Camp Creek Press

It's holiday time, people. I hate to brag, but I already ordered and received my holiday cards. That's right. Now, we won't revisit this issue on January 6, when they are still in a pile under my desk, unmailed.

Every year since Jack was born, I have made the boys each a handmade ornament.

Mmm, that sounds so good. So .. Martha. So lovely.

Okay, so Jack just turned 8 and they don't have 8 ornaments each. They have, maybe, six. (Five?) So I'm not exactly on schedule. Also, I am counting one that is only started and not finished. So sue me! I'll catch up eventually.

I'm going to share some of the ornaments I've made for them. I'll warn you now, I'm not above being "inspired" by myself and reusing the same techniques for more than one year.

Ornament number one is for display only; the boys' actual ornaments are in with the rest of the decorations and we don't normally get those out until the weekend after Thanksgiving. (I may have to do a little early digging this year, however, just for you.)

These are shamefully easy to make, but I will give you a tutorial anyway, just for fun.

Purchase unfinished wood rectangles from the hobby store. These are about 75 cents each.

Paint them whatever color you like. I use the little bottles of acrylic paint that come in many colors for about 33 cents a bottle.

For these ornaments, I cut up an old copy of Max Deluxe that had (sob) fallen completely apart and was totally unsalvageable. I have already shared with you my love for Maira Kalman. I simply chose an illustration I loved that fit nicely on the ornament, and then I chose a quote that I loved and cut that out as well.

When paint is dry, paint surface with a layer of Mod Podge. (Magical, magical Mod Podge.) Settle illustration and text on ornament however you like. Let dry, or at least mostly dry.

Now here's where I take my place among history's crafty geniuses. I then gilded the lily by choosing some area of the ornament to receive .. glitter. Magical, fantastic glitter. It doesn't matter how old you are, you still get a little thrill every time you use it. And it never, ever comes completely out of carpet.

On this particular sample ornament, I delicately painted the dalmation's dress and the red flowers in the garden with a nice thin layer of Elmer's Glue, then sprinkled it with glitter. Shake off excess. Let dry again.

Mod Podge again. And maybe again, depending on what you think looks good.

The lovely wood rectangles already had holes in the corners, so I just threaded through some copper wire to make a hanger and, ta da, you're ready to write a mushy "To Son, Love Mom, 2007" on the back.

Okay, this is fun. I really want to show you the other ones, so I'm going to go get them from the basement closet. Talk amongst yourself. Topic: We only have six more weekends before Christmas.

I'm back! I'm sorry that took so long, but Joe way-laid me and forced me to talk about cabinets for the basement again. Now I have to take photos in the dark, so I apologize for the drabness.

And that's it! Hope you enjoyed this, because more ridiculously easy ornament crafts are on the way. And I'm sorry about that whole six-weekends-till-Christmas thing. That was mean. Please forgive me.