Feeling Ornamental

How are your holiday decorations coming along? I decorate in fits and starts - I'll get ambitious and knock out 3 projects simultaneously, and then I'll have a couple of days of just not feeling it. Unfortunately, I usually get in a creative mood when I'm at work and can't do anything about it (thanks, Pinterest!)

Here are some of the ornaments I made last year. I was feeling very gung ho and crafty. 

The pinecone map ornament was my first one, and to this day is still my favourite. There is something about the shape and texture of a pinecone (real or crafted) that appeals to me.

And that's what made me make one from birch bark as well. It doesn't hurt that birch is my favourite tree. 

Like so many other people, I collect sand from the beach whenever we go on vacation. I liked the idea of displaying some of that sand on our Christmas tree with these glass vacation memory ornaments.

I tried my hand at mod podge for the first time last year as well. I bought a book of sheet music from a local used book store and cut the sheets into strips to be applied to a styrofoam ball. The song I picked was "Jingle Bells" - fitting I think.

The last ornament style was the simplest - just scraps of ribbon inserted into a clear glass ornament. I love this ribbon though - so glittery. And the colour of the outside ribbon changes depending on how the light is hitting it.

Do you make handmade ornaments? 

Are they ones you keep year after year, or do you like to switch them out periodically? 

Mine are still around, but I'd like to try my hand at some Victorian-styled ones this year.