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When you open that box of Christmas tree ornaments, memories of all the delights of the season come popping out. All of your decorations, especially the handmade ones, can embody warm personal messages. Who doesn't have a collection of special ones-your child's hand print in plaster, a glued macaroni star, or an elegant hand-sewn Santa? Making your own ornaments gives you the pleasure of creation, lasting decorations for your tree, and treasured gifts for friends.
All ages, from kids to grandmas, will find pleasure in making their own ornaments. Children like to use easy, quick materials 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 most projects in this book fits in between. They focus on readily available materials and show doable techniques.
Christmas is celebrated in many lands and many ways. Knowing some of this lore makes the theme of each Christmas ornament more interesting. Some of these traditions are ancient ones that include such icons as evergreen trees, wreaths, mistletoe, candles, bells, and holly. Some feature religious symbols such as creches, angels, and guiding stars. Others show more recent themes such as Santa's, stockings, toys, gingerbread houses, and elves. No ornament shape is more enduring than colorful balls in many styles, and none symbolizes Christmas more than a star on top of the tree.
Along with these bits of traditional lore, you'll find full-color photos of each ornament, lists of materials, patterns, illustrations, and instructions to make them. So collect 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 few 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, including your hand-made treasures, can last for years and years.
Choose lightweight, yet sturdy materials to construct your ornaments. Heavy ornaments will cause tree limbs to sag. Ornaments that are too fragile won't survive until next season. For example, the folded Christmas tree can be made from a variety of papers, thin sheets of plastic, or even stiff fabric.
Store your ornaments in sturdy boxes. If you can find them, use special boxes with dividers. Wrap the fragile ornaments in tissue paper and pack them in these separate compartments. Over the summer, make sure your ornaments are stored away from extreme heat or dampness.
You can leave the lights and ornaments on an artificial tree, if you have a place to store it. If so, be sure to bend the hooks closed, both on the ornaments and the limbs, and wrap the tree in a large plastic bag to store (available for live tree disposal). Move the tree back in place next year, and add some new touch, such as a wire-edged ribbon or special new ornaments. New ideas hit the store shelves every holiday season.
Select the right kinds of glue and paint for the materials you're working with (product labels will list this information). For example, some beads will require hot jewelry glue, and Shrink Dinks plastic needs waterproof paint or pencils. For your ornament making session, collect ornament materials from everywhere-candy ribbons, costume jewelry, art papers, and on craft store safaris.
Include family and friends in making these small decorative projects. Part of the joy of Christmas is being with people you love. Another part is giving gifts; and the ornaments you make will be fine gifts.
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Source by Abu Khaled Mosarrof
