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Homespun: Personalize the holidays, handmade ornaments a perfect gift
The pom-pom ornament, the glitter-on-the-inside ornament and the melted snowman ornament.
Updated: December 19, 2012 10:08AM
It seems as if homemade holiday gifts have become passé — mainly macaroni artwork from kids to their parents or the rare ugly scarf/sweater/knitwear from an aunt. How about we change all that this year?
I’m not saying you can’t give your loved one that store-bought gift they wanted, but let’s add a little something extra to your gift giving this year. Here are three types of ornaments that are budget-friendly, easy to make and look adorable. Plus, these would make a great host or hostess gift for all those parties you’re going to be attending in the coming weeks.
There’s the melted snowman ornament (idea adapted from Pinterest), the glitter-on-the-inside ornament (inspired by a few websites) and the pom-pom ornament (original idea spawned from an impulse buy of holiday pom-poms).
Each of these projects starts with glass ornaments. You can find different shapes and sizes at your local craft store, such as Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. Make sure you take advantage of their coupons, in print or also easily accessible from each store’s app on your smartphone.
Check the glass sections, near the Mason jars, as well as the Christmas craft sections to find your ornaments. I used a set of 12 glass ornaments, 2 5/8-inch size that I found in the Hobby Lobby glass department for $7.99.
Most of the other supplies you need for an ornament project can be found for less than $3. You can always personalize these ornaments further by using glass paint, permanent markers, stencils or stickers to write a person’s name on the outside or a simple “Merry Christmas!” or “Happy Holidays!”
MELTED SNOWMAN ORNAMENT
Supplies: Table salt, peppercorns (found in any grocery store spice aisle), orange Post-it Notes
Start off by removing the metal topper of the ornament. Fill the bottom of your ornament with about 1/4 cup of table salt. Position seven peppercorns into the ornament — two for the snowman’s eyes and five for the smile. Take one Post-it Note and fold it over just enough to cover the sticky part. Cut a triangle nose out of that piece and put it into the ornament to complete the face. Stick the metal topper back into your ornament and you’re done.
The salt, peppercorns and nose will move inside of the ornament. If you don’t want the face to move, try using white glue instead of salt.
GLITTER-ON-THE-INSIDE ORNAMENT
Supplies: Glitter, an envelope cut into a funnel, Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine (which can be found at Walmart)
Remove the top of the ornament. Pour enough of the Pledge — which is super sticky — into your ornament so that it will coat the inside. Roll the Pledge around inside of the ornament — don’t shake it or you will get bubbles — and then pour the excess back into the bottle. Take your funnel and use it to pour about two tablespoons of glitter into the bottom. To coat the ornament’s inside, first fully cover the opening, then roll the ornament around and also shake up and down. Pour out any excess glitter. Let the ornament dry for an hour before putting the top back on. Super fine glitter coats the inside of the ornament the best, but all types of glitter will work. To see a video of the process, check out youtu.be/lTvq2GPkm9U.
POM-POM ORNAMENT
Supplies: A bag of pom-poms (available at craft stores)
After removing the top of the ornament, basically all you need to do is squeeze as many pom-poms as you can inside the ornament. Larger pom-poms are a bit more difficult to finagle, but it can be done with twisting and smushing.
