This ornament is what every Christmas tree dreams of displaying during the holiday season. Learn how to make your own!

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time required: 1 hour
Age range: 12 and up

Things you’ll need:
Styrofoam ball
Sequin pins
Beads
Sequins
Ribbon
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Things to do:
1. Start by placing a bead and a sequin on each pin.

2. Begin the process of sticking the pins into your styrofoam ball. Be sure to overlap each sequin to completely cover the ball. I would recommend pouring yourself a glass of wine at this stage.

3. Keep going, you’re getting closer!

4. Pour yourself another glass of wine.
5. To create an ornament hanger, cut a 15-inch piece of ribbon. Carefully shape the ribbon into figure 8 then pin through center and into ornament.

6. Cut another 15-inch piece of ribbon, fold in half and knot, leaving tails.

7. Place pin through center of knot and bow and into top of ornament. Secure with glue before placing pin for extra strength.

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time required: 30 minutes
Age range: 12 and up

Things you’ll need:
Medium pompom maker
Yarn in green and brown
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Things to do:
1. Open the medium pompom maker, then begin wrapping the green yarn around one end.

2. Continue wrapping until you have filled the entire half of the pompom maker. The more yarn you wrap, the thicker and puffier your pompom will be.

3. Repeat steps 1-2 on the other side of the pompom maker, trying to make the second side even with the first side.

4. When you are happy with the thickness, close the pompom maker, then trim the yarn.

5. Using sharp scissors, cut the pompom loops from one side of the pompom maker.

6. Repeat step 5 on the other side of the pompom maker. Cut an 8″ length of yarn, then tie it around the pompom tightly.

7. Remove the pompom from the pompom maker by pulling the maker apart.

8. The top of the pompom, where the tie is, will be the top of the tree. With this in mind, begin trimming the pompom into a 3-D triangle.

Tip: If you’re having problems seeing the shape of the tree, place the tree upright and look straight down onto the top of it. Trim the tree shape from this view.

9. Grab the brown yarn. Begin rolling the brown yarn into a ball using your fingers.

10. When the ball is the size you’d like for the bottom of the tree, trim the yarn. Tuck the yarn tail into another few strands of the ball.

11. Using the hot glue gun, place a large dot of glue onto the brown ball where the end is tucked in.

12. Glue the ball to the bottom of the tree.

13. Trim and tie the top of the tree to use the tie as an ornament hanger.

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time required: 2 hours plus drying time.
Age range: 10+

Things you’ll need:
Mason Jars
White Spray Paint
Red Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Twine
Natural Basswood Plank
Red and White Baker’s Twine
Gold Faux Deer Antler Pick
Champagne Glitter Paint Artificial Pine Picks
Gold Berry Cluster Pick
Unfinished Wood Deer Head Cutout
Miniature Gold Metallic Deer
Dowel Rods
Floral Foam Block

Things to do:
1. Spray glass mason jars with a white primer. I used the Krylon ColorMaster White Satin Enamel Spray Paint that contains a primer. The primer is a very important step. It helps the paint stick to the jar. Set aside jars to dry. I allow my to dry upside down on a 3/4 ” unfinished wood dowel rod set inside a green floral foam block.

2. Paint the glass mason jars with the Red Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint. Set on wood dowels upside down to dry. Repeat until desired color has been reached. I used three coats of red paint.

3. Arrange the pine sticks, berry clusters and the deer antlers as desired inside the jar.

4. Wrap a strand of red and white baker’s twine around a strand of the natural twine twice. The natural twine should be long enough to go around the top of the mason jar, plus tying in a knot.

5. Then tie the red and white baker’s twine in a double knot if the front of a gold miniature deer to make a scarf. Keep the natural twine behind the miniature deer.

6. Tie the miniature deer onto the mason jar with the natural twin. Place a double knot in the back of the mason jar. Repeat with second jar.

7. Paint the Unfinished Wood Deer Head Cutout with the Champagne FolkArt Extreme Glitter Paint. Allow the paint to dry between coats. I used three coats of paint.

8. Tie a strand of natural twine to the back of each antler in a double knot. Then trim the end of the strand.

9. Tie the two strands of natural twine in the back of the mason jar in a double knot.

10. Set the jars on the Natural Basswood Plan.

Voila! You now have your own DIY Red and Gold Mason Jars with Deer Decor!

Are you in the Holiday Spirit and have a few wine corks lying around? Here is is how to make your own festive DIY Wine Cork Christmas Tree:

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time required: 1 hour plus paint drying time.
Age range: 10+

Things you’ll need:
Unfinished Wood Country Stars
Christmas Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set
Garnet Red Extra Fine Glitter
Emerald Green Extra Fine Glitter
Champagne Extra Fine Glitter
Champagne Extra Fine Glitter
Champagne Martha Stewart Multi-Surface Metallic Craft Paints
Sunflower Gold Extra Fine Glitter
Mod Podge

Things to do:
1. Find similar sized wine corks and lay them out in a Christmas tree formation. I used 34 corks for this project. The largest row of corks I used was 7 across. I made one row of 6 corks under the row of 7 corks. For each row above the largest row, I used one less cork, until I reached a row with only one cork.

2. Lay a few corks aside that have a nice wine stain on them. Then, grab a few with little or no wine stain and paint the tips with the Christmas Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set and the Champagne Martha Stewart Metallic Craft Paint. Then, set the painted corks aside to dry.

3. To add some glitter to the wine corks, brush some Mod Podge onto the tip of the cork.

4. Over a paper lined container, generously pour glitter over the Mod Podge. Then shake off extra glitter. Repeat with same glitter color.

5. Before starting the next glitter color, fold the piece of paper in half and pour the excess glitter back into the glitter container.

6. Repeat with other glitter colors. Be sure to pour the excess glitter back into its container before starting a new color. I used Emerald, Garnet and Champagne Extra Fine glitter colors. Then, set aside glitter corks to dry.

7. Brush on a coat of Mod Podge onto the Unfinished Wood Country Star.

8. Generously pour on the Sunflower Extra Fine glitter. Then pour the excess glitter back into the container. Then set the country star aside to dry.

9. Once the painted and glittered corks are dry, arrange the corks in desired layout, spreading out the different colors.

10. Starting with the bottom row, place a line of hot glue down the side of one of the corks.

11. Press the next wine cork side into the glue, hold for a few a minutes until the glue dries. Repeat this step until you finished the end of the row.

12. Continue to glue each row together, until you have reached the top.

13. Starting with the top row, center each row above the next and glue into place.

14. Place the glue on the inside edges of each cork, then continue gluing each row to the next. Remember to center each row.

15. Repeat step above until all rows are glued together.

16. Place some hot glue on the top of the bottom wood slice.

17. Then, hold the two slices together tightly for a few moments until the glue dries.

18. Place a large amount of glue on top of the top wood slice.

19. Next, press and hold the the wood slice base to the bottom center of the wine cork Christmas tree. Hold for a few moments until glue is dry. Be sure the base is secure. Add extra glue if necessary.

20. Place a small amount of glue on the bottom edge of the wooden country star.

21. Press and hold the country star to the top of the wine cork Christmas tree.


Voila! You now have your own DIY Wine Cork Christmas tree.

This is another ornament I made while in elementary school and still hang it on the tree every year. It is super simple and adds some glitz to your tree.

Difficulty level: Beginner
Time to complete: 30 minutes
Age range: 8 and up

Things you will need:
Styrofoam ball
Crystal glitter
Mod Podge
Holiday paper napkin
Ribbon
Scissors
Paintbrush
Jar or glass for holding ornament while working
Paper plate or wax paper

Things to do:
1. Begin by cutting desired shapes from a paper napkin. If it has a white background you don’t have to be so precise.

2. Place a paper plate or wax paper over your work table. Using Mod Podge and paint brush adhere shapes to Styrofoam ball, using brush to smooth shapes as much as possible. Continue until about half of ball is covered. Sprinkle with glitter. Prop on jar or glass so it doesn’t stick to your work surface.


3. When dry, turn and do other side the same as first.
4. Make a loop hanger from ribbon and glue or pin to ornament.