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Photo ornaments are more than just yearly tree decorations. Photo ornaments capture images, memories, good times, and preserve history. They make great gifts for parents, grandparents, and friends, and are easy to make and design.
SUPER STICK FRAME PHOTO ORNAMENT
(Ages 6 and up)
This is a basic ornament using popsicle sticks as a frame. Smaller children will need to be supervised and have help from an adult or older child in handling scissors and glue.
4 popsicle sticks
Markers or watercolors
Photo
Ribbon or string
1. Color or decorate popsicle sticks as you desire. Children can use magic markers, crayons, or waterproof paints. Older children may enjoy using tempra paints, spray paint, craft paints, glue and glitter, or similar objects. You can paint or write the age, current year, or name of the child on the stick frame, if you so desire. Allow decorations to dry completely before proceeding.
2. Cut photo to desired shape. For basic square frames, not much trimming will need to be done. You can choose your own photo frame shape by the way you lay your sticks. Using three sticks, you can make a pine tree, using a small fourth pieces as the tree trunk.
3. Place popsicle stick frame around photo. (Note: You may want to add more color to your ornament. You can do so by laying a piece of colored construction paper behind the photo and gluing the photo to the paper first.) When you are satisfied with its appearance and placement, use glue to fasten the photo to the stick frame. Allow to dry completely.
4. Make a loop with yarn, ribbon or string, and attach the loose ends of the loop to the top of the frame with glue to make a holder.
YARN BALL ANIMAL PHOTO ORNAMENT
(Ages 4 and up)
This is a humorous ornament especially enjoyed by small children. Using a small yarn ball or pom pon as the body, the child will be creating an animal, using a picture of themselves as the head and face of the ornament.
2-Pom pons or small colored yarn balls.
Colored pipe cleaners
Photo
Scissors (optional)
Photo markers (optional)
Construction paper
1. Decide what type of animal you'd like to make. For simplicity reasons, we'll begin making a reindeer.
2. Glue pom pons or small yarn balls together to form the desired shape of the body. We'll be gluing 2 brown yarn balls together, side by side, to form a fluffy reindeer body. Allow to dry.
3. Bend desired colored pipe cleaners into the shape of legs and attach them to your pom pon or yarn ball by bending them and securing them around the ball of yarn or gluing them in place. We've chosen to use 4 dark brown pipe cleaners for the reindeer.
4. Cut a design out of construction paper which will be used as the mask or background for the animal's face. We've cut out a small circle and antlers from brown construction paper to serve as the reindeer's head.
5. Glue the construction paper to the pom pon or yarn ball and allow to dry.
6. Cut out the face from a photo and glue it to your construction paper mask outline. Allow to dry.
7. Using photo proof markers, you can add whiskers or other details to your child's photo.
8. Secure a piece of yarn to your pom pon by gluing it or tying it around the animal's body and forming a loop at the top (to hang the ornament from).
STYROFOAM CUTOUT PICTURE ORNAMENT
(Age 5 and up with help)
Styrofoam tray.
Scissors.
Cookie cutters.
Glitter.
Glue.
Photo.
1. Lay a styrofoam tray flat on work area.
2. Place cookie cutter on styrofoam tray and trace design with pencil. (If using thin styrofoam, no cutting will be necessary. Simply gently push the cookie cutter through the styrofoam.)
3. Using pinking shears or craft knife, cut the design from the styrofoam.
4. Using the cookie cutter as your guide, lay cutter on top of photo and trace design. When finished, cut shape from photo.
5. Decorate styrofoam any way you desire. You can add a touch of glue and sprinkle with glitter, paint, glue gems and studs, add stickers, and etc.
6. Glue photo to styrofoam cutout.
7. Add loop of yarn to the top of the ornament using glue or small pin.
GLASS ORNAMENT
(Ages 10 and up with supervision)
10-inch clear glass ball ornament
Photo
Scissors or compass.
Ribbon.
1. Cut photo to so it is 3-inches in circumference. You can use a scissors, to cut, but will benefit from measuring and outlining with a compass.
2. Open the top of the ornament. Wrap photo around a pen and slowly insert inside ornament.
3. Using a tweezers, position the photo so that it sits firmly in place inside the glass ornament. Replace ornament top.
4. Tie decorative ribbon to the top of glass ornament.
STYROFOAM BALL PHOTO ORNAMENT
(Ages 6 and up)
1-styrofoam craft ball or photo craft ball.
Photo
Paint or decoration
Decoupage materials or glue
Stick pin or thumb tack
1. We'll be decorating the ball first, before placing a photo on it. Photos are more easily attached to the round ball if you use decoupage from the start. We recommend decoupaging colored paper, magazine pictures, children's artwork and similar materials to the ball as a base. To do this:
Cut out intended designs or images.
Place decoupage liquid to the back of images and attach to ball.
Paint decoupage liquid to the outside of images, securing them in place.
2. Once your base has dried, cut your photo to its desired shape.
3. Paint decoupage liquid to the back of photo and place on ornament.
4. Paint light coating of decoupage liquid over photo and allow to dry.
5. When completely dry, decoupage again for glossy, professional appearance.
6. Attach a looped piece of ribbon or yarn to the top of the ornament with a small stick pin or thumb tack.
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