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Colorful, store-bought baubles are certainly appealing during the holiday season, but there's something undeniably unique about making your own ornaments. DIY Christmas ornaments can serve as a way to add a personal touch to your decor and create new holiday memories. Plus, if you don't have all afternoon to make a whole tree's worth of homemade ornaments, you can get creative by making one or two.
Many of these ideas use items you already have at home, and there are plenty of beginner-friendly how-tos that just about anyone can master. Whether your holiday vibe is classic red and green or a hot pink tree brightens up your living room, you'll find his DIY ornaments to fit your style.
1. DIY Clothespin Figure Decoration
Decorate the hall with the most cheerful carol group. Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House Lars Built shows you how to use paint and ribbon to transform old-fashioned clothespins into cheerful crew members. Click here for instructions.
2. DIY mosaic keepsake ornament
Give your holiday seashells a new lease of life by baking them in clay. Blogger Molly Maphis of Almost Makes Perfect was inspired by her son's treasures she's collected over the years. Mosaic ornaments serve as beautiful keepsakes. She says the shells stayed in place after baking without glue, but you can always use superglue later for added safety. Click here for the complete how-to.
3. DIY Retro Diorama Ornament
Travel back in time to Christmases of yesteryear, especially the 1950s, with Pam Kessler's diorama ornaments. Her finished product, featured on the House of Hawthornes blog, is perfect for a retro-themed tree. You can also use your own childhood nostalgia to further customize her ornaments. Get the complete tutorial here.
Add a playful visual punch to your tree with these fun, colorful pom pom ornaments from Alison Murray's Dream a Little More blog. Made with yarn and a pom pom maker, these colorful orbs are perfect for adding texture and color to the rest of your ornament collection. Click here for complete instructions.
5. DIY Fake Cookie Ornaments
Malay ornaments look delicious enough to eat, so pack some snacks when you embark on this project. Her gingerbread cookie ornaments, made with ceramic ornaments and paint, are a great alternative to real gingerbread ornaments that don't last year after year. Click here for complete instructions.
6. DIY golden toy decoration
Thrift stores are a treasure trove of decorative items. I turned these figures into gold trinkets with spray paint and turned them into ornaments using screw hooks. You can also get very creative. In his original DIY comment, someone shared that they had upcycled a Happy Meal toy. Check out the complete tutorial here.
7. DIY bead star decoration
Perfect for your holiday aesthetic, Brittni Mehrhof's hanging star is easy to create with just a little bit of jewelry wire and beads. Once you master the celestial version, you can make ornaments in any shape to suit your style. Pro tip: Print out different outline shapes to use as guides. Check out the complete tutorial here.
8. DIY 3D paper ball ornament
If you're looking for baubles that can be completed without a trip to the craft store, try Melhoff's paper balls. Simply cut, paint, fold, and glue circles from medium-thick cardstock and you'll quickly have enough to cover the entire tree. To make it more budget and eco-friendly, you can also cut out circles from old magazines. Click here for the complete how-to.
9. DIY Silhouette Ornaments
Silhouettes have an inherently emotional quality. Sarah Albers and Melissa Fenlon of the Alice and Lois Blog walk you through the process of taking family portraits in this classic style. All you need is an unfinished wooden circle ornament, black cardstock, Mod Podge, and string. Click here for detailed usage information.
10. DIY decoupage ornaments
Decorative paper napkins may not be the best for drying spills, but they're great for crafting. Cindy Long of DIY Beautify gave these gorgeous Chinoiserie-style napkins a second life by decoupageing them over ornaments she no longer loved. Click here for detailed instructions.
11. DIY Recycled Frame Ornaments
Miniature picture frames are also a typical item found at thrift stores. Add your favorite photos from that year and hang them with a decorative ribbon to beautifully display your precious memories. Get instructions here.
12. DIY Milestone Commemorative Ornament
A lot of thought and design goes into a paper presentation. Relive the special events of Christmas each year with milestone ornaments. On her Thinking Closet blog, Lauren used her wedding invitation, but you could also use this for her graduation announcement, etc. Click here for the complete how-to.
13. DIY housewarming decorations
Speaking of milestones, celebrate your new home with some easy house and key-shaped ornaments detailed on my Ctrl+curate blog. You can customize it by stamping it with the year or your new address. Click here for detailed instructions.
14. DIY Faux Velvet Ornaments
Velvet ornaments give any tree a luxurious upgrade. This texture matches any aesthetic, from rich chocolate brown sets to sweet pastels. Albers and Fenlon share how to DIY the look with paint and baking soda to suit your taste and budget. Click here for complete instructions.
15. DIY Keepsake Ornaments
Clothes are very personal and can evoke wonderful memories. Fill a miniature embroidery hoop with outgrown dresses or wedding dress scraps to make them part of your holiday tradition. See the complete how-to here.