Hand Color Laser-Cut Balsa Wood Ornaments

Coloring intricate lazor-cut Christmas ornaments is a fun family craft.

       I purchased these laser cut, wooden ornaments from a local hobby shop and colored them with permanent ink pens. You can find some truely intricate designs to decorate for just a few pennies.

• Visit "Laser cut Xmas" pinboard by SA Angus Laser Machines to see even more designs

 laser-cutting Christmas snowflakes

Pierrot Cotton Batting Figure Ornament

Left, Pierrot porcelain heads found in a resale shop.
Right, a detailed photo of my finished cotton batting version of Pierrot.

      I found these little china doll parts of Pierrot in a resale shop not far from my house. I thought that it would be a good exercise to "dress" them in cotton batting instead of the predictable cloth body and costume. 

      Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre (Peter), via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in poetry, fiction, the visual arts, as well as works for the stage, screen, and concert hall—is that of the sad clown, pining for love of Columbine, who usually breaks his heart and leaves him for Harlequin. Read more . . .

The chenille stem body of my
 Pierrot character.

Supply List:

• Pierrot China Heads
• chenille stems
• cotton balls
• tacky glue
• white school glue
• silver cupcake liners
• red pom-poms
• black acrylic paint
• wire for hanging
• recycled egg carton parts for his hat
• gold thread
• neddle

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1.  Twist together several chenille stems to create two arms, a short torso, a neck and two legs for your pantomime figure (pictured right)
2. Use very tacky glue to paste the neck of this chenille stem body inside the hollow porcelain head. Let it dry over night.
3. Unravel several cotton balls so that the cotton resembles thin strips of batting to work with. I used many cotton balls to layer with white glue in order to dress these dolls. 
4. First I twist the cotton with a bit of glue onto the tips of my wire body's hands and feet. 
5. Then I proceed to wrap the entire figure with layers of cotton batting and white glue, always ending with a generous layer of glue so that the figure must dry over night after several applications.
6. Pierrot wears a traditional long skirted shirt over his white pantaloons. His black skull cap and large pleated collar are unmistakeable costume features. I switched out the traditional white or black pom-poms with red in order to add a little color. However, Pierrot is most usually dressed in only black and white.
7. After the batting has dried completely, paint the dolls gloves and shoes black. 
8. Glue on a silver cupcake liner to serve as a dramatic collar.
9. I covered some small recycled egg carton parts that reminded me of hats with cotton batting and glue. Then I took a needle and punched a tiny hole on opposite sides of the hat in order to string a thin gold twine through. I hung this paper mache hat around my Pierrot's neck.
10. At last I wrapped an long piece of wire with cotton batting and white glue before twisting it around my clown's waist. I will attach the small doll to tree branches with this wire instead of hanging the Pierrot from a traditional hook. This small doll is just a little too heavy to attach it otherwise.

My three completed cotton batting figures of the popular pantomime character, Pierrot. Dolls are often too heavy to hang from fragile branches via a hook and so they must be attached by alternative means. I frequently twist a wire around the torso of a small doll in order to hang it securely to a tree branch.

I gave this Pierrot figure a hat similar to one painted by Paul Cezanne.

Print and Assemble Old-Fashioned Ice Skates

Four different variations of paper ice skate ornaments; red, brown, green and blue. You can make these look different by trimming them with all kinds of lace, fur, ribbon flowers and three dimensional stickers.

Use this patter for a cardboard reinforcement
on the inside of the ornament.

      These paper Victorian ice skate ornaments would look great on a Christmas tree or on gift packages as either extra decorative elements or tags.

      They are fun to embellish with all kinds of small recycled sewing notions and scrapbook stickers too!

Supply List:

• ice skate graphics, front and back sides
• recycle cardboard 
• ribbon or wire for hanging
• printer
• sharp scissors
• white school glue
• silver papers for the skate blades or silver glitter
• a few Christmas trims for pasting across the top of the skates: ribbons, flowers, stickers etc...
• white, fuzzy fur for cuffs or cotton batting

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download, print, and cut out your choice of ice skate graphics.
2. Cut an additional ice skate with blades from cardboard. (pattern on the right, above) You will need to cut this slightly smaller than the graphic so that it will not show. Sandwich this cardboard ice skate between the front and back graphic with a bit of white glue.
3. Next, you will need to add glue to both the front and back sides of your ice skate ornament and pour a bit of glitter into the glue to make the skate part of the boot silver. Let each side dry completely before moving on to the next step.
4. Glue across the top of your Victorian ice skate a bit of cotton batting or fur trim along with additional wire or ribbon in order to hang the ornament. 
5. Glue also a fancy ribbon flower, 3D sticker or lace for additional flourish across the cuff.

Left, printed graphics of Victorian boots. Center, the graphics have both a front and back side. Glue the cardboard cut out including the ice skate blade between these front and back graphics. Right, finished ornaments.

Blue boot graphic for Victorian ice skate ornament

 Green boot graphic for Victorian ice skate ornament.

Red boot graphic for Victorian ice skate ornament.

Brown boot graphic for Victorian ice skate ornament.

More Lovely Ice Skate Ornament Crafts:

• How to Twig Ice Skate Ornaments
• Sunbonnet Sue Felt Ice Skate Ornament
• Tapestry Ice Skate Ornaments

Make a Jingle Bell Snowman Ornament

Finished Jingle Bell Snowman

 Supply List:

• jingle bells 
• white paint
• black permanent ink marker (fine tip)
• red chenille stem
• two red pom-poms
• orange toothpick
• soft paint brush 
• sandpaper
• white glue
• wire for hanger and for stringing together the jingle bells (approx. 2 ft.)
• white twine or cotton batting for wrapping the wire between the bells.

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Sand the surfaces of the silver jingle bells so that the white acrylic paint may adhere to the smooth surfaces properly.
2. String a wire around the first jingle bell hook and then pass it up through the bottom of the next. Feed the wire through the inside of the bell's hook, wrap it around the hook and then feed it up through the bottom of the third bell through the next hook from the inside. Now wrap the wire around the top third bell's outside hook firmly. The bells should look stacked.
3. Wrap twine or a bit of cotton dipped in white glue around the wires sandwiched between the stacked bells. This will keep them lined up better and prevent small fingers from getting nicked by the wire ends.
4. Now paint the jingle bells white with a soft brush and hang the snowman from a hook until it is finished drying.
5. Wrap and cut a bit of the chenille stem to glue onto the top head of the snowman. This will be his "earmuffs." Attach on either end a red pom-pom.
6. Glue on a clipping from an orange toothpick for his nose.
7. Draw on black dots for coal colored eyes and buttons.

These bells have been both sanded and strung together with wire.
The sanding helps the white paint to adhere to the otherwise slick surface.

More Jingle Bell Snowmen:

• Jingles the Snowman 
• Cute Snowman by Linda Albrecht
• Handpainted Rustic Snowman Bell Ornaments

Craft a Pear From Spun Cotton Batting

My hand sculpted, "spun" (wrapped) cotton pear. Most cotton batting fruits are in fact spun in factories with machines. You can see how this is done in the video posted here. It is very rare to find antique spun cotton fruit that is actually handmade.

      My pear picture above, measures approximately four inches from top to bottom. However, I suggest that inexperienced students craft one of these much smaller than my own. The smaller you make your fruit the less difficult it will be to paint and sculpt it realistically. This is because covering smaller surface areas with cotton and glue is by far a less lumpy affair. Lumps and imperfections can lend a certain realistic charm to your ornament. But I can imagine that this process will drive perfectionists crazy before they are satisfied with the results.

Supply List:

• cotton balls
• newsprint
• masking tape
• German glass glitter (optional)
• acrylic paints: yellow, gold, orange, white, green and brown
• white school glue
• tacky glue
• thin wire
• small soft paint brush for applying the acrylic paints
• light mixture of cornstarch and water (1 cup water, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch, mixed)
• acrylic matte gel medium

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Crush newsprint into a pear shape and cover this in masking tape. (pictured below)
2. Unravel many cotton balls so that these resemble fine, thin layers of batting. 
3. Layer this cotton with white glue onto the surface of your masked pear shape. This will take much time and patience. You will do many layers, perhaps five or six until the pear is wrapped well. Always end with a coat of glue. 
4. Use your fingers to lightly smear the glue over the surface of the cotton. I have found that your fingers are the best tools when working with these materials instead of using brushes for the glue.
5. Dipping your cotton or fingers into a light mixture of water and cornstarch may help the process a bit. This mixture helps to smooth out lumps while you work. I only use it when I am working surfaces that measure over three inches across.
6. Set aside the pear to dry between layers. (Note, this may take several days)
7. Twist a couple of leaf shapes with wire. (pictured below)
8. Now cover the inside of the leaf shapes with masking tape. Snip off ends that you do not wrap around the edges. 
9. Cover the leaves with a layer of cotton and glue.
10. Shape the veins of the leaves by rolling out long thin pieces of cotton with glue in the palms of your hands. Use tacky glue to paste these to the surface of your leaves. Cover and coat with a final layer of cotton and glue.
11. Twist stems and vines after covering thin wire with cotton and glue, and allow these to dry.
12. Dry your pear and it's leaves for several days before painting the ornament pieces with acrylic paints.
13. Use a hook and a wire to hang the pear while painting it.
14. I brushed the majority of my pear with yellows and golds. Then I worked in a bit of lime green and orange at either end of the pear. 
15. Paint the stem brown.
16. Then I painted the leaves dark green and the veins of the leaves lighter green. Let the pear dry over night.
17. Cover the leaves and stem with an acrylic, matte gel medium.
18. Brush on a last, thick layer of white glue and roll the pear into a dish of glass beads. Hang the pear to dry over night.
19. Hook on the pear leaves and add a cotton covered wire to finish the ornament.

Left a pear often has many colors in the surface of it's skin. It is not merely yellow. Center, look carefully at the shapes of your pears leaves. Do a little research before beginning this project. You may even wish to purchase a few pears from your local market to work from. Right, the water beading on the surface of this pear may be duplicated with German glass glitter.

Pictured above are two close up photos of my pear shape after I have masked the surface completely. (Step 1.)

Left, twist wire into pear leaf shapes. Center, cover these shapes with a thin layer of masking tape. Right, now cover the leaf shapes with cotton and glue. Add the vein details using rolled fine pieces of cotton and glue. Apply these veins with tacky glue. (Steps 7. and 8.)

Above is how my pear looked before painting it with acrylics. (I removed the leaves before painting the pear, then reattached them permanently after the final layer of German glass glitter had dried. )

Craft More Pears For The Christmas Tree:

• Frosted Pear Ornaments
• Make your own partridge in a pear tree
• Knit a partridge and a pear
• Adorable felt pear and partridge patterns available
• My "The Partridge In A Pear Tree" Candy Cone plus the history of the 12 Days of Christmas Video

Craft Miniature Snow Scene Baubles

Paper mache bauble halves are perfect supplies
for this vintage bauble craft.

      Craft enthusiasts have been assembling miniature snow scenes inside of all kinds of baubles for more than 100 years. Sometimes you can find little snow scenes inside of: hollowed out eggs, recycled Altoid containers or any number of tiny boxes. I used both a plastic bauble half and three paper bauble halves that I purchased from my local hobby shop for this project.

      There is really very little work involved in the crafting of these sweet little snow scenes, especially if you have a stack of old Christmas cards on hand. Children ages nine and up will enjoy pasting in all of the elements and be overjoyed with the ease of crafting ornaments with such professional results. 

      Parents and teachers, however, must do a little leg work in order to make the craft transpire smoothly with minimal frustration. Take a quick peek at the cards you have on hand and make sure to collect or purchase miniatures that compliment the card's themes. Snow scenes are by far the easiest to collect for because miniature deer and trees are typically sold in hobby stores around Christmas time for these kinds of craft projects. 

      You will definitely have more success purchasing miniatures online than in finding these supplies inside shops. This is because crafts are trendy just like anything else and this project is considered a bit too old-fashioned by many folks. However, vintage is in and I predict that the supplies will become more varied and abundant within the next few years.

I made four snow scene baubles with three
 old Christmas cards. See how children can
recycle Christmas cards into window views.

My Supply List:

• translucent white glitter
• white school glue
• paper pulp (premix)
• tacky white glue
• tiny figurines (dear, carolers etc...)
• tiny bottle brush trees
• old Christmas cards (landscapes, city scenes)
• cotton balls 
• tiny stickers
• mica chips or miniature mirrors (for ground cover)
• wire for hooks
• hallow bauble halves (plastic or paper, I used both)
• acrylic paints; white and blue

      Here I have also made a tiny snowman for the plastic deer to romp around on my chilly evening view. Did you know that deer are most active during evening, night and twilight hours? The blanket of snow here is made from white paper pulp that anyone can purchase in a craft shop. It comes in a large bulky bag, but it goes far when sharing it with a whole classroom of students. To prevent your paper mache baubles form being misshapen during the drying time of this craft, give your little students each a bowl to keep the wet ornament in while they are working. Let the ornament dry inside the bowl overnight.

      This tiny snow scene is my favorite because it is so blue. It helps to cut a series of slashes on the edges of your card clippings in order to make then fit nicely inside of the bauble shape. Also the smaller the scene, the easier the fit.

      The success of this miniature view was sheer dumb luck! I just happened to have a tiny set of carolers in my old stash of holiday miniatures. When I came across this tossed Christmas card of a German village at Christmas time, I knew that it would make a perfect ornament vignette. I cut the card down and pasted in the scene, added white paper pulp, pressed in the caroling figures with a bit of glue and dusted my snow scene with glitter.

      I pasted in a larger clipping of a tree and painted a pale sky into the background of this little view. Then I added little penguin stickers a plastic tree and paper pulp for snow to the foreground. I pressed mica chips into the paper pulp for the pond (If you can not find mica chips, use a tiny mirror.) and added a final dusting of glitter to the entire interior.

      To apply cotton batting the the backside of a bauble half made from plastic, you will need to first rough it up with a bit of sandpaper, cover it with white school glue, unravel the cotton balls and press them into the glue. add another coat of glue and cotton then add a third final coat of glue. Press the glue into the cotton batting with your finger tips.

Here you can see the back sides of my snowball baubles.
 I applied glitter to three of them and cotton batting to one.

See More Snow Scenes Inside Ornaments:

• Winter Wonderland photo ornaments with friends and family inside from Debi's Design
• DIY: mini snow globe ornament from nobiggie
• Photo uploaded to Vintage Look Christmas Ornament Discussion

Pin Together a Victorian Sequin Bauble

A Victorian inspired bauble decorated with green
sequins, white pearl beads, gold braid and
decorative ribbons.

      This sequin pinned bauble is reminiscent of the Victorian Era, although it was crafted in the 1960s. The Victorians were known for adding many layers of frills to decorate surfaces of novelties and ornaments. All you need for a craft such as this is a variety of trims: ribbons, pearly beads, sequins, gold braids and two packages of straight pins, white glue and a Styrofoam bauble.
      This ornament was made with a pear shaped Styrofoam ball, narrow side turned down.
      Use a permanent ink pen to mark off sections of your Styrofoam ball so that the design that you choose to replicate is evenly spaced on all four sides. You will be covering the ball completely so do not hesitate to mark it up in order to guide yourself through the first steps of the process.
      Start by pinning the ribbons first and whenever you push a pin into the ribbon or sequin, dip it into a bit of white glue so that your design will stay in place.
      Next pin the gold braids. You may wish to add a bit of tacky white glue to the back of these just to ensure that the braid is firmly adhered to the ball's surface. Don't forget to keep dipping your pins into the white glue as you work.
      Lastly, pin the sequins and beads into the bauble and pin into the top a fancy ribbon for hanging.  This Victorian Christmas ornament craft is a very simple activity with lovely results!

More Victorian Sequin Baubles:

• Old Sequin Ornaments
• Handmade Victorian Baubles from Roses and Teacups
• Bead & Sequin Ornaments pinboard by Cherri Simonds
• Victorian Style Christmas Ornament by Ornament Designs