Making Ornaments

I know it’s months away from Christmas, but at the next gathering of my small group of former school friends someone suggested we make pizzas and do crafts — and maybe teach each other.

My friend Fay is going to teach crochet, but I learned that when I was fifteen. One day I’ll dig out the crocheted rug I made on the way to school and show you.

My craft suggestion for Sunday was to make Christmas Ornaments out of paper. Paper is light and cheap, but the ornaments can look lovely with a good choice of paper. I suggested a few really easy projects because I figured the pizza making and catching up chat would get the main attention.  I used to do this kind of thing at the end of the school year (which in Australia comes in mid — late December.) 

Anyway, a few people said they were interested, so I’ve been narrowing down the choices, and getting some materials together. The photo above is of some ornaments I’ve made in the past. I’ve decided on the white and red German Bell ornament in the photo above (also the green one — it’s the same pattern but photographed from the base.). And the red and white star/wreath at the front of the photo — it’s also very easy and looks cute, I think. The gold one is a bit too fiddly,  and the holly wreath I made from Fimo (polymer clay) many years ago. It’s actually a brooch. At the back is a kind of a pine-cone mobile — dead easy to make, and it floats beautifully on invisible breezes

I’ve also made very small versions of the bell and the wreath and turned them into earrings. See below.

I didn’t make these ones on the left — aren’t they pretty? Mine are somewhere in the front room, still in a box. :(. 

The little earrings on the right are all from the German Bell pattern — you start with a square, so  the smaller the square the smaller the final result. Most of these I printed on photographic card paper — collecting pretty designs — but the black background ones I used some gorgeous Japanese paper.  Once I’d assembled them I coated them with clear nail polish. Most don’t have earring hooks attached as I generally just hook the loop at the top through my sleepers.

I’m also going to make the ornament on the left — again that’s not my photo. It’s also dead easy — just strips of paper of different lengths fastened top and bottom.

Anyway, preparing for the craft session we’re having next Sunday has whetted my appetite for making more stuff. I’d lost a lot of my interest in making things after all my jewelry supplies were stolen when I moved, so it’s nice to get a bit of enthusiasm back. And even though my Christmas decoration is actually very minimal, I enjoy making ornaments. So I’m warning you, there will be more posts like this one. :)

Do you have a hobby or craft that you enjoy? Do you go all out decorating at Christmas?