Maybe you can use old pictures and date each frame so it will feel like she has had the ornaments since they were babies..

cut a styrofoam ball in half.. add a picture of the child on the cut side and add glitter or decorations like stickers and confetti and glue it on the round side.. also can use ribbone or a wire hook for the tree..


go to the craft or dollar store and buy those pre cut wooden shapes and let the kids decorate them..

candy cane pipe cleaners..

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

DW used to have me cut out shapes in finishing plywood, and then she would paint christmas scenes, snowmen, santas, angles, etc. on them. I believe she got the idea from a book she got at a Michaels store.

She would freehand the design in pencil, then paint over it. But I believe they had different patterns/templates that you could get. They last a long time and are very durable (not breakable!) plus she would put the year on it. You could also put the initials or name of anyone on them. really makes a custom decoration!

 

[Pixiedust34]

Family Fun has a website that has a lot of cute ornament ideas.

http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/christmas-ornaments-ms/

 

[Imzadi]

I posted this over on the DIS Craft forum:

You can actually make photo ornament balls like these very easily. They look so professional after they are done, especially if you use ultra-fine glitters for the background. Of course, use your Disney trip photos inside or any photos really special to you for keepsakes.

The directions are here:
http://www.craft-ware.com/project3_magic_bubble.htm

Make sure you use a photocopy of your picture printed from a copier store instead of printing one off your home copier. The powder inks are more permanent, won't fade & will last for years.

As for the bottles of "Magic Bubble Adhesive," in the picture on the right, all it is, is any clear acrylic varnish you can get from any craft store, like Michael's. You don't have to spend the dollars or search for the Magic Bubble brand. Ceramcoat is a good brand, available at most craft & art stores.

And the "Magic Bubble Brush" is any long Q-tip securely taped onto a long, skinny stick that you can insert into the ball & maneuver. Or, if you go to Sephora or a cosmetic counter, get those free mascara applicator wands for testing mascaras. They are exactly the Magic Bubble Brush. Also, securely tape it to a long skinny stick and bend the fuzzy applicator part into a curve to match the inside shape of the glass ornaments.


If you just want to make glittery balls with the kids, or if you prefer the background to be assorted colors, just sprinkle a different colored glitter in on one side, after you've poured out the excess varnish, empty, then sprinkle in the next on another side & empty. If you rotate & tip the ball so the glitter adheres to different places of the varnish, you'll get something like this:

Or, skip the varnish & dribble in pearlized acrylic paints, you can get this effect:

Directions: Marbleous Ornaments!

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I'm not crafty at all, but one of the most favorite sets of ornaments my wife's mother loves are the simple white ones with the names of her grandchildren written on them in red glittery paint.

One of the older grandchildren made them for her one year.

 

[Disney Doll]

I have a cute one:

Clothespin Reindeer
~~Take 3 of the pin type clothespins (not the ones with the sping, the ones you push onto the clotheline). Glue 2 together with the openings facing the same direction. This will form the body and legs of the reindeer. Take the 3rd one and glue it with the opening facing in the opposite direction. This makes the head and antlers. Glue little eyes to the "face" and tie a ribbon around the neck for hanging.

Another cute one I saw in Real Simple magazine was a Bow Wreath.
~~Take a paper plate and cut out the center. Take bows and stick them all around the remaining circle. The one I saw in the magazine had all red bows with one green bow at the bottom that acted as the "wreath bow". I am sure you could use a smaller paper plate or even some small cardboard circles and those really small size bows and make a wreath small enough to hang on a tree.

When I was a kid we made a small pie plate ornament. You take the small pie plates (the ones that are like 5 inches across) cut out the bottom of them and staple 2 of them together, stick a pipe cleaner between the 2 plates (use a fancy glittery pipe cleaner, not just a plain white one) so the end of it hangs in the open space that is now the middle of the ornament. Hang a small round Christmas ball off the pipe cleaner. You now have a Christmas ball that is "framed" by the pie plates. My mother still hangs this one on her tree and I am 46 years old.

 

[amyy]

When I was little I thought these were the "greatest"-take a styrofoam ball and small scraps of fabric, "punch" the fabric into the balls on the edges of the fabric, I would use a butterknife, as you keep filling the ball you will need to cut your fabric to fit. Attach some ribbon for hanging.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD and I used to make ornaments every year. Here is one that no one has listed yet-

Get the very small clay flower pots at Micheals (they are 2 in I think)
medium size jungle bells
and ribbon

Paint the pots anyway you want (note they will hang upside down like bells). Once they are painted and dry attach the jingle bell to the ribbon and pull the ribbon though the hole in the flower pot. You will have to knot the ribbon inside the pot at a length that you want to allow the bell to move a little. Make a loop with the ribbon so it can hang on the tree.

 

[Tuffcookie]

pfishgirl wrote: go to the craft or dollar store and buy those pre cut wooden shapes and let the kids decorate them..

I am doing this with the grandkids tonight when they sleep over!

TC