“What Shall I Give” Christmas Ornaments: Tutorial

I know this is cutting it close to Christmas, but I wanted to post it before Christmas.  Here is the post I did on I Am Momma-Hear Me Roar a couple weeks ago.

I was really excited when she asked if I wanted to do something for CHRISTmas.  What a wonderful idea and a great way for all of us to become more focused on what matters this Season.

I’ve always loved this artwork of baby Jesus by Simon Dewey and for a couple years have wanted to make Christmas ornaments out of them for neighbor gifts.  That might not happen this year, but someday (as with so many other crafts, right?!). The print is called “For Unto Us A Child is Born”.  They sell bigger pictures many places online and also at Deseret Book and Seagull Book.  I bought the 3” x 4” little prints that are about fifty cents at Seagull Book.

After Cheri asked me to participate this week, I knew that I wanted to use this print but also make it into something my kids could be involved with and use every year.

You can make one with chalkboard paint for your kids to write their gift to Jesus on the back of the ornament. 

Or make a small pouch to glue to the back so they can write on little slips of paper and place them in there.  CTR stands for Choose the Right.

You Will Need:
-small artwork
-3” x 3” piece of wood (.29 cents at Joann)
-twine for hanging
-mod podge or glue
-glue gun
-star button (optional)
-either four 3.5” x 3.5” pieces of fabric and a small piece of velcro OR chalkboard paint

I found this chalkboard paint in the craft section at Wal-Mart.  It was about $4.00.

Here are a few more pictures that I’ll be using for more of these ornaments, also found at Seagull Book. 

The chalkboard ornament is super easy.  Just paint the back with about 3 coats (it says to let it dry between each coat). 

I cut the picture to fit the wood and glued it on with mod podge.

Cut some twine for hanging and hot glue it down with a star on top.  You could drill a hole and put the twine through that but my hubby had our drill and always does.  That finished off this ornament!

My 5 year old decided what to write on it for his present to Jesus this year.  The great thing is that you can have them write something new daily or weekly, or just add to what is on there, though you may want to make the whole ornament bigger if you are wanting them to have room for more. 

For the pouch ornament, you could really do anything.  You can make it more simple so the seams are just inside and not lined, you can make it with Christmas fabric, or even  just out of paper or glue on a small envelope.  Lots of options.

The fabric I used was found by the burlap at Joann.  It isn’t quite burlap, but it isn’t tightly woven like cotton either.  It’s similar to burlap but is more tightly woven.

I took all of the 3.5” x 3.5” pieces and zig-zag stitched the top.  Then I added the velcro to the two lining pieces.  Layer two pieces without the velcro right sides together, and do the same with the velcro pieces.

Pin and stitch around the sides, leaving the top unstitched.

Zig-zag stitch around the edges you just sewed, leaving the top unstitched still.   Clip bottom corners.

Turn the velcro part right side out and slip into the other pouch, right sides together.  Pin, and stitch, leaving an opening for turning.

Turn right side out, then topstitch around the whole top, tucking in the opening so you sew that closed.  I sewed a star button onto the middle, then glued it onto the back of the ornament with hot glue, making sure to glue on the twine first.

My 5 year old took the paper and we explained what the ornament was for, and he wrote Share, Have Fun, and CTR (which means Choose the Right).

Cut the picture to fit the ornament and mod podge onto the wood.

So here’s the front of the ornaments.

And here’s the back!

The inspiration for these ornament came obviously from the artwork, but also from this beautiful song played throughout this wonderful video: