Rushing to find the last minute perfect gift for Christmas? Take a few minutes to make these adorable, fun and easy DIY Christmas ornaments! They require minimal steps and inexpensive materials!
Homemade Holiday Gifts
Happy Holidays! We've made it to the most wonderful and giving time of the year! There are so many options for gifts these days, but I like to give my friends and family at least a few homemade presents each year.
It shows that I took extra time to make something with my own hands for their enjoyment. And for Christmas this year, everyone in my family is receiving one of my easy DIY Christmas ornaments!
These simple handmade holiday ornaments are so fun, so cute and soooo easy!
If you are short on time and want a super simple handmade gift, I'd suggest making some rainbow cloud ornaments.
If you want to invest a little more time in creating gifts this year, polymer clay ornaments are an excellent choice.
Keep reading for my tutorials to make both! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, these ornaments can still be enjoyed by everyone, year-round. You can make them for any occasion.
Rainbow Cloud Ornaments
This year, all my coworkers are getting these adorable DIY rainbow cloud ornaments!
Supplies
These ornaments are so easy to make and they are relatively inexpensive. All you need is the following:
- Popsicle sticks
- White poster board
- Acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Scotch tape
- Glue
How to Make Popsicle Stick Ornaments
1. Paint the popsicle sticks
First, paint the popsicle sticks however you like. I painted each ornament of six popsicle sticks with a gradient of three colors. But you can paint each popsicle stick a different color, add splatter paint, glitter, whatever you like! Let them dry completely.
2. Cut out clouds from white poster board
Second, cut out cloud shapes from the poster board. Poster board is stronger than paper, but not as thick as cardboard, making it perfect for this project.
I drew one cloud shape with a pencil to get the perfect puffy shape. Then I cut out that one cloud and used it as a template to trace the other 15 clouds, so they were all the same shape and size.
3. Tape the popsicle sticks together
Third, use some strong tape like duct tape on the back of each group of popsicle sticks to secure them together. I staggered the popsicle sticks so they were all at different lengths. This made it look a little more reminiscent of falling rain drops.
4. Glue or tape the popsicle sticks to the clouds
Fourth, glue the poster board clouds onto the painted popsicle sticks. Let them dry completely.
I taped a second cloud on top of the first cloud, since the glue seeped through and warped the poster board a bit. But you may not have to worry about this, depending on the type of glue you use.
5. Add a loop of string to hang the ornaments
Finally, tape a loop of string to the back of the popsicle sticks so your friends and family can hang it up! Ta da! That's it - you've created some gorgeous hand crafted gifts in no time!
Polymer Clay Ornaments
If you haven't played with clay (or play-doh) then you're totally missing out! It's so relaxing and satisfying to squeeze the moldable clay between your fingers.
I use an oven bake polymer clay from my local craft store. Clay is really versatile because it comes in tons of colors and you can mold it into any shape you want!
I mainly use a rolling pin to roll out the clay. Once you create your shape, the clay gets baked in the oven for about 15 minutes. This allows the clay to harden, so your shape will last forever!
Supplies
- Polymer clay
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Puff paint
- Straw (to make the hole to hand the ornament)
- Yarn or metal ornament hooks
- Baking sheet
I also use cookie cutters to cut out intricate shapes in the clay. For example, I used a snowflake cookie cutter and white puff paint to make snowflake gingerbread ornaments.
I also love playing around with creating different foods like sugar cookies with the same snowflake cookie cutters. I've made tacos, pizza, pop tarts, a lattice crust pie, and pretzels.
Pro Tip: I also use a straw to poke a hole through each ornament before they went into the oven, to be able to loop the string through to hang it up.
Let me know which easy DIY Christmas ornaments you make!!
Azilde Elizabeth
Wow I love these! I'm keeping these in mind for next year. I can start ahead and make a bunch. Great idea! The clouds is my favorite. I love the colors! 🌈
strawberryandcream
Thank you! They are great for birthdays and other holidays and events too! â˜ðŸŒˆ
Yum-number1
Homemade ornaments are way better than store bought ones, because it is way more meaningful since you works hard yourself making them
strawberryandcream
Aww thank you! And they are WAY cheaper!! lol