Handmade Christmas Ornaments

I absolutely adore getting ready for Christmas, especially the part that involves decorating our home. I have at least four boxes in the storage room filled with all of the ornaments I have purchased or received as gifts. Perhaps my very favorite of the treasures in those boxes are the items that have been handmade for me by family and friends. Because I love these so much, I resolve to make ornaments to give as gifts every year. But every year I seem to run out of time before I get them made. This year, I have a jump start on the holiday, thanks to my absolute preparedness (and this article for Scrapjazz).

I have discovered that holiday items never completely go away in a craft store, so you can start your ornaments as early as you like. Browse the aisles, looking for items that are either already ornaments, or can easily be altered into ornaments with a bit of ribbon or wire. For this assignment, I found plenty of paper mache items to decorate with my scrapbook tools and stash. I picked a Scenic Route paper line that had plenty of patterns, so that I could easily mix and match.

Paper Mache Star

1. Trace star onto reverse side of patterned paper and cut out.
2. Paint star with white paint.
3. Adhere paper star to ornament, sanding the edges to the shape.
4. Adhere gingham ribbon to the outer edge of star.
5. Tie ribbon and wire to the top.
6. Cut snowflake from patterned paper and adhere with foam tape.
7. Adhere rhinestone to center of snowflake.

Supplies:
paper: Scenic Route
rhinestone: Mrs. Grossman's
paper mache star from Michaels

Christmas Tree

1. Cover front and side of rectangular box with patterned paper and sand the edges.
2. Cut a 12-inch piece of wire, wrapping a few sections around a pencil to create spirals.
3. Add jingle bells to the wire as you create the spirals.
4. Adhere wire to the back of the box, using a strong adhesive.
5. Cover the back of the box with patterned paper and sand the edges.
6. Trace a wooden tree shape onto the reverse side of the patterned paper and cut out.
7. Adhere paper to wooden tree and sand edges.
8. Apply rub-on phrase and star.

Supplies:
paper: Scenic Route
star: Paper Source
rub-on: Making Memories
paper mache box and wooden tree from Michaels

Frames

1. Stamp or decorate a 1.5-inch piece of cardstock with stamps or diecuts.
2. Insert into paper mache frame so the design is centered.
3. Punch a 2-inch circle into patterned paper.
4. Cut a square around the circle to fit the paper mache frame. This will serve as a mat for your stamped image.
5. Ink all edges and adhere to frame.

Supplies:
paper: Scenic Route
stamps: Stampin' Up
die-cuts: QuicKutz
snowflake: EK Success punch
inks: Vivid!
chalks: EK Success
rub-on: Making Memories
paper mache frames from A.C. Moore

Create fun ornaments like these with Christmas scrapbook supplies from Scrapjazz!