Start a new tradition – make your own Christmas tree ornaments.

Some of my favorite Christmas memories are of trimming our Christmas tree. We had such a huge variety of ornaments, from homemade Christmas ornaments we’d made in grade school, to classy and beautiful store-bought ornaments. When I decorate the tree with my own kids, it’s the homemade ornaments that bring on the feelings of nostalgia. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with my sisters and a big box of craft supplies, cutting and gluing and painting our ornaments.

You can make your own homemade Christmas ornaments with your family and create some new traditions. Homemade ornaments can also make wonderful and inexpensive Christmas gifts. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Ribbon Candy Ornament

 

Supplies:
Wide, medium, and narrow ribbon in Christmas colors (striped patterns and solids)
Fabric glue
Water-soluble fabric marking pen
Ruler
Long eye beading needle
White embroidery floss or thread
10mm round pearl beads

Instructions:
Cut a length of wide ribbon 16 ® inches long. Cut the same length of a matching medium ribbon. Glue the medium ribbon down the center of the wide ribbon.

Using the pen and ruler, mark dots down the center of the ribbon every 1-® inch. Do this on both sides.

Cut an 18-inch length of floss or thread and thread the needle. Thread a pearl bead onto the floss. Holding on to the bead, slip the thread from the needle. Re-thread the needle with both ends of the floss, making sure they’re even.

Insert the needle into the first mark on the ribbon; pull through. The pearl bead should now be at the bottom of the ribbon. Add another bead, then pull the needle through the next mark on the other side of the ribbon, making a soft fold, like ribbon candy. Add another pearl.

Continue on in this manner until you have 11 pearls on the thread. Tie the thread off. Cut a length of narrow ribbon, and attach to the top of your ribbon candy for hanging on the tree.

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Candy Cane North Pole Sign

 

Supplies:
Large craft sticks
Red, white, and green acrylic paint
Black narrow-tipped permanent marker
Glue
Scissors
Craft knife
Green felt
Red mini pom-poms
Red or green narrow ribbon, cut into 5-inch pieces

Instructions:
Paint both sides of a craft stick green; paint another white. Allow the sticks to dry, and then add red stripes to the white stick.

Cut a three-inch length from the green craft stick. Notch one end in a V-shape; cut the other end in a pointer shape. Use the permanent marker to write “NORTH POLE” on the green arrow. Glue the arrow about an inch from the top of the candy cane painted stick.

Cut the green felt in miniature holly leave shapes. Glue two leaves and three red pom-poms in a holly cluster below the “NORTH POLE” pointer.

Glue both ends of a piece of narrow ribbon to the back of your sign pole and allow to dry. Use this loop to hang your signpost.

 

Dangling Snowman

Supplies:
White and orange craft foam or felt
Circular stencils in three different sizes
Scissors
Glue
Fishing line or monofilament
Red and green buttons
Black narrow-tipped permanent marker
Medium ribbon in red, green, or red and green patterns

Instructions:
Using the stencils, cut circles out of the white foam or felt. You will need two large circles, two medium circles, and two small circles for each snowman you want to make.

Cut small carrot shapes out of the orange foam or felt.

Lay out a snowman, large circle on the bottom, medium in the middle, and small on top, leaving about ª inch of space between the circles. Use a small amount of glue on each circle, and press the monofilament into the glue. Add the corresponding circles on top, so that the monofilament is sandwiched between the circles.

Glue three to four buttons on your snowman’s bottom two circles. Tie a length of ribbon around the “neck” to form a scarf. Glue a carrot in the center of the top circle for the “nose,” then use the marker to draw two large dots for eyes, and a curved row of smaller dots for the mouth. Allow your snowman to dry completely. Tie a loop in the top of the monofilament and use this to hang your snowman to the tree.