Christmas Craft Ornaments

What could be more festive than Christmas craft ornaments made by you and your family? These ornaments are simple enough for the whole family to enjoy making, from the little ones all the way up to Grandma! Here are instructions for a few easy crafts:

Guardian Angel Ornament
Materials You Will Need:
Beads of two different sizes*
Silver and gold wire-edged ribbon
Monofilament thread or cotton thread
Beading or sewing needle
Scissors
Printed copy of the Prayer to My Guardian Angel (optional)

*Note the size of the holes in the beads you are using. You want to use a rounder, smaller bead for the head and any larger or less round bead for the body.

To make the wings, fold the wire-edged ribbon in a zigzag pattern about six to eight times, depending on how full you want the wings to be.

Thread the monofilament thread or sewing thread on your needle with a knot tied securely at the bottom. Make sure that the knot is large enough to secure the bottom bead.

Pass your needle upward through the bottom of the "body" bead, continuing up through the wire-edged ribbon and all of its zigzags so that when it gets pulled together, the ribbon folds into an accordion shape. Keep threading upward through the smaller "head" bead.

Once you come out the top of the head, make a loop with your thread big enough to hang your angel on your Christmas tree, and tie it off.

These easy guardian angels are touching gifts for friends and family any time of the year, and you can print off a copy of the Guardian Angel Prayer to give with it:

"Angel of God, My Guardian Dear
to whom God's love commits me here.
Ever this day be at my side
to light and guard and rule and guide.
Amen."

Jingle Bell Wreath Ornament
Materials You Will Need:
Jingle bells*
Pipe cleaners
Embellishing ribbon
Scissors

*You can find metal jingle bells at most craft stores and even some dollar stores during the holidays. They are easy to come by and cheap, and they are ideal for making Christmas tree ornaments that have that classic wintertime sleigh bell sound.

Thread the pipe cleaners through the tops of the bells, packing in as many as you can so they won't slide around.

Once you have them as dense as you want, wrap the pipe cleaner up into a circle, and there you have your wreath.

Tie some ribbon around the ends of the pipe cleaners to really secure them, and to make a loop to hang your new ornament by, and you're all set. This one is a perfect craft for toddlers and preschool-age children.

Cinnamon Stick Ornaments
Materials You Will Need:
Whole cinnamon sticks
Thin holiday ribbon
Mini-pinecones
Small pieces of evergreen
Hot glue and glue sticks or superglue
Scissors

Take enough cinnamon sticks to form a small pyramid (minimum of 3), and glue them in place. Keep in mind that hot glue can weaken with age, so, if you plan to have your grandkids hanging this on their tree someday, superglue might be a better choice.

Wrap the ribbon around the cinnamon pyramid, knotting it at the top. Above the knot, form the loop you will use to hang it from.

Add any additional embellishments to your pyramid with the glue. The mini pinecones look good in pairs, and sprigs of evergreen add a longer-lasting pine scent.

These ornaments are not only charming, but they also act as a lovely sachet when given as a winter-themed present.

Peppermint Candy Garland
Materials You Will Need:
Round white and red peppermint candies in clear cellophane wrapping
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Leaving the candies still in their wrappers, glue them end-to-end until you have a garland long enough to wrap around your tree or banister.

This is excellent for parties with small children or Candyland-themed parties other times of the year, too.