Christmas and Yule ornament craft ideas

[Arduinna]

anyone got any? I want to make some ornaments this year but I'm out of creativity at the moment.

[Ambrose]

~ pinecone rolled in glitter
~ clear glass (or I suppose plastic might work) ornament with a few dribble of paint inside swirled around to look pretty
~ beaded garland


I would like to make beaded garland with hemp. Kind of like making a necklace- just a really long one- and weaving in beads as I go. I want to use actual stone beads like rose quartz, amythyst, onyx, ect.

[Arduinna]

I like the popcorn and dried fruit garlands

[Ambrose]

Originally Posted by Arduinna

I like the popcorn and dried fruit garlands

I like the popcorn ones but I always ate more popcorn than what got on the garland... :

[FillingMyQuiver]

Oooo.... we're making salt dough ornaments with the kids this year. We'll let them pick out the cookie cutter shapes to cut the dough, then after baking, they can paint them

We like popcorn garland, but I'm afraid that DS is still too young for stringing it w/ a needle and I worry that the kids would try to eat it off the tree and I don't think DD is old enough for popcorn (I worry about choking).

[Lilcrunchie]

I wanted to do this last year and never got around to it, but I read this somewhere and thought it would be a great idea:
On Thanksgiving, we'll all talk about the things we are thankful for from that year. I'm going to paint a paper mache ornament (have it already...they are very inexpensive...ours is a flat oval design picked up at Michaels), and then write on it all of the things we're thankful for from that year, and date it. I'll decorate it a little more to make it prettier, and then we'll hang that as the first ornament on our tree. I thought it would be a nice way to document some family history, etc. too in a way.

A different idea is applesauce/cinnamon ornaments. We're going to have DS make these for a few people this year I think (there are all different recipes for the dough online...some include glue, some don't). Supposedly they retain their scent for several years.

[browneyedsol]

Applesauce and cinnamon ornaments are made with just those two ingredients (well, in these parts). Buy both in bulk. Use enough applesause to make the cinnamon into a dough. Cut with cookie cutters and set on wax paper to dry. Make the hole for the ribbon/yarn when the ornament is still wet! It takes about 4 days for these to fully dry, so be patient.

Have fun!

Oh, and careful. They are fragile. They smell divine!

[eepster]

origami
clothes pin dolls/angels/toy soldiers
paper snow flakes
punched tin stars

[Shenjall]

Picture frame ornaments!

Find some old missing peice scenery puzzles. Cut cardboard into tree shape or circle shape. Cut out space in middle the size of a picture. (wallet size is best). Pick out the "green" peices and glue on for the tree part, or the wreath part. Red peices will make up the holly and yellow/gold for the star on top of the tree. Brown for the tree trunk.

I found boxes of puzzles at value village/second hand stores for .50 a box. Makes a great afternoon craft and great gift!

[myrrhmaid]

we made felt gingerbread folk & glued the faces of the kids on them. I embellished them with white rick/rack & buttons. They came out really really cute. Everyone went nuts for them.
I want to make yule logs this year. I need to find the instructions again. You roll newpaper then soak it in borax or something like that-it makes the flame blue when you burn it. it seems like wax was used too. I think there is something w/pinecones too...
I also seen on one of the craft shows where you print pictures onto clear velium cut them out in a circle to fit inside the clear glass ornaments-roll & insert.
I've been busy making clove studded citrus. I use a skewer to make holes in oranges/limes/lemons & insert cloves-I like swirl or circular patterns-wrap with ribbon & hang in cool, dry spot to dry. Makes a yummy potpourri.
thanks for the inspiration!

[Shenjall]

I've been busy making clove studded citrus. I use a skewer to make holes in oranges/limes/lemons & insert cloves-I like swirl or circular patterns-wrap with ribbon & hang in cool, dry spot to dry. Makes a yummy potpourri.
thanks for the inspiration!

Oh my those sound lovely! I may have to try. Any tips for a beginner?

[myrrhmaid]

Oh my those sound lovely! I may have to try. Any tips for a beginner?

don't rub your eyes! LOL! I like to string mine w/dental floss until they dry becuz of shrinkage-then I wrap with decorative ribbon. I just knot the floss right onto the skewer & pull all the way thru to other side. Then hang to dry. thats all the tips I can think of. Do cover the fruit thoroughly with the whole cloves. They are scrumptious! I figure if we ever have a famine I could make a nice pot of tea with one!

[Shenjall]

Thanks!

[isaberg]

Cinnamon ornaments! Smell great, easy to make, kids can decorate with fabric paints.

One recipe:

* 1 Cup Cinnamon
* 1T Cloves
* 1T Nutmeg
* 3/4 C Applesauce
* 2T White glue

combine cinnamon, cloves & nutmeg. Add applesauce & glue, stir to combine, work mixture with hands for 2-3 minutes. Divide into 4 parts. Roll each to 1/4" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Use straw or toothpick for hole. Place on wire rack & allow to dry at room temp. Turn after a day. (takes about 2 days to dry). I use white fabric paint to decorate, looks like frosting.

other recipes:
http://www.make-stuff.com/projects/c...ornaments.html

If you buy the cinnamon in the dollar aisle/dollar store/international foods store, it's dirt cheap ($1 for a cup-sized cannister)

[isaberg]

And nobody's brought up gingerbread houses. Much easier than people would have you believe, and kids about 7 and up can decorate their own. You can even use graham crackers to make small, quick ones. When I was a kid, my mother hosted a party for my friends where we made these - so much fun!

Although if you don't like refined sugar, it may not be for you. :-)

I wonder if the cinnamon dough would work? Hmm.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by myrrhmaid

don't rub your eyes! LOL! I like to string mine w/dental floss until they dry becuz of shrinkage-then I wrap with decorative ribbon. I just knot the floss right onto the skewer & pull all the way thru to other side. Then hang to dry. thats all the tips I can think of. Do cover the fruit thoroughly with the whole cloves. They are scrumptious! I figure if we ever have a famine I could make a nice pot of tea with one!

I just want to add, get alot of cloves. Pomanders take tons fo them and some get broken so you cant use them. The little tins of McCormicks only do one or two clementines.

[myrrhmaid]

Yes, I was lucky to find a whole pound bag of cloves at a yard sale! we also use graham crackers to make gingerbread houses. they turn out so cute! One year when i was a kid-the dog ate the whole thing! Peppermint hard candy swirls & all! She didnt leave a crumb!
I've been inspired by a local momma who makes felt food. I made felt fortune cookies lastnight!

[hubris]

I like to make these recycled-holiday-card ornaments: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jh...id=channel1082

And here's a couple I made a while ago:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../geodesic1.gif
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1.../geodesic2.gif

My mom and I have made these "Walnut Babies", too:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...walnutbaby.gif
I have instructions written somewhere and will have to find them, but basically you've got three little pieces of fabric (blanket, pillow, bunting) tucked/glued over a little bit of cotton wool, with a wood bead "head" nestled between the pillow and blanket. Instructions to follow...

[hubris]

Ok, instructions.

A scan of hand-written instructions with sloppily doodled illustrations that I did in a journal almost 10 years ago, LOL:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...abiesinstr.gif

Typed instructions, as best as I can describe it:

Materials:
walnut shells
cotton fabric
permanent pens or paint and fine brushes
cotton balls
glue (I use a glue gun)
spray starch
small wooden beads (not sure what size I've used, see pic above for reference)
toothpicks or paperclips
needle
thread that coordinates with fabric
gold ornament/embroidery thread

For each cradle you will need three pieces of fabric
pillow: 2" x 1.5"
blanket: 2" x 2.5"
bunting: 2.5" x 4"

Pillow:
Fold 2" edges in toward each other so that they meet in the middle, making the fabric measure 2" x .75". Now fold this into thirds the long way. This is the pillow. Glue it into the curved top end of the walnut shell (not the pointed end).

Blanket:
Fold fabric around cotton ball. Put glue in hollow of walnut shell and press the fabric/cotton into the shell, with the raw edges of fabric tucked underneath. Use a toothpick to poke any loose edges under and secure the blanket into place.

Bunting:
Fold long sides slightly under and press with spray starch. Fold short ends under and press (this is to finish the edges of the fabric). Baste one long side and pull the ends to gather the rectangle into a curved bunting. Tie ends of thread. Glue sides to the head of the "cradle."

Baby:
Use sharpie markers, paint, or other fine/permanent marker to draw closed eyes, tiny mouth, and a little hair on one bead. Glue between pillow and blanket so that the holes in the bead do not show.

Run a gold thread through the upper edge of the bunting and tie in a loop to hang.

[greenegirl]

Originally Posted by isaberg

And nobody's brought up gingerbread houses. Much easier than people would have you believe, and kids about 7 and up can decorate their own. You can even use graham crackers to make small, quick ones. When I was a kid, my mother hosted a party for my friends where we made these - so much fun!

Although if you don't like refined sugar, it may not be for you. :-)

I wonder if the cinnamon dough would work? Hmm.

I have run gingerbread workshops before and have decorated gingerbread houses with people from age 2 all the way up to 82. Most of them have never done a gingerbread house before. With real young ones, give them a side of gingerbread, a bowl of royal icing, and some candy and let them stick the candy on the house any which way. It isn't going to be neat and finished, but it keeps them entertained for a while and they have fun!