My family has been making homemade christmas ornaments. Does anyone else do this ? We would love to trade ornaments with other country familys.

kelly

-- kelly (farmgal15@aol.com), November 02, 2001

Answers

My sister and mom use to make dough orn. Anyway they used the garlic press to squeeze the dough through for hair. Like on Santa beard or for a horse main and tail. If they made biger orn. The would use waded up foil inside to make it lighter. I do quilting orn myself and I also hand paint old fashioned clothes pins to look like a Marine in there dress blues. I use to get orders from Marines and I would custom paint them like white, hispanic, or black men. And I would put their own rank and medals on. It was alot of fun and I made 5.00 a clothes pin. Not Bad. I would paint them all year and then come the hollidays all I had to do was the rank and medals. So it went quick when somone ordered them. It was alot of fun and I made most of my chrismas money each year doing it. I wish I still lived closer to a military base I would still be doing it.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), November 02, 2001.

Last year we bought some very cheap little ceramic ornaments at Walmart, that really looked pretty after the children painted them up. Made a nice cub scout project, too:)

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), November 02, 2001.

I used make a decoration to give family members every year when my children were little. One year I had brown velveteen material and glued it to tagboard on both sides, traced out an 8 inch reindeer pattern and carefully cut them out, (gluding a small movable eye on each side) then using a large needle I punched a small hole in the upper back and hung them with string. This was 18 years ago and they store flat after Christmas in the box and still look nice. We enclosed smaller ones with Christmas cards that year and I still see them on several trees of the people we visit. One year we put silver garland pieces in the clear glass balls and used etching cream to put our last name and the date and gave them in small boxes we made out of tagboard as a gift to our guests at a Christmas gathering. There are so many good ideas. This is a fun time of year, just wish I had room to put everything I see and like. Jenn

-- Jenn (normaj3@countrylife.net), November 03, 2001.

A real easy one for kids and crocheters. Take plastic washers (cheap at the hardware store), single crochet all the way around for first row. Double or triple crochet next round. If a really big washer (over an inch across), maybe another round. Use whatever you like, any color you like...yarn, crochet cotton. Make nice little wreaths to hang on the tree. Stick a few sequins on for more decoration, or some tiny holly leaves and berries. Easy and fun for kids.

-- Rheba (rhebabeall@hotmail.com), November 03, 2001.

I am trying to find the receipe to an ornament that I made as a child. It is a dough type of ornament that I know was made of cinnamon and applesauce but I do not know the other ingredients. You use cookie cutters to get the desired shape. And they make the house smell like cinnamon the whole season long. If anyone knows how to make them, please email me!!!

-- Kristina Tice (kew47@email.byu.edu), November 27, 2001.

Kristina,

This is my favorite one.

3/4 C. Ground Cinnamon 2TBS. Ground Cloves

1TBS. Ground Allspice 1 TBS. Ground Nutmeg

1 C. Applesauce

Combine spices, blending well. Stir in applesauce; mix well. Mixture will be stiff. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness on freezer paper. Using small or medium cutters, cut dough into desired shapes. Peel away excess dough, and reroll as necessary. Let dry uncovered for 4 or 5 days. Store in sealed plastic bags until ready to use. Makes 25 samll or 18 medium ornaments.

I made a lot of these one year to use as decoration on packages along with fresh greens, brown wrapping paper and jute string. Everyone was delighted when they opened the boxes and the smell waifted out (these were gifts sent in the mail). This was about eight years ago and the ornaments I had left I put in one of our Christmas tubs and can still smell them when I open that tub.

-- Terry - NW Ohio (aunt_tm@hotmail.com), November 27, 2001.

The cinnamon decorations I make are just equal parts of cinnamon to applesauce (ex. 1 cup cinnamon & 1 cup applesauce). Then I usually bake them on 350 for 10 to 20 min, just to dry them out. This really makes the house smell like cinnamon. You can make any sized batch you want. If they ever start to lose their smell you can just add a few drops of scented oil to each one.

-- Sasha Leach (skiriki@yahoo.com), November 29, 2001.

Yes, I do make ornaments. I make around 80-100 each yr. I have ornaments left over from previous yrs. I have been making the homemade ornaments for about 16yrs. I am looking for ideas to make inexpensive ideas for this yr. Whatever project I do make I will need to have done by Dec. 6, that is the date of our Big Johnson Christmas. The item also should be able to shipped easily, we need to ship 25 to Va. If I can be of any help let me know.. JoAnne Johnson jojohnsn@charles-mix.com or jojohnsn@cme.coop

-- JoAnne Johnson (jojohnsn@charles-mix.com), October 27, 2002.