You’ll see ALL KINDS of ornaments at the world’s largest Christmas store in Frankenmuth, MI. From finely crafted European ornaments, to wacky ones, to Bronner’s exclusive designs and so much in between, but there’s just something special about making your own that adds to the magic of Christmas! So we’re sharing a few of our favorite DIY Christmas ornament ideas (and tutorials) with you … some new and some from the past, tried and true!
YARN BALL ORNAMENT
If you love to crochet or knit or are simply a lover of textiles, then we’ve got an idea you could get wrapped up in! Chances are you’ve already got most of the materials on hand, so let’s get on the ball to make this DIY Christmas ornament:
MATERIALS|
- Round ornament (This craft is perfect for recycling an old one!)
- Yarn
- 2 Toothpicks
- 2 Tiny beads
- Hot glue
DIRECTIONS|
- Remove the ornament topper.
- Tuck the end of a skein of yarn into the ornament neck and hold in place with a dab of hot glue. Replace the topper on the ornament.
- Wrap the ornament with the yarn, adding dabs of glue every so often to help hold it in place. Cover the ornament completely.
- Once the ornament is covered, trim the yarn leaving a good sized tail.
- Glue a bead embellishment to one end of each toothpick.
- Add a dab of glue on the ornament, and tuck in the toothpick “knitting needles.”
- Add a dab of glue on the knitting needle and loosely tuck the tail of yarn.
Looking for more DIY ornament ideas that are “sew” perfect for seamstresses or sewing enthusiasts? Well … why don’t we just button it up and show you one more?!
Button Christmas Ornament
DECOUPAGE ORNAMENT
This DIY Christmas ornament idea just may take you back to the days of art class in Elementary school! But if your childhood does not include memories like this, fear not – it’s super simple and fun! We promise.😊
Decoupage is just a fancy word that means the art or technique of decorating something with cut-outs of paper over which varnish or lacquer is applied. The beauty of this hand-crafted ornament is that you can use paper of any theme you wish to create the perfect tailor-made gifts! (Think comic strips, paintings, Bible verses, sheet music, etc.)
MATERIALS|
- Round ornament (This craft is perfect for recycling an old one!)
- Sheet of patterned paper; cut into short, small strips.
- Mod-Podge®
- Foam applicator brush
- Mica flakes or glitter (optional)
- Any embellishments you wish to add.
DIRECTIONS|
- Add a thin layer of mod-podge to the ornament surface (or the back of the paper strip) to help it stick in place. Add another layer of mod-podge over the top to seal it in. (NOTE: The paper will naturally crinkle with the curve of the ornament. This is OK.)
- Repeat with strips of paper in varying angles until the ornament is completely covered.
- Add Another layer of mod-podge and sprinkle with mica flakes or glitter.
- Allow to dry completely; the medium will dry clear. (We placed the ornament on a skewer in a weighted cup to do so.)
- Add any embellishments. We chose a paper flower held by a brad and a small “Noël” gift tag to match the German sheet music.
Stained Glass Christmas Ornament
Similarly, you may enjoy this throwback – our decoupage version using tissue paper creates a stained glass look:
ACRYLIC DRIP ORNAMENT
The trend of acrylic drip painting has taken the world of Pinterest by storm this year, inspiring us to give it a Christmas twist!
To painters looking for a DIY Christmas ornament to express your creativity or even to those who don’t consider themselves to be an artist but are looking for something simple and fun – this idea is just dripping with potential for you!
MATERIALS|
- Clear ornament
- Acrylic paint
- Disposable cups
- Water (to thin paint a little.)
- Stir stick or disposable spoon.
DIRECTIONS|
- Pour paint into individual cups and add a little water to thin the paint so it pours better.
- Combine paint into a single cup in layers. (A Styrofoam cup works well for manipulating paint into the ornament’s small opening.)
- Remove ornament topper.
- Carefully pour paint into the ornament opening, turning as you go. (The less paint you pour in the ornament, the better your original pour pattern will hold as excess paint drains from the ornament in the drying process.)
- Place ornament upside down in another cup to allow paint to drain and dry.
- Replace ornament topper once ornament has dried.
Alternatively to paint, you may enjoy the marbled look that results from melted crayon wax in ornaments, which you can see in this past how-to video:
Melted Crayon Wax Ornament
MERCURY GLASS ORNAMENT
Finally, another oldie but goodie – really! (Cue the punchline drums)🥁
Mercury glass is a fun vintage look that has made a strong comeback so we’re sharing this video from a few years ago that shows you that everything old is new … or is it that everything new can look old?!😊 Either way, we hope you’ll enjoy this short tutorial on how to make your own mercury-glass-looking Christmas ornaments:
If you like these ideas and are looking for more, you’ll want to check out Bronner’s DIY Ornaments playlist on YouTube. Alternatively, you may have fun with our popular Christmas movie character DIY ornament ideas in this post from earlier this year!
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