Tag Archives: Christmas ornaments

Holiday Crafts for Kids: Cards and Ornaments

The countdown to winter break is on for hundreds of thousands of students in our city. Friday is the last day of classes for public school kids, and then it’s fun, fun, fun until the first week of 2009. If you are looking for a way to occupy your kids while they’re home on break, consider the following simple holiday crafts: HOLIDAY THANK YOU CARDS These homemade thank you cards help eliminate the need to purchase costlier versions. The instructions are straightforward; the only challenging part to creating these thank you cards is the carving process. You will be carving … Continue reading →

Bronner’s: A Good Place for Pet Ornaments

A couple months back, when the deluge of catalogs started assaulting my mailbox, I received one from Bronner’s. Located in Frankenmuth, Michigan, they claim they’re the world’s largest Christmas store. If they are or not, I don’t know, but they certainly have quite the collection of ornaments in their catalog. Pet Ornaments They have ones with messages like “Loving Friend/Loyal Companion” or “Pets Leave Pawprints on Your Heart!” that you can also personalize with your pet’s name. They have bone-shaped ones that can also be personalized, like the glass dog bone or the one with an attached dangling heart under … Continue reading →

How to Make Homemade Christmas Wrapping Paper and Ornaments

You’ve mastered homemade wreaths, candles, and other holiday decor, but how many of you have ever made your very own Christmas wrapping paper? It’s not rocket science nor is it as difficult as some of the crafts Martha Stewart cranks out. Rather, it is the ideal project for your kids to tackle on a cold winter’s day. If you have crafty kids, then you probably have all the materials you need right in your own home. The project requires a roll of easel or butcher paper. You can choose full-size or small rolls, which are available at toy and craft … Continue reading →

Frugal Christmas Tree Ornaments

Christmas tree ornaments can certainly be expensive. A single ordinary ornament can cost on average $5! Many fancier ornaments cost up to $25! At these prices, you may have to chose between decorating your tree and paying your mortgage for the month. There are ways, of course, that you can decorate your Christmas tree without spending a lot of money. Try some of the following ideas. I’ve included generally ornaments and even some that would be great for a theme. Just think, you could have a designer tree without the designer prices. For no-fuss tree decorating, just hit your local … Continue reading →

Making Christmas Ornaments From Your Favorite Photographs

I know, I know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet and I’m blogging about Christmas ornaments. Well, when you have family living 5,000 miles away and you need to ship holiday gifts–but can’t spend a ton of money sending them express or priority mail–you tend to get a jump start on Christmas projects. That’s my situation anyway. Take a look at one of the simple and affordable ornaments I’m working on to give as gifts this holiday season. The project gives you an additional way to show off your favorite photos and it’s a wonderful way to personalize a loved one’s … Continue reading →

A Family Christmas Tree

A decorator might find our Christmas tree mismatched, haphazard, an unpleasing balance. And to be honest, it is all that. We don’t have a color scheme. We don’t have a snowflake or Santa or Victorian theme. What we do have is an abundance of ornaments made out of construction paper. We even have some made of paper plates with tiny hand prints in flaking red and green tempera paint. To be honest, our tree is mismatched and there are some very homely ornaments on there. There is even one that is truly – trash. But that year my son thought … Continue reading →

Make a Whole Set of Christmas Ornaments

Here’s a cute project that I think you’ll like. It’s easy and it won’t cost a lot, but you’ll have a dozen cute new ornaments to display or to give as gifts. What you will need: Package of plastic or wooden shower curtain rings Photos or small prints of photos Glue Scissors Ribbon Beads, sequins, or glitter Lace or trim (optional) What you will need to do: Cut a length of ribbon about 10-12” long. Slide it through the shower curtain ring, pull the ends up and tie a bow. You’ll use this to hang up your ornament. You might … Continue reading →

Let’s Make Christmas Ornaments!

There are lots of ideas for fun Christmas ornaments that you and your family members can make. Custom Christmas ornaments are great for decorating your tree, decorating different areas of the home, and giving as gifts. They are terrific keepsakes that will bring back memories for years to come, so get started making some right away! Simple Strings of Beads This is a super easy idea for ornaments. Form pipe cleaners or “chenille stems” into the shapes you want and then just string some beads onto them. Bend the ends to keep the beads in place. Then, add an ornament … Continue reading →