tuTORIal: DIY Christmas Ornaments 3 Ways
As you know by now, we are one crafty family, and there’s no better time for DIY love than the holidays. Decorating our home and Christmas tree this time of year is something that the whole family works together on, and is the perfect excuse to craft our hearts out. We obviously wanted our hand-picked tree to be filled with as many DIY’ed trimmings as possible, so this year we made our own Christmas ornaments, 3 ways…
Christmas Tree Ornament #1: Snow Globe Snowmen
Soon these will be snowmen (and women)!
The DIY ingredients…
What You’ll Need:
- Clear glass round ornaments
- Snowflake sprinkles (white or iridescent)
- Black and orange paint pens
- Fuzzy baby socks
- Ribbon or twine
- Double sided tape
- Fishing line, twine or ribbon
- Glue
- Suggested embellishments: Pom poms, rhinestones
Directions:
- Take the hanger part of ornament off and fill with snowflake sprinkles. Then, put the hanger back in the top.
- Pull the baby sock approximately half way down the ornament and center it. Use double sided tape to hold in place. (Or glue gun. Adults only.) Cut the toe of the sock down the center and then tie in a knot to complete the top of the snow hat. (Can also add ribbon and embellishments)
- Paint the face of the snowman on with black and orange paint pens.
- Hang using fishing line, twine or ribbon.
*Note…. This is a great way to recycle your baby’s socks!
Stella, putting the finishing touches on her fashion forward snow woman
My gorgeous girl with her finished snow woman, outfitted in pink (obviously)
Love how these turned out!
Liam & Stella’s creations
Christmas Tree Ornament #2: DIY Snowmen Light Bulbs
What You’ll Need:
- Old or recycled light bulbs
- White and black paint
- Black and orange paint pens
- Thick wool yarn
- Floral wire or twine
- Glue
- Suggested embellishments: Glitter, sequence, rhinestones, pom poms, buttons
Nothing better than an afternoon spent crafting with my babes
Directons:
- Paint the light bulb white (if desired sprinkle on glitter). Let dry.
- Paint the silver top of the light bulb black (if desired sprinkle on glitter). Let dry.
- Using paint pens draw on the face of the snowman.
- Wrap floral wire or tie twine at the base of painted black part of light bulb to hang from tree.
- Get creative with you snowman embellishments.
My crafting maven Stella getting to work on her light bulb ornament
The chicest snowmen out there…
Liam & Stella’s snowmen
Christmas Tree Ornament #3: DIY Salt Dough Ornaments
Salt dough ornaments are my lasting crafting obsession. I first learned how to make them when my friend Chris and I made the macramé mobile for Finn’s nursery, and we made hanging salt dough giraffes to complete the look. I couldn’t believe how easy they were to make… and the best part is that you can make them using ingredients that you already have in your pantry! I knew we had to make salt dough ornaments for our tree this year, and I love the way they turned out. Check it out:
Assorted holiday shaped cookie cutters
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup salt
- ¾ cup warm water
- Rolling pin
- Various holiday shaped cookie cutters
- Straw
- Cookie sheet
- Baking spray
- Ribbon or twine
- Various paint colors
- Glue
- Suggested embellishments: Stamps (if used add them prior to baking), rhinestones, pom poms, holiday stickers, paint pens, glitter, stick on studs
Miss Stella mixing the flour, salt and water together! This DIY is so easy and fun for the kids to help with
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Mix together flour and salt.
- Mix in warm water.
- Knead together for 10 minutes.
- If too dry add a little more water. If too sticky add a little more flour.
- Sprinkle flour on a flat surface and on rolling pin.
- Roll out dough until it is approximately ¼ inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
- Using a straw make a hole near the top, which you will use to hang your ornament.
- Lightly spray cookie sheet with baking spray, place shapes on cookie sheet.
- Bake for approximately 4 hours or until hard. Make sure to flip the shapes every 30-45 minutes.
- Take out of oven and let cool down for approximately 30 minutes or until completely cool.
- Paint and decorate.
- Add ribbon or twine to hang.
Stocking ornament in the works…
Our square ornaments taking shape
Liam’s Salt Dough Stocking…
And Miss Stella’s, in pink of course
Hattie Cat’s ornament
Finn’s first Christmas tree ornament! Love this chevron pattern
My ornament babes
Love these festive and chic ones
Can’t have enough snowmen…
Ornament for Mama!
Even Hattie got involved in the ornament making aka destroying ;)
#CraftyFamily
How cute are those ornaments?! They’re all super fun and easy enough to make that your little ones can join in. The kids love working on this stuff, and feel so proud when they see their creations hanging from our gorgeous tree. There’s nothing better than that!
What did you DIY this holiday season?
Happy crafting!
Love,
T
17 comments
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just love these adorable & easy ornaments. I've always enjoyed making Christmas ornaments & most of our ornaments have been hand made over the years by me, my kids & now my grandkids. I love the square ornaments & the adorable baby sock ornaments. Thank you for sharing these great ideas!! -
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Tori I can't believe how much Liam looks like ur dad in the very last one, and Hattie looks a lot like ur mom that's so cool. Hope you, dean and the kids have a wonderful Christmas and very happy new year!!
From Melissa (Alberta) -
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omg what great ideas! great to do with kids! if only my nieces here in Atlanta would be fun! Our 2 nieces in the midwest would do these no problem! -
Tori, I would LOVE to see all of these DIY ornaments on your tree!! I think it would be awesome to do a tree with only those types of hand-made treasures! I get so excited and nostalgic when I read and see your videos and posts...... thanks for brightening my day and sharing so much of your life.... happy holidays and may God bless your family!
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Love all your pictures Tori!
My boys and I made ornaments when they were little..cherish those memories! :)
I haven't done any crafting this year for Christmas..just a lot of baking for my sons school..sugar cookies, gingersnaps, chocolate crinkles, and peanut butter blossoms. He came home saying that three of his friends are in love with me now..my baking skills! ;) LOL..teenagers
Merry Christmas and God Bless! <3 <3 -
Haven't made saltdough figurines since I was at Kindergarten (end of the Seventies), that's a blast from the past!
We started the holiday season with the children making their own Christmas Cards and me DIY-ing a colossal heartshaped ornament for the garden, using fairylights and chickenwire. It literally costed me a lot of blood because of the sharp chickenwire, no sweat (with a temperature outside at 5F!) and tears of utter joy because it came out sooo cute and christmassy. But it made me feel like a real Craftwarrior! On our to do list for this weekend: cinnamon ornaments to use as a gift tag and glittery pinecones to decorate our Christmas dinnertable and chandelier with. And when my craftflow lasts I'm going to give your Burlap Flags from last year a try (maybe for New Year?)
But in my opinion my Mum is Holiday Craft Queen #1: she knits her own (and the whole families) baubles! Supercute! -
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Thank you Tori for these great ideas! Your e-mails always brighten my day and thanks for all the tips. You make it look easy and fun! I remember the salt dough ornaments when I was a kid. And it was always special to look on the tree and see something that you made! Merry Christmas to your family!
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I was always a crafty kid and my mom always encouraged it. So many special memories were made and still cherished. I think kids should be allowed to DIY projects. They each have a vision and something to create. Love how you and Dean do crafts with you kids and share your experiences with us so maybe other will follow your trend. Love you guys! Oh and by the way....great job Liam and Stella! I think yours is the best. -
Love these ideas! Super cute & easy too. I love visiting your site. It is my "escape" from stress! THANKS Tori! Wishing you & your beautiful family the merriest of Christmases! -
Very cute! I may have to try out the dough ornaments with my son. I remember some similar from when I was little, but never looked up how to make the m. Thanks a bunch! Merry Christmas! -
Just adorable!! You gave me great ideas and I plan on having my 7 and two 9 year old granddaughters make them with me this weekend! These are simple enough that even a "non-crafter" like me can figure them out!
I know my girls will LOVE them and what a wonderful family holiday tradition to start!! Thank you for posting!! -
I have no grandchildren yet so I am saving all these ideas for my future as I share the present with you right now. Thanks so much Tori and family. -
Try to do it with cinnamon and applesauce too! Make the dough with those two ingredients, bake at 200 degrees for about an hour or so. They smell so good hanging on the Christmas tree!
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What great ideas! My girls and I will be trying a few of the dough ornaments, since we have all the stuff on hand. Thank you for always giving us ideas when the kids are on vacation. Have a very Merry Christmas.
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