ENLARGEThe ornaments also can be an inexpensive way to wish a friend or family member a merry Christmas.
“I think they are so popular because it is something very personal, a one-of-a-kind gift that shows the recipient how much the gift giver thinks of them,” said Dawn Fowler Stembridge, a registered nurse who loves crafting.
With items you have around the home or can find at local craft and department stores, it's easy to get in on the fun.
Clear or frosted craft balls and craft paint can be the basis for many crafts. Paint the ball in a solid color, stencil or print the recipient's name and add polka dots or other decorations for effect. Tie a bow on the cap, if desired. Or, add stickers with team logos or other designs that reflect a person's favorite hobby.
Stembridge uses the large balls to create a variety of ornaments both to give as gifts and sell.
“I hand-paint all types of things on them, depending on who is buying them and what they want,” she said. “I've done large initials with polka dots with white feathers inside the ball, snowmen families with clothing that portrays favorite teams, Greeks, numbers, etc. ... I even painted the Florence Tumble and Cheer logo on an ornament we gave Stuart Ausborn when Abbie was tumbling at the center.”
Once they're painted, Stembridge adds a coat of sealant to protect the design.
One family tradition in the home of Chasity Jackson is to make memory ornaments using the frosted craft balls available at craft stores. The caps are removable, allowing things to be placed inside.
“You ... have little pieces of paper where everyone writes their favorite memory from that year,” Jackson said. “Then put their name and year on the outside. If you use red/green paper you can see it rolling around inside. You can also put a little glitter inside too. They are super cute. We do those every year at our house. One day we will read all our memories when (my daughter) is older.”
You can also fill the balls with colorful shredded paper (this can be found in gift-wrap aisles), sand, small trinkets, etc.
For a tie-dye ball, choose two or more paint colors. Put a small amount of one paint color in and turn the ball with your hands, then follow with other colors. Let the ball drain in a plastic cup until dry. Replace cap.
Children's ornaments also can be made from simple, everyday items. Bobbette Taylor, a preschool teacher for Mars Hill Preschool in Russellville, uses light bulbs for snowmen.
“The kids think it is awesome that you can make a snowman from a plain light bulb,” she said. “They like to decorate them. You could make them more complicated with the age, such as using fabric to make the scarf and small beads for buttons. It would be easy to make it simple or complicated.”
Materials needed include a traditional light blub; black foam to make a brim for the hat; red, black and orange sharpies; small wiggle eyes; white paint; red felt for the scarf.
“If you wanted to make it harder for older kids, you could let them spray the bulb part white and paint the metal end with black paint,” Taylor said. “They could use small beads for the buttons and fabric for the scarf. The hot glue gun could be used to put a pipe cleaner nose on and the hanger.”
For children, Jackson also recommends a dough recipe available on the Internet.
“Roll it out with a rolling pin,” she said. “Take a big Christmas tree cookie cutter and cut them out. Use a straw to make a hole in the top. You can bake them or let them air dry, then paint them however you want. My friend and I did these for her kindergarten class to paint last year. They looked great and the parents loved them.”
Jackson cautions that the ornaments can bubble up, so she suggests putting a pan on top of the ornaments while baking or drying so they will lie flat.
Christmas Dough Ornament Craft
Difficulty: Easy
Age: 7 and older
This shiny Christmas dough ornament craft is the perfect finishing touch to decorating the tree. It can also be altered and made into lapel pins, magnets and gift-toppers.
Ingredients
½ cup salt
1 cup flour
½ cup water
Rolling pin
Cookie sheet
Toothpick
Miniature cookie cutters: star and Christmas tree
Acrylic paints: green, yellow and various colors of your choice for tree ornaments
Glitter glue or glitter paint
Ribbon
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Mix together, salt, flour and water until dough is formed.
Knead the dough on a floured surface until the mixture is elastic and smooth. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with flour; continue to do so until stickiness is gone. Do not add too much flour: This will dry the dough and will cause it to crack before you get a chance to bake it.
Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thick with a rolling pin that has been dusted with flour.
Use cookie cutters to cut out as many trees and stars as you want.
Use a toothpick to make a hole toward the top of the shape. Poke the toothpick into the shape, then hold toothpick straight up and down and make a circular motion as if you were stirring something. Keep circling until the hole is the size you want.
Place all shapes onto an ungreased cookie sheet and place into the preheated oven.
Bake for 2 hours.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
Paint the trees green and the stars yellow.
Use the handle end of the paint brush to dot on ornaments by dipping into paint then dotting onto ornament.
When paint is dry, use glitter glue (we used green) or glitter paint (we used gold) to put a sparkling cover coat on your ornaments.
When dry, thread ribbon through hole and tie in a knot in the back.
Note: Uncooked salt dough doesn't keep well, so only make enough dough for the ornaments you are going to make.
If you are only making a few toppers, halve the ingredients above.
The listed amounts will make enough ornaments for a classroom of 20.
