Chritmas Ornaments
 

Every year my five grandchildren and I make Christmas ornaments for their parents. I need some ideas this year...did the glass ornament already. Does anyone have any simple ideas children 6-17 can do? Thanks so much.

Hi! I recently saw some using glass ornaments--which i know you used already, but these had strips of various holiday patterned paper rolled up and then put inside, then tied a large bow on the top. They were really cute, and looked so simple! I am not sure if you want these ornaments to be "stamping-included", but if not, I have also seen some made to be like stars using large hat pins, different sparkly beads, and a small styrofoam ball for the center. I will keep thinking about it.....HTH! :)

Ornaments
 

Thanks for taking the time to address my question. Yes, I did do the glass ornament thing and they turned out fantastic. It's a challenge coming up with new ideas for little things the kids can do with their hands, occasionally. If you think of anything else give me a shout.

What about doing microscope slide ornaments? You can stamp on a sheet of paper and sandwich it between 2 microsope slides.

Sandy

Dominos could be fun, too.

If your google easy Christmas ornaments, you would probably come up with some good ones. Picture frame ones are always easy to decorate. My kids have done some frames with puzzle pieces and they shaped them into a wreath and then put their pictures in the middle. They painted the pieces green. Very cute.

V

Also, www.orientaltradining.com has some great ornament kits too.

V

Sorry, wrong website
www.orientaltrading.com

V

How hard is etching onto glass? If it is not difficult perhaps that could be one.

Thanks for the "slide" idea. Haven't done it before so Iwould guess that I would need to wrap skinny ribbon around the edges forming a loop to hang it? Also, what glue would I use tohold it together? Maybe you know, maybe you don't but thanks for the idea for me to work on.

I think this is a cute idea for an ornament:

//www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=373278

Linda

At craft stores, they sell thin wooden shapes called Woodsies. They can be painted and glued together to make ornaments. Most of the packages have inserts. The teardrops make pretty poinsettias. You can also buy rolls of cording at craft stores and glue it to the outside of a glass ornament starting at the top and spiraling all the way to the bottom.

I love to make Christmas ornaments with "sculpey" polymer clay (you can get it at Michaels in just about any color you can imagine) - just use plain old metal outline cookie cutters (buy them specifically for this use, don't use them with food) - gingerbread men, angels, ornaments, candy canes, christmas trees - you can roll out the basic shape in one color, then cut with the cookie cutter, then decorate with other colors of clay (balls for eyes, a tiny roll for smile, or a line all the way around the edge of the cutout - sky's the limit). The clay package then has baking instructions in the regular oven - again I'd recommend using either the bottom of the cookie sheet (flip it over, that is) or buy a cheapie one for clay only. Once it cools it is solid and all the pieces you put together (so long as you "smooshed"' them together a little bit before baking) will be fused. Then you can do additional decorating by painting with regular craft paint - the year, who the ornament is for, additional details you couldn't make with clay, etc. It is sort of an update to the decomposible version of ornaments that we all made in elementary school with flour and glue or whatnot. These will definitely not decompose. And they can look almost like the professionally made ornaments of clay that folks pay for in stores. Good luck - what a neat tradition!

Jen

I have made ornaments with cinnamon, glue, and cookie cutters. The kids loved making them, and they smell great. Mine have lasted 10 years so far, and don't smell anymore, but look like gingerbread men, angels, and santas.

The recipe is pretty easy to find online.