I know, I know, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, right? No worries, I’m not trying to usher in an early Christmas or anything, I just wanted to share a little something to whet your appetite for Christmas crafting in the soon-to-come future!
And there’s no better way to do that than by participating in the 2015 Ornament Exchange!
Today is actually day nine of this year’s festivities, and with more than 80 bloggers participating, it’s been a blast so far, and there’s even more fun to come! Bottom line: if this is the year you’re finally going to hand-craft some ornaments for family, friends, or even your own tree, you shall not lack inspiration!
Here’s how it works: all participating bloggers have been paired up with a partner. We’ve all been in contact with each other, and were allowed a budget of $10 to create or buy an ornament to exchange!
Oh, and that’s not all! ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, A FABULOUS LINK-UP WILL GO LIVE WHERE ALL OF YOU CAN LINK UP YOUR OWN ORNAMENT TUTORIALS! Stop back by for that!
I was partnered with the talented Emily from Simply Home Love (check out her blog if you’re not a regular over there already – you’ll love it!) and after chatting a bit, she shared with me that she likes clean lines and red, gray and white. Perfect! My plan was to head for Michael’s with the intention of crafting an ornament, but if I couldn’t make that work, I knew I could use the ornament exchange’s fall-back of purchasing a pre-made one! Fortunately, the crafting powers that be were working in my favor!
I knew I couldn’t be as flashy as my normal taste would be because she preferred clean lines. And I really wanted to make an ornament to celebrate her blog! If you know anything about women bloggers (especially moms like Emily) we juggle SO much to keep our blogs alive and well! Our blogs are a HUGE part of our daily life, and yet, although I have ornaments that celebrate various other parts of my daily life, I have nothing that celebrates my blog – and I was betting on the fact that Emily didn’t, either.
So…allow me to present: A Keepsake Ornament Tutorial!
What you need:
- Pre-made wooden ornament
- Paint pen
- Ribbon
- Coordinating floral pick(s)
- Spray paint (not pictured)
1. First things first, I spray-painted the pre-made wooden ornament white (I always have a can of white spray paint on hand at my house!)
2. Next, I grabbed Emily’s blog logo and printed it out.
3. I knew I needed to trace it, so I used the oldest trick in the book:
Right? Turned out perfect!
4. I used my paint pen to write over the tracing.
I was going to write the “Making Our House a Home” tagline underneath, as well, but I thought it might be too “smudgy” because of the smallness of the letters, and besides – I liked the clean look I ended up with.
5. Next, I added the ribbon.
6. At that point, I liked it, but I knew it needed just a bit more. Here’s where the floral picks came into play!
And ta-da!
There you have it!
I love how it turned out!!! It has a good mixture of the simplicity Emily loves, the colors she likes most, and I hope it represents her blog well!
What do YOU think?!
But wait, there’s more! There are FIVE OTHER BLOGGERS who are also posting their own ornament posts today! I know they would love for you to check theirs out, too!
OH! And if you’d like to see ALL of the ornaments as they are posted, be sure to visit the lovely Erlene over at My Pinterventures! Just CLICK HERE to see all the fun!
Don’t forget to stop back by! ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, A FABULOUS LINK-UP WILL GO LIVE WHERE ALL OF YOU CAN LINK UP YOUR OWN ORNAMENT TUTORIALS!
So what do you think of the Keepsake Ornament? Will you be making any hand-made ornaments this year?
Due to the amount of comments from all of my wonderful readers, it is not always possible for me to respond to each one. However, I absolutely do read them all, and if youβd like to address something specific, or have a question for me, please donβt hesitate to email me at Kristen@theroadtodomestication.com. I will respond to your email as soon as possible! Thank you for visiting the blog!
What a creative thought to make an ornament representing Emily’s blog. I love the simplicity of the ornament and touch of those red ,white & gray balls.
I love how you made it personal to her blog and design themes! She’s bound to love it. So happy to be grouped with you on Day 9 of the Ornament Exchange!
So pretty! I love how the picks look like little ornaments.
That is so pretty, love it. I love red Christmas ornaments.
Love it!! Your craft is just so pretty! <3 I haven't made a handmade ornament in years, but your post is inspiring me to try this year. I might even join in on the link up if I can think something up on the fly at Michaels sometime this week, lol. Thanks for the ideas! π
I’d attach it to a gift for a pretty topper that’s also an ornament. Great idea!
I’ve been going back and forth over whether to join in an ornament exchange or not. I’m already in 4 cookie exchanges – for real, not virtual. π I just don’t want to overdo it, but you’ve about talked me into it with your cuteness overload. Love it!
Very nice – I love this simple yet elegant frame! I love the colors, too. Such a fun ornament exchange!
I love this idea. Very creative and very unique. So pretty, I plan to make a few homemade ornaments soon!
This is such a fun idea. What a great way to meet other bloggers. Looking forward to check out the others
Great craft and so cute! My siblings and I do an ornament exchange instead of gifts, so I will have to make my own this year.
Very cute idea! Simple, yet oh so adorable!
I love handmade ornaments and you did a great job on the one you made! I love it. I use to make ornaments all the time when I was young and would gift them to family members. It has been a long time for me, but I really feel like maybe this year I should try my hand at making a few again.
Wow! You got paired with the perfect partner…clean lines! The ornament turned out super cute, love it. What an easy idea, this would make a perfect hostess gift for the holidays. π
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
What a lovely, personalized ornament. Very thoughtful!
Omg loving the ornament! Came out pretty fabulous π
I love how you added a bit of decoration to it. It looks like lights on it how clever. -Mama’s Journey
Hello I am a fellow ornament exchange participant popping by. Your ornament is so clever and cute!
Have a wonderful day.
These are so cute! What a great, creative idea! #SmallVictories
Love how you enhance the laser cut wood ornament. Super cute and fun! Thank you so much for being part of the #ornamentexchange!
This is so cute. Love it for the holidays.
I love swaps! This seemed like a lot of fun. I adore that you chose to DIY an ornament for your partner. Good job on your ornament! Happy Holidays!
Thanks for sharing with us at Mommy Minday! π
XOXO
How neat to use your blog logo, that’s great! Our blogs are such a big part of our lives and you honored that in such a crafty way. I’m a fellow ornament exchanger and love how this turned out, great work!
Ha I meant HER blog logo π