Handmade Christmas ornaments

I am quite taken with these handmade gifts and crafts ideas. The whole process of cutting beautiful shapes and designs, then glueing them together to create lovely Christmas ornaments is really exciting. I tried a few ideas I came across on the net and must say, my girlfriend and mom were both quite impressed with my work.

Glass Ornaments

Materials:
Clear Glass Ball Ornaments, Dye-Based Ink Refills, Glitter (ultra fine and any color)Ribbon, Raffia etc...Small paper or plastic cup (ornament needs to sit on top)

Take clear glass ball ornaments and remove the top. Rinse ornament out with water, drain water. ink Drop about 18-22 drops of one color of ink refill into the ornament. Swirl ink around the inside of the ornament until inside is covered.(Only add one color ink refill (dye based ink)) If there is excess ink, turn the bulb upside down and let the excess ink drain off into a paper/plastic cup.While draining, take a business card size piece of cardstock and fold in half hotdog style. Pour approximately 1/2 teaspoon glitter into the cardstock that is folded. Pour glitter into glass bulb, put a small piece of paper or plastic over opening, to protect your finger, now ...SHAKE vigorously. Shake the glitter around so that it doesn't form a big blob. Pour excess dyed glitter into a different paper/plastic cup. Put the top back on the ornament. Tie Organdy or Grosgrain Ribbon, Raffia or whatever you would like aroundthe top or just leave it plain.




Heavenly Angels

Materials:
Sugar ice-cream cone, Three-ring pretzel, Royal icing (blend 1 egg white with 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar), Colored sugar, Tootsie Pop, Life Saver and red candy heart.

Using scissors, cut off 1/2 inch from the cone's point. Ice the cone and pretzel, then roll them in colored sugar. For the head, insert the lollipop's stick into the cone. Using the icing, affix the Life Saver to the head and the pretzel to the back of the cone. Add icing features and a candy heart.

Light Bulb Santa
Materials: Burnt out light bulb, Acrylic (craft) paint in white, red, flesh, black, and pink, Gold cord or ribbon, Hot glue, Black marker, Newspaper or paper towel, Paintbrush

Paint an oval for Santa's face with flesh acrylic paint in the center of the round part of the light bulb. Paint entire remaining round portion of light bulb with white acrylic paint. Paint neck of bulb red, and top (socket) of "hat" white. Allow to dry completely. Using black acrylic paint, dot on two eyes. Using black marker, draw on smile. Dip clean paintbrush into pink acrylic paint, dab off excess paint onto newspaper or paper towel. Gently blotch on pink cheeks. Touch up Santa's beard and hat brim with more white paint. Hot glue a loop of gold cord or ribbon to the back of the bulb. Craft glue is not recommended as it does not adhere as well as hot glue does. Hang!

Spoon Snowshoes

Materials:
Wooden ice-cream spoons, Glue, Button, Toothpick, Ribbon, String

Draw a simple crisscross snowshoe pattern on 2 wooden ice-cream spoons. Hot-glue a length of pipe cleaner around the edge of each spoon, then glue together the spoons at the top. For each pole, glue a small button onto one end of a toothpick, then glue a loop of ribbon to the top of each pole. Finally, glue the poles to the snowshoes, tie a ribbon around the set, and tie on a string loop for hanging.

Mice Ornaments

Remove the tags from two Hershey's Kisses. Cut out mouse ears from pink felt, about 3/8-inch high. Using double-sided carpet tape, affix the bottoms of the ears to the flat side of one of the Kisses. Tape an 8-inch loop of fishing line behind the ears to form a hanger. With more double-sided carpet tape, join together the two flat sides of the Hershey's Kisses, with the mouse ears and fishing line loop pointing up. Add a pair of self-adhesive googly eyes. Slip a tail -- a 4-inch piece of curling ribbon -- under the foil. Now, see how they run (or disappear) from your tree!



Wishing Spool

Materials:
Acrylic paint and brush, Wooden thread spool, Marker, Paper strip, cut to fit the width of the spool, Double-sided tape, Ribbon, Self-sticking label

Paint the spool and let it dry. Have your child write her Christmas list on the strip of paper. Roll the paper around the empty spool, using double-sided tape to fasten it, and leave some of the list hanging down (so Santa notices). Thread the ribbon through the spool's center and tie a knot at the top for hanging. Write your child's name on the self-sticking label. Affix it to the ribbon.


Other ideas
*To make a very economical, shiny ornament, take the top of an aluminum can and punch a design with holes using an awl or other pointed tool. Glue a decorative trim around the edges. Hang with a ribbon, yard, or dental floss.
*Bring out your child's pictures and place them on a piece of supported felt and hang. You can also insert them into clear bulbs.
*Use old Christmas Cards. Cut them into the desired shape, and then use a hole punch around the edges. Whip stitch ribbon or yarn through the holes, or crochet around the edge.
*Get the whole family involved, and make colorful, old-fashioned paper chains. If you are going to use popcorn, be sure and let it sit a day after you pop it before you string it.
*Candy canes are great by themselves, and can also be made into reindeer by using pipe cleaners and gluing on eyes.