NOTE: This is a “reprint” of my blog post to Kodak’s previous “A Thousand Words” blog.
I guess you could say that I have been making Christmas ornaments since I was about 5 or 6 years old. Here is a fine example of one of my earlier works, which is still placed on the tree every year, even though Santa lost a leg somewhere along the way. It still brings a little chuckle and a warm smile every time I see it.
A few years ago, I started making Christmas ornaments with digital pictures. One of my favorite handmade ornaments is actually very simple and inexpensive to make. Here are the materials you will need:
- Blank paper mache ornaments – available at a local craft store for less than $1
- Craft paints (I use paints that are marked “fade resistant”)
- Paint brush
- Paint tray (e.g., paper plate)
- Small container to rinse your paintbrush in water
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Pictures to place on the ornaments
- Clear glossy interior varnish (optional)
I usually pick close-ups of people’s faces, figure out what size to print the image, and then print at home. You can purchase a small bottle of non-toxic, water-based varnish at a local craft store. If you are using an ink jet printer, note that some ink jet prints will bleed when they get wet. You should test for any bleeding by applying a coat of polyurethane on a test print.
Here are five easy steps for making your ornaments:
- Match pictures to shapes. Decide which pictures you want to place on which ornament shapes.
- Cut each picture to fit within its ornament. You can cut a star shape to mimic a star shaped ornament, cut a circle shape to place in the middle of any shape, round the corners of an image, etc. – be creative!
- Paint the ornaments. I like to use deep colors. If a color is too light or you don’t like the exact colors you purchased, you can mix colors until you have the shade you want. A little paint goes a long ways, but if you mix your own color, make sure you have enough to paint the whole ornament. I paint the whole ornament including both sides, let it dry, and then add gold paint to trim the edge and add a little glimmer. Let the ornaments air dry before proceeding to the next step. Your ornaments should now look like this:
- Glue the pictures on the ornaments. You can glue one picture per ornament, or glue a different picture on each side of the ornament.
- Paint a border around the pictures and then finish the ornaments with a coat of glossy varnish. Although this step is optional, it adds a nice finished look to your ornaments. Assuming you tested for any bleeding ahead of time, you can paint your whole ornament, including the picture, with the coat of varnish.
Once the ornaments have finished drying, you can hang them on your tree or give them away as gifts. What does your favorite handmade ornament look like? Add a link to it or describe it in the comments!