Christmas Crafts: Decorate Christmas Ornaments with Sharpies

Due to the economic recession across the United States, many people are trying to make Christmas gifts this year. You can decorate plain glass ornaments with metallic sharpies markers and and have a personalized gift that people will love.

Christmas crafts have certainly come back into vogue. People are returning to handmade gifts because of financial necessity, which is actually where handcrafts began, right? A side benefit discovered in the creative process is the fun you can have. My daughter and I did these Christmas ornaments together, and we made a memory! If you are a craft novice, you will be surprised the therapeutic value in being absorbed in a fun, relaxing project like this.

Relaxing is the key word here. There is really no artistic talent or experience necessary for his project. I am the least artistic person I know! My art teacher and the whole art class used to laugh at my artwork; it is that bad! But, I actually did some really nice ornaments to give as gifts at church using this simple graphic that my daughter showed me. A Diagram is on page 2 of this article that is so easy to understand.

I bought my ornaments at the Goodwill. They were 99 cents for 6 ornaments. I attend a small church, and, as the paid Organist, I usually like to give each family a little expression of appreciation at Christmas. Most people do Christmas cards, but I have never been one to send cards. I usually do a little ornament and some candy in a bag instead. This year, these are the Christmas Ornaments I am giving as Christmas Gifts at Church. I am personalizing them with the family's name and the year.

Materials needed:

Simple, inexpensive Glass ornaments: dark color works best

Sharpie Marker, Metallic Silver is what I used.

Instructions: 1. The first thing you want to do is to get the name on the ornament. You can use a first name or a family name, like "The Smiths." I found that writing in cursive looks best. You can experiment.

2. On the back of the ornament at the top, write the year in lettering around 1/2 " tall. This looks best when it is smaller than the name.

3. Next you will fill the ornament with snowflakes! Following the simple diagram on the next page, it is easy. If you click on the diagram at the top of the page, it will enlarge.

You will start with a cross. Then make two lines on the diagonal on the cross, like a snowflake! Then put little inverted arrows at the end of each line. Apply dots across the snowflake area and at the end of the lines. Don't leave any larger areas undecorated, but don't crowd up the names you have written on the Christmas ornaments. Fill in small areas with dots.

4. Christmas crafts are almost always well-received, but the presentation is also a big factor. Be sure your Christmas ornaments are wrapped beautifully, in a box or bag with tissue. Make it look like something very special.