Homemade Christmas Tree Ornaments

A fun family project during the holidays is to make your own Christmas tree ornaments. Here are some easy crafts that will soon have you making your very own ornaments.

Pinecone Ornaments

Supplies:

• Pine Cones 
• Paint
• Beads, glitter or sequins, yarn and small buttons to decorate with 
• Ribbon
• Glue

What to do:

1. Cut a 6" length of ribbon.
2. Tie into a circle and glue the tied part to the pointy tip of the pine cone.
3. Paint the cone green 
4. While the paint is still wet sprinkle with the glitter.
5. Once the paint is dry you can decorate with beads and sequins to look like ornaments on the tree.
6. You can paint the tips white to look like snow.
7. You can hang on your Christmas tree as an ornament or you can place it on a shelf by putting it into a small clay decorated pot.

Ice Cream Cone Ornament

These are fun to make and anyone over 3 yrs of age can make these.

Supplies you will need:

• Either the cake or the sugar ice cream cones
• A solid colored ball ornament big enough to sit on the cones
• White acrylic pain
• Tiny glass beads
• Glue or hot glue
• Spray acrylic
• Ribbon

What to do:

1. Hold the cone by the base
2. Place glue all along the inside rim of the cone.
3. Place the ball ornament on the cone with the hanging side up
4. Make sure the ornament is dry before doing the next part. (hot glue works faster).
5. Drizzle white paint on top of the ball
6. Sprinkle glass beads on top of the wet white paint.

Let this dry overnight

Lightly spray the cone part with acrylic. DO NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE CONE WHILE SPRAYING as this may melt the cone. This will seal the cone.

Tie a colorful ribbon through the loop of the ornament

Your ornament is done.

****NOTE*****
if you want to write the child's name and date on the base of the cone before spraying with acrylic it is a nice touch.

Balloon Tree Ornament

You will need:

Balloons that are small and round

• Liquid Starch
• Newspaper cut into little pieces
• Corn seeds
• Glue
• Gold paint
• Matches
• Lace
• Pin

What to do:

1. Blow up the balloons until they are the size to fit into the palm of your hand.
2. Smear the starch all over the balloon (you can use paper mache if you want)
3. Put the pieces of newspaper all over the starch and then let dry
4. Repeat this procedure until you have 3 layers.
5. Once the newspaper is completely dry you can use a pin to pop the balloons.
6. Decorate using the seeds and glue.
7. Paint it with the gold paint.
8. Tie lace onto the match
9.  Put the match inside the ornament to be the hanger.
10. Tie the ornament onto the Christmas tree.