Homemade Christmas Tree Decorations
Dec 13 '00
Our tree varies from year to year. Sometimes it features a theme, sometimes not. We've done the crystal/glass decorated tree, the Disney themed tree, the Hallmark inspired tree, and the ever famous Hodge Podge tree. You know, the one with whatever ornaments you have. Most of our ornaments have a special meaning. The childrens first Christmas', our first year owning a home, college graduations, etc... But our most meaningful and beloved trees have been the ones we have made our own decorations for.
For the past three years the children, my husband, and I have made our tree decorations. When we look at these trees our hearts swell with love, and when we look at the pictures of these trees we reminisce about how much fun we had working together.
Here are some of our favorite hand made decorations.
Gingerbread People & Objects
A classic favorite for many people. To make it easy we use the gingerbread mixes that come in a box. Just mix with the necessary ingredients, roll out the dough, and start cutting.
We have gingerbread people in various sizes. But gingerbread people aren't the only shapes you can do. We've done candy cane shapes, stars, and stockings. Be sure to poke a hole in them (a straw works great for this) to hang them with.
If you're not planning on saving these you can decorate them with frosting. You can even use pre-prepared icings that come in a tube ready to use. If you want to save them from year to year, get a preserver paint from the craft store and paint the cookie forms with it prior to decorating them. Once coated you can decorate them with paint. We found some puffy paint that worked great at the craft store.
To hang larger shaped cookies use raffia. It gives the tree an old fashioned yet finished look. To hang smaller cookies you can use yarn, ribbon, or rope.
Paper Chains
You can choose which colors you want to use. We love the classic red and green paper chain though. To make just cut constructions paper into equal length and width strips. We make our six inches long by one inch wide. Then loop the strips through each other, gluing each strips ends together. Thus forming a chain. This can be hung on the tree. Or, we hang ours, with scallopped droops, aroung the ceilings in our house.
Bead Chains
This is a great activity for children. Even 2 and 3 year olds can help. Just get some beads, and shape and color, your choice, and string them.
Bead Shapes
There are now several kits available for this. We just get some crafting wire, shape it into candy canes or wreaths, and place the appropriate colored beads on the wire form. "Curling" the wire at the ends prevents the beads from falling off, and provides a spot to thread the ribbon to hang them with.
Hand Print Tree Skirt
This is one of my favorites. I took a large piece of red material and folded it into quarters. Then I cut around the loose edges so unfolded it formed a circle. I did the same with a larger green piece of fabric, using the red piece as a guide, to make a larger circle out of the green fabric.
On the red piece we then applied our childrens hand prints. We painted thier hands with green fabric paint, and then stuck them on the red fabric. Each child then signed their name, to the best of their abilities. We wrote on the date for a finishing touch. For older children you could also have them write down what they like about Christmas around the outer edge of the red or green portion.
We then put the red piece on the green piece and cut out a whole in the middle for the tree stand. We also had to make a cut from the fabric edge to the tree stand hole to make it easier to put it under the tree.
The two pieces were then sewed together at the tree stand hole.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
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