How to Make Life-Size Christmas Ornaments
Life-size Christmas ornaments make the Christmas season "larger than life" for children and adults by turning living rooms, parties and events into holiday play lands. Making life-size Christmas ornaments not only let you show off your creativity, but also, as a group project, bring you and your family, friends or co-workers closer together during the holiday season. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard
- Utility knife
- Measuring tape
- Ornament drawings
- Coloring pages (optional)
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Glossy paint
- Metallic paint
- Brushes
- Overhead projector (optional)
- String or wire
Instructions
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1
Cut out cardboard sheets in various sizes with your utility knife. Use a measuring tape to create ruler guides on the top and then left or right side of the cardboard (depending on whether you use your left or right hand to draw) to help you size your ornaments. The overall sheet size should exceed the size of the ornament area by about 2 to 4 inches to leave room for holes to hang or tie your ornaments.
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2
Print out free Christmas ornament coloring pages from an activity sheets Web site such as Blue Bonkers in the Resources section if you cannot think of a design on your own.
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3
Freehand draw the outline of an ornament design directly to your cardboard to the size you have chosen. Use your eraser to edit as you go. If you can't draw freehand, move on to Step 5.
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4
Place a Christmas ornament drawing or coloring page on the surface of an overhead projector if you cannot draw freehand. Turn on the light and pull the projector away from the cardboard until the image appears on the cardboard at the size you want. With your pencil, draw over the ornament's outline and go over it with black paint. Allow it to dry completely.
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5
Use glossy paint to fill in the outline of your drawing with color to complete your ornament. Use metallic paint in gold, silver or bronze to provide highlights.
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6
Cut holes in the cardboard to hang your life-size ornaments with string or wire. You also can attach your display to stair railings, furniture or doors.
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Tips & Warnings
For free cardboard sheets, visit malls, retail outlets, furniture stores or just-about-to-open stores and ask information desk employees or store managers if you can have any large sheets of cardboard and boxes in their recycling area. Furniture stores sell prefabricated furniture in large boxes, and stores about to open get rid of of store fixture boxes when setting up the store.
