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Ideas for Making Your Own Christmas Tree Ornaments

Be Creative With What You Have

By Coral Nafie, About.com

Even ordinary glass balls can be dressed up with ribbons, bows, or glitter. Visit your local craft stores to find inspiration and materials embellish plain ornaments to make them one-of-a-kind.
  • Uniform Loops for Hanging
    In order to give your tree decorations a uniform look for your tree, replace the dangling strings and old wire hooks with ribbon, raffia, or cord loops. Spend several hours with materials and a hot glue gun, and your ornaments will really look consistent and uique.

  • Ribbons and Bows
    A simple colored Christmas tree ornament will look dressed up with a pretty bow of satin, velvet, grosgrain or sheer ribbon. Or tie a bow of raffia on the top of decorations. Use a touch of hot glue to secure the bow to the ornament.

  • Use What You Already Have
    You don't have to use traditional ornaments on the tree. Look around the house for doll house furniture, tiny teddy bears, clothes for dolls, seed pods with ribbon loops. Using wire, cord, or ribbon, attach the items to the branches of your Christmas tree. Tie everything together with a garland that unifies your theme.

  • Encrusted With Jewels
    Collect beads or crystals from vintage jewelry or craft store and decorate a plain tree ornament.

  • Get the Children Involved
    Plan a project day for your children. Purchase wooden cutouts, ribbon, glue, glitter, cording, colored paper, and rubber stamps at a craft store. Let your children create their own decorations and hang the pieces with other ornaments. Or decorate a whole small tree and place it in the child's room. Be sure to put the date on the ornaments you'll want to keep from year to year.

  • Make Your Own Garland
    Use floral vines, satin or velvet ribbon, popcorn and cranberries, or decorative cording to create an effective but simple garland. Collect small pine cones or seed pods and string them together. Get more ideas for garlands.

See some ideas for Do-It-Yourself Ornaments for Budget Christmas Tree Decorating.

~ Coral Nafie

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