When you open that box of Christmas tree ornaments, recollections of all of the delights of the season come popping out. All your decorations, especially the handmade ones, can embody warm personal messages. Who does not have a collection of special ones-your child’s hand print in plaster, a glued macaroni star, or a chic hand-sewn Santa? Making your own ornaments gives you the pleasure of creation, lasting decorations on your tree, and treasured presents for friends.
All ages, from kids to grandmas, will find pleasure in making their own ornaments. Children like to make use of easy, quick supplies and techniques to make ornaments. Artists use their more technical skills to make them from blown, fused, or stained glass; engraved gold or silver metals; modeled and fired clay; or carved wood. The skill level required for many projects in this book fits in between. They concentrate on readily available supplies and show doable techniques.
Christmas is celebrated in lots of lands and many ways. Knowing some of this lore makes the theme of every Christmas ornament more interesting. Some of these traditions are historic ones that include such icons as evergreen bushes, wreaths, mistletoe, candles, bells, and holly. Some function spiritual symbols equivalent to creches, angels, and guiding stars. Others show more current themes reminiscent of Santa’s, stockings, toys, gingerbread houses, and elves. No ornament form is more enduring than colorful balls in many kinds, and none symbolizes Christmas more than a star on top of the tree.
Along with these bits of traditional lore, you may discover full-coloration pictures of each ornament, lists of materials, patterns, illustrations, and directions to make them. So gather your box of supplies-beads, ribbons, fabrics, chenille stems, sequins, and shiny papers-and let’s begins.
Tips for making ornaments
Ornaments, by their nature, are fragile. At our house, a number of of those exquisite glass balls explode on the hard floor every year. The fragile ones are like flowers, meant to bloom a short while and then fade. Yet when packed away with care, even fragile ornaments, together with your hand-made treasures, can final for years and years.
Choose lightweight, yet sturdy supplies to construct your ornaments. Heavy ornaments will cause tree limbs to sag. Ornaments which can be too fragile won’t survive until next season. For instance, the folded Christmas tree can be made from a variety of papers, thin sheets of plastic, and even stiff fabric.
Store your ornaments in sturdy boxes. If you’ll find them, use special boxes with dividers. Wrap the delicate ornaments in tissue paper and pack them in these separate compartments. Over the summer time, make sure your ornaments are stored away from excessive heat or dampness.
You possibly can leave the lights and ornaments on an artificial tree, if in case you have a spot to store it. If that’s the case, you’ll want to bend the hooks closed, each on the ornaments and the limbs, and wrap the tree in a big plastic bag to store (available for live tree disposal). Move the tree back in place next yr, and add some new touch, comparable to a wire-edged ribbon or particular new ornaments. New ideas hit the store cabinets every vacation season.
Select the best kinds of glue and paint for the supplies you’re working with (product labels will list this information). For instance, some beads will require scorching jewelry glue, and Shrink Dinks plastic needs waterproof paint or pencils. For your ornament making session, accumulate ornament materials from in all places-candy ribbons, costume jewelry, artwork papers, and on craft store safaris.
Include household and friends in making these small decorative projects. Part of the enjoyment of Christmas is being with people you love. One other part is giving presents; and the ornaments you make will be fine gifts.
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