For decorating your home, giving as gifts, making memories, diy ornaments are the best. Pick any of these Christmas ornaments to make and spread the holiday spirit!
Homemade Christmas ornaments are a great way to celebrate the holiday season in your own style.
The best part is when family members get involved — yes from the little kids (fine motor skills development anyone?), to older children (hello teens and tweens) and the adults can all have so much fun making homemade ornaments together!
Fortunately, The Handcrafted Society convened this month with the focus on ornaments.
So today, I’m excited to share with you 11 amazing ornament projects. I’m also sharing the crafting level, supplies and time required for each to help you determine if this is The holiday project for your family.
Now of course, you don’t need to limit it to one project. Consider this a charcuterie board of Christmas crafting — help yourself to as much as you’d like!!! There’s something for everyone. Or maybe one for the family, two for you and one to share with your bestie.
The Best Handmade Ornaments
(with families in mind)
Alcohol Ink Christmas Bulbs
I love the fresh artisan look. And I love that they can be customized with colors to match your holiday pillows, your Christmas stockings, the gorgeous ribbon you have picked out for your wreath or maybe even a beautiful piece of artwork.
And yes, you guessed it, they’re not just for the Christmas holidays.
Skill Level — not artistry required. Just a bit of practice to get the feel for how the ink moves
Ages — not for the little ones, but teens and tweens will enjoy with an adult present.
Time — The alcohol ink process is very quick. You will want to paint the inside the day before.
Materials and Supplies — minimal materials. I would order the alcohol ink and blending solution ahead.
Click here for my step-by-step instructions for these ornaments.
Christmas Gingerbread DIY Air Dry Clay Ornaments
Do you adore gingerbread? From the cute gingerbread men to the fun houses! I’m thrilled to be sharing, my friend Wendy’s [WM Design House] simplest method for crafting the most adorable ornaments using air-dry clay. It’s a straightforward, enjoyable, and engaging activity perfect for the whole family to enjoy!
Skill Level — Novice to Advanced
Ages — all ages! Clay is great for little hands and they can even be in charge of poking the hole for the ribbons
Time — The alcohol ink process is very quick. You will want to paint the inside the day before.
Materials and Supplies — air dry clay and some common items you probably have on hand. Molds can be found at a craft store or online.
Click here for Wendy’s step-by-step instructions for making an adorable diy ornament or thirty!
Painted Clay Leaf Ornaments
And here’s another clay ornament but with a totally different style! That’s just one reason I crazy for clay. It can be used in many different ways.
Here Jennifer [Cottage on Bunker Hill] brings the beauty of nature to Christmas decor with these DIY painted clay leaf ornaments. Jennifer shares a great tutorial using clay and a leaf shaped mold to craft a set of aged gold ornaments to add an elegant touch to your Christmas tree this year.
Skill Level — Novice to Advanced — but requires a bit more than the gingerbread clay above.
Ages — If your older children are into detail work, this could be a great project to include them
Time — This will take bits of time over several days to allow for drying time
Materials and Supplies — air dry or baking clay, molds and paints of your choice
Click here for Jennifer’s step-by-step instructions for these gorgeous ornaments.
Fresh Lambs Ear Christmas Bulbs
While we’re talking about the beauty of nature during the holidays, I wanted to share my post for covering Christmas bulbs with fresh lambs ear from your garden. Yes, as it dries, it retains its soft fuzzy texture and signature silvery sage coloring.
Skill Level — Beginner to Advanced
Ages — Could engage the whole family if little ones help harvest the leaves and then choose the leaves to the hot glue gun operator.
Time — It’s a pretty quick project. Maybe 10 minutes per bulb.
Materials and Supplies — ornaments for base, fresh lambs ear and hot glue
Click here for my detailed directions for these sweet ornaments.
Dried Fruit Ornaments
More gifts from nature (whether from your yard or the grocery store) are used to make these easy diy Christmas ornaments. Here’s another great set of ornaments for family crafting from Wendy [WM Design House]. Don’t worry, no dehydrator is required!
Skill Level — Beginner to Advanced
Ages — Older kids can help with the prep. The whole family can then craft their own ornaments once the fruit is dried
Time — It takes time to dry the fruit properly. But once the fruit is dry, it can be very quick or a bit more involved depending on the details
Materials and Supplies — lots of fruit, optional cinnamon sticks, ribbon, twine and a hot glue gun
Click here for Wendy’s detailed directions for these sweet ornaments.
Vintage Sequin Ornaments
Do you remember your grandma’s sequin and beaded ornaments on the tree and how they sparkled? Amy [Amy Sadler Designs] has recreated these beautiful nostalgic ornaments!
These warm my heart so much! They remind me of the Christmas stockings my mother made for each one of us and all the spouses and grands that came along.
Skill Level — Beginner and up
Ages — school age children can certainly be involved with a bit of supervision
Time — depending on how detailed you want to go it could take a bit of time
Materials and Supplies — vintage-esque fabric, ribbon, pins and sequins. Amy used new supplies for her vintage inspired ornaments. Or you can go thrifting or to your mother’s attic!
Click here for Amy’s detailed directions for these nostalgic ornaments.
Vintage String Ornaments Revived and Modernized
Speaking of mother’s attic, I found a mountain of old tired vintage string bulbs in my mother-in-law’s storage room. I don’t think I ever saw her use them. They definitely pre-dated my marrying into the family.
Now that I have revived them, I use them and love them. Some of them are even the base of those lambs ear ornaments I shared earlier.
They look so fresh hand high-end, don’t they?
Skill Level — Absolute Beginner and up
Ages — any age that can handle a paintbrush
Time — Minimal! 3 – 5 minutes, tops!
Materials and Supplies — vintage string ornaments, chalk paint or acrylic craft paint, paint brush and that’s it.
Click here my step-by-step guide for these revived vintage ornaments.
Look What You Can Make Out Of Store Bought Ornaments
A Tree Made of Ornaments
Melanie [Southern Crush at Home] shares her process of making a gorgeous Christmas ornament tree using a few simple materials that you can find at your local dollar store.
This can be a fun Christmas craft for the whole family. An adult mans the hot glue gun and the younger ones pick out which ornaments should go where.
Skill Level — Absolute Beginner and up
Ages — Use plastic, not glass ornaments, and pre-schoolers on up should be able to participate.
Time — Perfect for an evening family activity.
Materials and Supplies — All supplies are available an the Dollar Store or any craft store
Click here Melanie’s process for making an ornament tree.
A DIY Centerpiece Using Ball Christmas Ornaments
Ready to deck the halls and sparkle? Transform those ho-hum Christmas ornament balls into a centerpiece wonderland with just a pool noodle and, believe it or not, a broomstick handle! Yes, I kid you not!
The colorful and wonderful Missy [Sonata Home Design]
This DIY project is the epitome of bold and beautiful, adding a touch of magic to your holiday decor that’ll leave everyone with a little jingle in their step!
BONUS: It’s easily transportable. And I love all Missy’s suggestions on where to use this centerpiece. HINT: not just the dining room table!
Skill Level — Absolute Beginner and up
Ages — to include the little hands, use plastic, not glass ornaments
Time — Perfect for an evening family activity with hot cocoa for all the participants!
Materials and Supplies — Pretty basic materials and a hot glue gun
Click here Missy’s step-by-step instructions for making a mobile ornament centerpiece.
A Stunning Wreath of Bulb Ornaments
When it comes to the holiday season, and you have a hot glue gun, you can make a DIY wreath out of any element!
What better way to use extra small ornaments from the dollar store or your private stash of holiday decorating items, than to make a pretty wreath?
Susan [Hen and Horse Design], shares an easy way to make a wreath using ornaments.
Skill Level — Beginner and up
Ages — Again, use plastic, not glass ornaments, to include the little hands.
Time — Perfect for an evening family activity. The wreath frame could be pre-wrapped if you wanted to speed up the actual wreath-making.
Materials and Supplies — Basic materials of a wire wreath frame, ornaments, greenery pieces, ribbon and you guessed it, hot glue.
Click here Susan’s step-by-step instructions for making an ornament wreath.
Thanks to all the lovely ladies of The Handcrafted Society for sharing these great ideas for these diy Christmas decorations.
This is such a festive season, I hope with this lineup of beautiful ornaments, I’ve inspired you to plan a family night to make homemade Christmas ornaments.
REMINDER: These make great gifts. What a great way to wish your neighbors a Merry Christmas!
Perhaps schedule a friends time together.
Or maybe you need a quiet afternoon of soft Christmas music and getting lost in the process and rejuvenated by quiet creating. Treat yourself — you deserve it!
I’d love to hear which craft would be the first one do — and tell me why.
Did you enjoy this post? I have more coming. Join the HouseMates or subscribe to be included in all the fun and the Printables Library.
Wishing you a holiday season overflowing with love and laughter; blessings and bliss,
I love the style that you wrote this post! It looks so good.