The best gifts truly last a lifetime. As I decorated my mother-in-law’s tree, I realized how special handmade ornaments truly are. We hung ornaments ranging over a span of 30 years.
Here are some easy homemade ornaments you can make for your family or others this holiday season:
- I love salt dough ornaments, but they are messy. A great alternative is model magic, which can be purchased almost anywhere. Roll it into a shape you would like or an oval a little bigger than a handprint. Press a hand or foot into clay. Make sure to poke a hole in the clay big enough for a hook/ribbon. It will take a few days to dry. I would flip it once a day to drive evenly. You can paint it or glue items to it once it dries.
- Paintable frames are cheap and easy to make. You will start by gluing four popsicle sticks together to make a square frame. Your child can paint the frame and let it dry for one to two days. Once dry, a picture can be secured to the back of the frame. To hang on the tree, glue a ribbon to the back or attach the ribbon around the frame. Hobby Lobby also has small circular crafting frames. This is a cute way to make a snow globe. Have your child paint it white and glue white pompoms or cotton balls to the outside of the frame. If your child paints the circular frame green, and then glues red pompoms on it, you have made a wreath. The frames are a great way to make several different styles of ornaments.
- Beaded candy canes are a sweet memory from my childhood. All you need for candy cane ornaments is pipe cleaners and beads. Shape the pipe cleaner into a candy cane shape and have your child slide the beads over it. The best thing about this ornament is that you don’t need a hook to hang them. Simply just place them on the tree.
- Popsicle stick snowflakes are made with popsicle sticks and paint. Have your child paint the sticks in the color they wish. Then, glue them into the shapes of snowflakes. Every snowflake is different and has its own personality. This is a great way to collect fun imperfections (and laugh every year).
- A more nostalgic ornament is the painted pinecone. It’s also a great way to incorporate a lesson about nature. Start by finding pinecones; then, have your child paint them. Feeling bold? You can add glitter. Allow them to dry for a few days and rotate them each day. These can be placed on the tree without a hook.
- Wood sliced ornaments can be found at Walmart and Hobby Lobby. A hole may need to be made by an adult. This can be done with a nail and a hammer; just remove the nail. Allow your child to draw or color the wood slice. This can even be turned into a magnet by using an adhesive magnet on the back.
- Another dough styled ornament is the baked apple sauce ornament. They smell so yummy! In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of apple sauce and 1 and 1/4 cup of ground cinnamon. Mix the ingredients together with a mixer to smooth the apple sauce. If the dough is too sticky or not easy to handle, adjust the cinnamon or applesauce. I recommend chilling the dough for an hour or longer. It makes the dough easier to handle. Pre-heat the oven to 200F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle your workspace with cinnamon to keep dough from sticking. Shape dough or use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. Use a straw to add string holes. Bake for two hours or until completely firm. Make sure to cool completely before threading the string and hanging.
