Craft a Cotton Batting, Birch Yule Log Ornament

The front and back views of my Birch Yule Log Christmas ornament.

Birch trees click to read more about this species.

Supply List:

• two toilet paper rolls
• scissors
• white school glue
• grey dryer lint
• white cotton balls
• black thread
• holly and berry trims
• tiny mushroom bird
• masking tape
• cotton covered wire

Step-by-Step Directions:

1.  Cut and shape the two toilet paper rolls or any paper tubes to resemble a cut log. I choose to make this birch log shape a little narrower than the original circumference of an average toilet paper roll. I cut my two rolls length wise and curled them tighter before masking them with tape. 
2. I cut down the size of one of the rolls and added a bit of glue to it's edge, then used masking tape to firmly attach the appendage to one end of my log.
3. Mask the entire form with tape before gluing on the dryer lint and cotton batting.
4. Unravel your cotton balls several at a time so that you can work quickly.
5. Apply white glue to sections of the log's surface as you layer the lint and cotton onto the cardboard tubes. 
6. Give your Yule log time to dry between applications. I also layered dryer lint on the end interior surfaces of my log. I left parts of the log open however, in order to insert a letter or small money gift into the ornament later.
7. Once the log looks the way you wish it to, wrap black thread around it randomly to enhance the total realistic look of Birch bark. 
8. Use the tip of your scissors to poke a hole in either end of your finished log and insert a cotton covered wire to shape a handle for the ornament. 
9. I also wrapped a few vintage wired holly leaves/berries around this handle.
10. Glue on a little prefabricated mushroom bird to the top of your Yule log ornament too.
11. Now add a final thin coat of white glue to the finished piece and you are finished.

A few odd angles of the Yule log.

More About Yule Logs:

• The Yule Log in Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria
• Yule Log Gift Packaging and favor boxes from Martha Stewart
• How to Make Yule Log Candles
• Traditional yule log candle holder using Birch
• Craft a Yule Log Cake Candy Container

Kids Can Cut and Paste A Heart-Shaped Christmas Tree

Left, finished Christmas tree. Center, backside of construction paper tree. See the different colors of tissue paper pasted over each hole. Right, the finished heart-shaped, Christmas tree craft.

 

The tree before tissues added.

      Here is a simple little Christmas craft that any young child may enjoy making on a snowy Winter's day. You will need the following supplies: colored tissue papers, brown and green construction paper, scissors, white glue and round objects to use as stencils. 

      Cut out one very large heart from dark green construction paper. Turn this upside down and glue a large brown square to the backside of the heart leaving a few inches of it showing beneath the heart to represent the tree's trunk. Then cut a slightly smaller heart using a lighter shade of green construction paper and glue this on top of the larger heart shape. Continue cutting and gluing additional hearts in the same fashion. Look above at the photos to see the placement of these heart shapes. 

      Next use round objects or stencils to trace Christmas baubles on top of each section of your construction paper tree. Poke through each circle with the point of a pair of scissors and carefully cut away the circular shapes. Turn your Christmas tree over to it's backside and then paste small squares of tissue to cover each hole entirely. Let the surface dry.

      Now you are ready to hang your decorated, construction paper tree on to any window. The light shining through each circular shape will look like stained glass.

More Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Crafts:

• Contact Christmas Tree Craft
• Christmas Tree Symmetry from Mrs. T's First Grade Class
• A waded tissue paper Christmas tree project

       There's something about Christmas that enthralls me. It's a certain atmosphere that settles over the world like a blanket. I can't explain it neither can you, but you feel it as acutely as I do. When someone mentions Christmas I see many different pictures. First I see the word, "Christmas'', written in holly on a pale yellow background. Next I see patches of green, red, and brown. The colors than become more distinguishable and I can see that they are in our front hall which is done in brown paneling, the red is our stockings and the red berries of the holly wreaths, the green patches are the Christmas tree and the green in the holly leaves. My next vision is of a sled packed with people jingling merrily along. My last vision is a myraid of swirling skirts and pattering feet keeping time to the music.'' Alexandra Ulri, Age 12

Enhance a Christmas Stocking With Costume Jewelry

 I used a grey felt, silver and crystal seed beads and a simple
 scene depicting a snowman to create this small stocking that
 now hangs on my youngest child's Christmas tree every year.

      When my mother-in-law passed away many years ago, I was given a few pieces of her costume jewelry. I did not frequently wear rhinestones nor did my little ones at that time, for they were quite young.
      I did, however, have a mind to use these vintage pins in some way so that my children could have some sentimental memory associated with them. So I incorporated this glittery costume jewelry into a couple of beaded Christmas stockings. Then I gifted these to my girls on the Christmas following their grandmother's death.
      Now every year I see these charming little socks hanging on their trees and think of her. She would have liked for her granddaughter's to remember her most at Christmas, for she was quite the Christmas fanatic herself. It was one of the happiest common interests that we shared together before her passing.
      The pins can also be removed for wearing should my daughters care to use them for that purpose some day.
      I will also post photos of my older girl's version as soon as she unpacks her ornaments for the season.

More Christmas Ornament and Stocking Glitz:

• Repurposed ornaments made from costume jewelry parts...
• Beaded Pearl Icicles
• DIY Jeweled Moorish Ornaments

My appliqued snowman is made from white wool and he
sports a wooly scrap scarf as well.

Photographed here is one of the little rhinestone twig pins
that once belonged to my mother-in-law.

I finished the top edge of these stockings with wire and glass
seed beads. The sides of the stockings are finished with
embroidery floss using the blanket stitch.

Sculpt Miniature Cotton Batting Pumpkin Ornaments

      You don't need much money to craft Thanksgiving heirloom treasures from recycled egg cartons and cotton batting. All it takes is a bit of imagination, glue and confidence to shape and paste cotton batting pumpkins like these.  My miniature pumpkin ornaments are also hollow so that I can include a small token, scripture or money gift inside of each of them for my guests and family members.
      From October through November I decorate my Blessing Tree with small delicate ornaments like these little cotton batting pumpkins.  

Left, a finished cotton batting pumpkin. It's hollow so that I may add a message.
Right, Here you can see it hanging from a very delicate branch. Cotton batting
ornaments are very light weight!

Supply List:

• egg cartons
• white cotton balls
• white school glue
• thin wire
• scissors
• pencil
• acrylic paints: red, orange, yellow, white, gold and green

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut dome shapes from paper egg cartons to use in this Thanksgiving Tree craft. You will need two dome shapes per pumpkin.
2. Glue the two halves together to shape a round pumpkin. Use tacky glue for this process and also add a bit of white cotton around the seam to give it strength. Brush the surface again with white glue and then let these forms dry over night. 
3. Cut out a shape at the top of each pumpkin with a small pair of very sharp scissors. I cut out a cross shape at the top of my pumpkins.
4. Now you will need to roll in the palms of your hands some log-like shapes from your cotton batting in order to form the ribs of your pumpkins. Pinch down on either side of the log shapes  to taper off the ribs at both the top and the bottom of the pumpkin. Glue these to the sides of your egg carton shapes. Let them dry.
5. Now brush on a layer of white glue and let this dry.
6. Pull of more cotton from your cotton balls and gently add this with another coat of glue to the surface of your pumpkin in order to shape a final layer of the batting. Let this dry.
7. Add a final coat of white glue and stick a pencil into the bottom half of your pumpkin. Pushing and twisting gently in order to give the pumpkin a more organic shape. 
8. Glue a whole clove into this indention and let the pumpkin dry. 
9. Now you may paint the surface of your pumpkin using gold, orange and red acrylic paints. I mix these together roughly while applying paint to the surface of my ornament. Paint the crevices with darker shades and the ribs with lighter ones.
10. Take your sharp scissor points and make two small hole on either side of the opening at the top of the pumpkin.
11. Insert a cotton coated wire and shape a handle. Paint this handle green to mimic a "vine."
12. I will insert a scripture in each of my hollow pumpkins for every guest I treat this year. I've listed a few popular blessing scriptures below.

Egg cartons make excellent craft material.

Left, I've cut out the cup shapes of an egg carton in order to shape my miniature pumpkins. Middle, Glue two of the egg cups together to form a hollow pumpkin shell. Cut a hole at the top so that you can insert a little treat, gift or message inside the pumpkin shell. Right, Glue a thin layer of cotton batting around the seam to conceal it and make your ornament stronger.

In these photos you can see how I shaped the cotton batting to form an organic looking pumpkin. A small clove is glued to the bottom of each miniature shell where the blossom end would normally be on a real pumpkin.

Here I have added handles to each pumpkin so that these may be hung from my Blessing Tree.

I used acrylic paints to color these old fashioned, hand sculpted ornaments.

Just a Few Blessing Scriptures to Include Inside The Pumpkin Ornaments: NIV versions

• Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
• Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs: 16:20
• A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. Luke 6:45
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6
• But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:27-28
• Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalms 34:8
• Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you. Exodus 23:25

More Pumpkin Crafts for Your Thanksgiving Table:

• Quilt a lovely pumpkin table runner.
• Adorable turkey, pumpkin and corn stalk place cards for kids to color

Crafting With Driftwood for Christmas

      When my kids were very young, my husband and I lived in San Francisco. On weekends we would go to the beach for long walks and then splurge on a few hot ciders at a local market in Half Moon Bay. Occasionally I would find an interesting piece of driftwood on the beach and if it was small enough, I'd take it home and make good use of it. 

      One Christmas I painted a small piece of driftwood like a Belznickle and wrapped it up for my husband. Although it was a strange ornament it didn't look out of place on our tree, which was decked out entirely with Belznickes. 

      My younger child absconded it for her own collected memories and she now hangs him on her tree every year.

Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack. Above you can view the front, up close and back of my hand painted driftwood Santa.

More Driftwood Ornaments:

• A Recycled driftwood angel ornament
• Driftwood sailboat ornaments by Ruth McGovern
• Betty's Driftwood Santas
• Driftwood Ornament Ideas
• Driftwood Christmas Decor for a natural, beach style Christmas

      "A fun DIY video, how to build a driftwood Christmas tree . . I will post the full step by step tutorial on my blog (tomorrow Dec 16th) with more details and a link to buying the tree we made for this video. visit, http:// debisdesigndiary.com..If you enjoyed this video subscribe to my youtube channel for more DIY tutorials, I post new videos regularly to youtube! You can also find me on Facebook Facebook.com/debisdesigndiary" Here is the video DIY of the cute beach ball ornament Debi made.

Paint Faux Stained Glass Baubles

       I painted these faux stained glass baubles approximately ten years ago. I used some specialized products to achieve this unusual stained glass effect. The Gallery Glass® products have been around for a long time. If you can not find them in a shop near you, you can visit the company online and order the supplies yourself. I've included a link to their website below with one of their videos.

Supply list:

• A colorful selection of Gallery Glass® Window Color: pearly white, red and blue
• I used Gallery Glass Redi-Lead Strips (thin black)
• acrylic silver paint 
• large clear glass baubles
• a china marker or grease pencil
• X Acto knife

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Clean the surfaces of your glass baubles to insure maximum contact with the Redi-Lead Strips. Use Windex or vinegar and let the glass ornament dry.
2. Draw a design on your glass bauble using a china marker or grease pencil. You won't see these marks because your going to cover them up with the Redi-Lead Strips.
3. Apply the Redi-Lead Strips on top of your lines made with the china marker to create a simple pattern. These strips stick but can be moved around for a few seconds before the tacky surface dries. I cut my strips into clean, precise angles using an X Acto knife as I laid them onto the glass surface.
4. You may choose to use Gallery Glass Liquid instead. This liquid version of "leading" is more difficult to use on baubles, however.
5. Use Gallery Glass® Window Colors to fill in the spaces between your designs.
6. I painted the lead stripping using a silver acrylic paint on my glass baubles, but you can leave the black color if you wish. 
7. Let the paint dry before hanging the baubles.

      http://www.plaidonline.com/ Learn how to lead with 

Gallery Glass Liquid Lead and Redi-Lead strips!

 Join Carol Smith as she takes you through the process.

Pin a Sequin Drum for Your Vintage Inspired Tree

Sequin ornaments like this little snare drum are becoming very
popular among ornament collectors. I often find them tossed 
into plastic baggies and sold in bunches at garage sales. If you 
aren't lucky enough to find the real vintage ones, you can make
them yourself. I've included directions below for those of you 
who can manage to purchase the polystyrene or Styrofoam drum 
shapes on the web.  This little drum shape is not as easy to find
in hobby or craft shops anymore.

 Supply List:

• 2 inch diameter and 1 1/2 inch tall Polystyrene shaped drums or Drum-shaped Styrofoam pieces
• 8mm diameter cup sequins: red, green and white
• red, green and white seed beads
• star sequins
• flat head pins
• tacky white glue
• white pipe cleaner or chenille stem
• gold beads
• 1/2 yard of gold ribbon for trim
• thin gold twine

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Before pinning your drum, you will need to mark diagonal lines with a soft pencil on the side of your Styrofoam drum. Also leave a strip of space at both the top and the bottom of the side edges unpinned. The width of these strips should be the same as the gold ribbon you will be using to trim the edges of your drum.
2. Thread one seed bead onto your pin and then also a sequin of the same color.  Touch the tip of each pin with a bit of white glue as you pin to hold your work in place after the glue dries.
3. Next pin four rows of red sequins following the diagonal pencil marks. Follow these four rows with four rows of white, then green sequins. 
4. Use a bit of tacky glue to adhere the gold ribbon around the top and bottom edges of the drum's sides.
5. Pin gold beads through the gold trim allowing approximately 1/2 inch between each bead.
6. Twist the gold twine gently around each gold bead, there should be ten of these at the top and ten at the bottom. Look at the photos above and below to visualize this chris-cross pattern made by the twine.
7. Cut and pin a little loop for one end of the drum to hang a hook from.
8. Bend a white pipe cleaner 2 1/2 inches long in half and pin this down on top of the drum with a small piece of gold trim. Glue on a gold bead to each end of this pipe cleaner. This stem mimics the drum sticks for your sequin snare drum. 
9. Pin a few seed beads plus starry sequins to both the top and the bottom of your Styrofoam drum and add a wire for hanging this little vintage drum.

Different angles of a small sequin snare drum made in the 1950s or 1960s for the Christmas tree.

More Vintage Sequin Ornaments:

• Sequin Ornament Kits from Herrschners
• Bright Things: Vintage Sequin Ornaments
• DIY Vintage-Inspired Sequined Christmas Ornament