Paper Ornaments

I LOVE making paper ornaments - I'm always looking for new ideas and I always enjoy making old favorites! Remember these ones that I posted last year (just click on the link to view - most have links to instructions):

*Paper Wreaths

*3D Circle Ornaments and Boxes

*German Stars

Well, I've made a few more of these this year but also added some new ones to my Christmas Ornament creations! I haven't added the finishing touches yet like ribbon and string, but I wanted to share them before I forgot - here are some that I've made recently...

Thanks to Amy for posting a new (to me) tutorial for more paper wreaths - I found this Tuesday and couldn't wait to try it, I created my first one while I waited to pick my girls up from school that day. I like these ones because they will be a lot easier for my girls to create with me - the other ones are a little more complicated. You can create individual wreaths or Amy even put 8 individual wreaths together to create one big gorgeous wreath! What a fun idea!

And then last week I saw this gorgeous card with a removable ornament - isn't that a great idea! I've made these hearts before but never thought to do them for Christmas ornaments - I learned that they are called a julehjerte, which means Christmas heart in Danish - how perfect! I haven't finished my first one yet, but I plan on making a lot more of these as well, especially some with a more wintry theme - this one uses the Jingle papers but looks perfect for Valentine's Day.

Then here are some of my old favorites - this gives you an idea on how big the different German Stars are - the first one uses 1" strips, the second uses 3/4" strips, and the third uses 1/2" strips - the middle is my favorite size.

And more wreaths - each one uses the same papers from Jingle, I just used the back-side for a totally different look!

Thanks for looking! And if you have any links for more paper ornaments, please share, I would love to try them!

Angels

My mom sent these angel ornaments for the girls - isn't she so talented! Thanks, Mom, the girls love their new ornaments!

And here are my little angels with their new angels!

Here is another angel ornament inspired/taught to me by my mom - imagine that ;-) like I said before, she's a very talented lady! I call these Rag Angels - they are made from a bit of muslin, cotton stuffed in the head, ribbon, and gold wire.

Paper Wreaths

I've seen these before and really liked them, but I didn't give them a try until fellow consultant, Amy, provided a great set of instructions here last Monday. These are so much fun and so addicting, I love making each of them different! Here are all of the ones I have made so far! I made the first one for the mom of the boy I babysit - I added his cute picture in the middle and stamped '2008' on the back - I just need to add ribbons and pictures to the rest!

Snowflakes

I didn't make these ornaments, but they are very special to me - my mom made them and I remember them on our tree growing up. She gave them to me a few years ago so they are now on my tree! My tree just wouldn't be the same without them!

The girls also got a new snowflake ornament at church today and it came with this poem which goes along perfectly with today's post, so I thought I'd share it here.

***

For I Am A Child of God - by Shel Eldredge

I look outside my window,

And see the fallen snow,

The world is still and silent

With a peaceful, heavenly glow.

And as I stare in wonder,

Upon my window falls

A single lovely snowflake,

So delicate and small.

I marvel at the pattern

As it slowly melts away.

Arwork from the sky above,

I wish that it could stay.

Another lands and then one more,

I study them with care.

Each snowflake is so different,

I cannot help but stare.

I am like those snowflakes

That dance up in the sky.

For I was created, uniquely me,

And sent to earth to fly.

God loves me and He watches me,

Just like I watch the snow.

He wants me to be the best I can,

To sparkle and to glow.

I'll try my best to do what's right,

I'll hold to the Iron Rod.

I am more precious than falling snow,

For I am a child of God.

Gaudy Balls

You've probably seen lots of pics that I've posted here of my girls making these - it's one of their favorite projects to do with Gma Nae - or Damma Nae as Brailee calls her ;-) Here are the end results - these are made with styrophome (sp?) balls, straight pins, beads, and sequins - fun, simple project to keep little hands busy, just beware you might end up with sequins everywhere!

3-D Circle Ornaments & Boxes

We used to make these ornaments out of old Christmas Cards when I learned how to make these growing up - I've had fun making these with the awesome CTMH papers lately. Here are some of both kinds and different sizes. I use my Coluzzle circle to cut out the pieces for the 3-D Circle Ornaments, which is SO much easier than we used to do it - we used to trace and then cut out each circle. I also mixed in some different shapes in here - circles with a square inside, squares on squares, etc, they're really fun to play with! The bigger balls have 20 circles, the smaller balls have 8 circles, the square ones are made up of 6 pieces.

I made these ones for friends who had babies within the last couple months - the other side has a spot for baby's picture.

These are the ones the girls made. I cut and scored their circles, they picked their paper and cut and pasted their triangles and then put them together. These are proudly hanging on our tree.

Clay Ornaments

As some of you may not know, I also like to play with clay! All through high school I would use polymer clay and make beads, figures, and other fun clay creations. My mom found a darling clay angel ornament about 7 or 8 years ago and gave it to me for Christmas, so that's where I got the idea for these ornaments. These are the ones I have left that I have managed to not sell or give away ;-) I have more mini ornaments and still lots of clay, the girls and I might make some more while they're off for Christmas Break - their last day is Friday and they get two whole weeks - I think we'll have fun! Plus David is only working 2 more days this year and the rest of the year he's taking off, plus no kids to babysit, so we will have some great family time together!

Homemade Ornaments

I always enjoy learning how to make new ornaments - instead of plates of goodies for friends and neighbors during the holiday season, I make ornaments, which is a tradition that I stole from my mom. Over the next couple of days, I am going to post some of my favorites - most of them I learned how to make with my mom and/or Grandma Sager growing up and have enjoyed making more and teaching my girls how to make them, too. So, stay tuned for more ornaments!

I'll start with these fun stars - I came across one about a couple months ago that my mom had made and called her to remember how to make them. They are Moravian German Stars and I Googled them and found this really great website with instructions and pictures - click here if you'd like to learn how! If you make any, be sure to leave a comment with a link - I would love to see what you create! They are so much fun to make with different sizes and it's fun to experiment with the strips to see all of the different results! To get all the different sizes, I have used 1" strips, 3/4" strips, 1/2" strips, and 1/4" strips (which is the size I re-taught myself with - it's a bit tricky that small, so I suggest trying with a bigger size until you get it down). They really aren't very difficult at all, I've figured that it takes me less than 10 minutes to make one star, and that includes cutting the strips. They are the perfect project to do while sitting and watching a movie because they don't take up any room at all. NOTE: The double sided paper is the best for these as both sides of the strip will show - but they have also turned out cute with just the solid side showing. Happy paper folding!