How to Create Your Own Christmas Decorations - Yarn Ornaments (a kid friendly project)

These inexpensive,easy ornaments can be used for any holiday celebration in a number of ways. They can hang from a tree or candelabra, be tied to packages, tucked into a wreath, or made into a garland. This project is simple enough to do with children ages 3 and up. Toddlers will develop their fine motor skills and tactile responses creating wacky-wild yarn ornaments, or parents can guide their child by focusing on shapes, letters, numbers, and spelling.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Various yarns
• White liquid glue
• Wax paper
• Scissors

1. Gather your materials and find a surface to work on. Cut and place a sheet of waxed paper in front of you.

2. In a small bowl pour a good amount of white liquid glue. Add a small amount of water to the glue. When mixed, the consistency should still be fairly thick.

3. Cut many pieces of yarn and set to the side. The pieces can be of various lengths - whatever is appropriate for your shapes, words, letters, curlicues, etc.

4. Choose your first piece of yarn and dip it in the glue/water mixture. Make sure it is soaked through with the glue mixture. Pull the wet yarn up above the bowl, lightly pinch it at the top, and run your fingers down it to remove excess glue. It should still be wet, but not dripping.

5. Place wet yarn on wax paper in desired shape. Use toothpicks if needed for fine adjustments. This is the fun part, so get creative! If using the ornament as a gift tag, write the name of the recipient. If using it in a wreath, maybe make it a really big seasonal word. For Hanukkah celebration don't forget the Hebrew alphabet and symbols. Snowflakes can be made by using different lengths of yarn.

6. Put a drop of full strength glue on any flimsy joints or sections. A loop of yarn can be made now and glued on as a way to hang it later. Let your yarn ornaments dry completely before the next step.

7. When ornaments are dry peel away the waxed paper. It may help to cut around individual ornaments before peeling them if you have dried many on one sheet of waxed paper. If there is dried glue coming off of your ornament you can carefully chip it away with your fingers.

Tips & Warnings

• To get nice straight words, letters, and numbers: go to Microsoft Word on your your computer and use a fun font or larger size. Print these out and place them under the waxed paper. Trace the waxed paper covered print-out with your wet yarn.
• Add food dye to glue mixture to color-tint your yarn creations.
• Place wet yarn on folded cardstock to create a unique yarn card.