How to Make Christmas Ornaments on a Budget

It's Christmas and, if you are like me, you are on a tight budget when it comes to decorating the tree and Christmas shopping. No problem. Christmas ornaments and Christmas tree fillers can be made cheaply. All items can be found at the local dollar store.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Floral wire
• Colorful floral pick of your choice
• Wire ribbon

1. 
   Pick and Ribbon

   First you will need to go to a store and pick out the pick(s) that will go with your Christmas theme this year. Picks come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Then you will need to pick out the wire ribbon. I usually pick a color that is in the pick or that goes with the overall color theme of my tree.

2. 
   1st Loop of Bow

   Next, you will need to open the ribbon and pull the end away from the roll. Make a loop the one shown.

3. 
   2nd Loop of Bow

   Depending on how you are working with the ribbon, you will need to pull the ribbon straight across from the first loop and make a second loop. It should look something like this.

4. 
   Adding Loops to Bow

   Continue adding loops until you have the desired amount of loops that you want. I usually make a bow with about 3 to 5 loops.

5. Pinch loops slightly in the middle. Take the floral wire and measure enough wire to wrap around the middle of the bow and to secure the bow to the pick. Wrap the wire around the middle of the pick securing so that the bow does not fall apart when you are doing the next step.

6. 

   Gently pull the bow to arrange the loops in a full shape. The wire ribbon is easy to work with and will hold the shape nicely. My bow looked something like this.

7. 
   Finished Ornament

   The final step is to secure the bow to the pick. Separate the two wires slightly and place the bow just under the front of the pick, with the pick stem between the two hanging wires. Twist and wrap the wires tightly around the pick. Cut off any excise wire. Your bow may look somthing like this.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy extra picks of various colors and sizes. You may not use them this year but you can store them with your Christmas ornaments and have them for next year.
• You can also use the picks without the ribbon as a filler for those noticeable holes in your Christmas tree.
• Make several of these to put throughout the tree.
• It does get easier to make the bows.
• The Christmas picks can be used to decorate garland or wreaths.
• Making Christmas tree ornaments can become addicting!!!

[btriex]

on 12/16/2008 looks pretty fancy. good article

[2enjoylife]

on 12/14/2008 Love it! Homemade decorations that look professional:) Thanks!*****

[dasbootjoe]

on 12/14/2008 Great pictures! Thanks for sharing*****