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Homemade Christmas Ornaments
by Nikki Willhite
Hopefully many of us have taken some time
during the year to add a few ornaments to our Christmas Tree Decorations.
Homemade Christmas ornaments are not only less expensive, but they give a
homespun, warm feeling to our Christmas trees that you can't get any other
way.
I have some ornaments that were given
to me from a relative in the military that was stationed in Germany. They
were very expensive. However, they sit cold and sterile on the tree. I have
a much great appreciation for the things that my children have made (some of
them quite old by now), and other handcrafted decorations.
Here are some ideas for some very
homespun, economical tree decorations.
- One very easy way to make ornaments
is with clothespins and a glue gun. Take small decorative items, glue them
on the clothespin, and just pin on the tree. One of my favorites is to take
a piece of sheet music, roll it up like a scroll, and add some plastic holly
or berries.
- Make decorations out of tiny toys
(such as little cars, teddy bears, and dolls). You can find plenty of items
at thrift stores that with a little imagination can be grouped together or
accented to make great decorations, such as costume jewelry.
- When picking objects for decorations,
avoid the color of your tree. Green decorations hung on a live tree will
fade into the tree and not be seen. Add some shiny objects for sparkle. To
make a very economical, shiny ornament, take the top of an aluminum can and
punch a design with holes using an awl or other pointed tool. Glue a
decorative trim around the edges. Hang with a ribbon, yard, or dental floss.
- Shiny ornaments can be made by just
covering objects with aluminum foil. Vary the shapes. You can also hang your
cookie cutters.
- Use those little school pictures of
your children. Place them on a piece of supported felt and hang. You will
treasure them for years to come. You can also insert them into clear bulbs.
- Use old Christmas Cards. Cut them
into the desired shape, and then use a hole punch around the edges. Whip
stitch ribbon or yarn through the holes, or crochet around the edge.
- If you like to paint, you can make
ornaments out of dough and then paint them. I'm not a big fan of using food
for decorations, but they are cute.
- Hang pine cones. Add cotton balls for
snow or leave them plain.
- Get the whole family involved, and
make colorful, old-fashioned paper chains. If you are going to use popcorn,
be sure and let it sit a day after you pop it before you string it.
- If you have ribbons, laces, and other
sewing accessories, make bows.
- Candy canes are great by themselves,
and can also be made into reindeer by using pipe cleaners and gluing on
eyes.
About the Author: Nikki Willhite,
mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing
articles on the topic of
frugal living for over a
decade. Visit her at
www.frugalhappyfamilies.com
- where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal
Happy Families- more than just money! Article first published at
www.allthingsfrugal.com |
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