Handmade Ornaments

For most people Thanksgiving weekend is all about shopping. I completely avoid retail during Thanksgiving weekend. Instead, I use the weekend to get my craft on for the Christmas season! This past weekend I put together our advent calendar (which I'll post on Facebook later this week) and made my neighbor gifts. Last year I made peppermint striped soaps (from Martha Stewart here), but this year I decided on an ornament. Here is just a sampling of some of the ornaments I found while looking for one to make. Make one as a gift, or to adorn your own Christmas tree. The one I ended up making is at the end, with some how-to info.

Here are two from 7 Layer Studio, both using music sheets but in different ways. I love the glittery finish she uses on each one. To make the "JOY" ornament click here. To make the "Hallelujah" ball ornament, click here.

These are so adorable and the kids will love them. At left, I Heart Naptime offers fun variations on "snow-covered" ornaments. Click here for directions. On the right is a cute rendition of Santa's belly! It would look really cute using a ball ornament! Click here for the original post at Nap Time Crafts.
Inspired by nature, this pinecone ornament made of paper would be a beautiful addition to any tree. From the Hybrid Chick, click here for directions. Next is an ornament you can hang on a tree outside. From Country Living, attract blue jays and goldfinches during the winter with this pretty ornament made with bird seed. Click here for the how-to.

And finally, here is the one I ended up making. (Sorry for the blurry photo. I took it at night--not the best lighting conditions!) I followed the directions from Martha Stewart here.

The felt, trim, tassles and felt poinsettia stickers were all purchased at Hobby Lobby. I already had the cord for the loop. I followed the directions but needed to make some adjustments. I used 3" styrofoam balls, but using their template at 100% I found I only needed four pieces to cover the entire ball (not 6 like their directions state). I got a lot of gaping so I needed to pin everything down. Then I just used my trusty hot glue gun and glued the trim to cover the seams, the tassle on the bottom and the loop on top. The felt poinsettias have an adhesive dot on the backs, so I was able to just stick those on. Not too bad! Some look better than others, but overall I'm pretty happy with them!

I hope these inspire you to add a handmade touch to your own tree, or to make a special gift.

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