two last-minute diy ornaments

Woah woah wait a minute - wasn't it November yesterday? How is time flying by so freaking fast? My calendar is packed with little last minute tasks: bits of shopping, wrapping presents, & potentially baking cookies. I feel frazzled with festive activities. I did, however, manage to fill up the bare tree in our living room with some super quick-to-make ornaments. Thank goodness. I was worried we would end up with a minimalist tree this year, & by minimalist I mean naked.

In addition to the frosted pine cone ornaments adorning the evergreen, I also did these really easy clay ornaments & painted some clear bulbs white. Both types of ornaments are great if you're looking to fill some space on your tree, or if you're going for a specific color scheme. I really wanted to do a white tree this year, & as it turns out white ornaments are really hard to find. Plenty of silver, ivory, & pearl, but absolutely no white. Hence getting crafty with the decorations. 

To custom-color clear glass bulbs, you'll need clear glass or plastic ornaments & some acrylic paint. Start by removing the metal tops. Pour a bit of paint inside, then swish around until the paint has covered the entire surface of the inside of the bulb. Let dry upside down, preferably overnight (mine rested in their original packaging, but you could also dry them in an egg carton). Replace the tops, & done!

The clay ornaments were made with air-dry clay, cookie cutters, & a straw (fortunately air-dry clay is non-toxic, so you can feel free to use cookie cutters you already have in the house). Roll out the clay to about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch,  & press out cookie cutter shapes. Using the straw, press a hole at the top of each shape. Let dry on a flat surface, then paint with acrylic paint. A piece of yarn through the hole in the top, & done again!

xoxo, 

-m.e.

P.S. Simple holiday gift tags.