Create Christmas Tree Ornaments from Nature

It is fun and frugal to create Christmas tree ornaments from the garden or from out in nature in nearby areas or when away on vacation. I like to collect little items from nature to make ornaments. I find when I see them on the Christmas tree they make me smile.

Pine Cone Ornament

Over a decade ago I made some ornaments out of tiny pine cones collected on a fabulous vacation to Alaska. I still feel memories from the vacation flooding back to me when I see the ornaments at the holiday season.

I created the ornaments by adding either white or gold paint to the tops of the pine cones. Then I added a dusting of glitter to some of the pine cones by placing glue on them and then placing the pine cone on a paper plate and sprinkling glitter over it.

Then I wrapped red ribbons to the top layer of the pine cone to hang the ornament on the tree. I think the pine cone ornaments are quite festive and beautiful. They add a touch of the outdoors to the holiday tree which gives it a rustic look.

Holly Leaf Ornament

Holly leaves are associated with the Christmas season. With their deep green color they look festive. It takes just a few minutes to gather some holly leaves and create an ornament. Use either a single leaf or a cluster of holly leaves and wrap the top with a red ribbon.

If you want to add more shine to the ornament, before adding the ribbon spray paint some of the leaves with gold or silver paint. You could also glue on some glitter to some of the leaves.

Sea Shell Ornament

You can make a wide variety of ornaments from sea shells. You can find so many different types of shells. Also, you can just hang one shell as an ornament or you could group them together to make shapes such as a star or to spell out holiday words like joy or noel.

Some sea shells will already have holes in them so you can add a ribbon that way to hang the ornament. Or you can drill a small hole in the shell to add the ribbon.

Driftwood or Sea Glass Ornament

A day at the beach gives you an opportunity to collect driftwood or sea glass to make holiday ornaments or gifts. Each piece of wood or glass has potential to make a beautiful holiday piece. Wash each piece to get rid of any salt or debris on the item. Let it dry and then figure out how to hang it as an ornament. Some pieces will have holes already or you can drill a hole to hang the item by a ribbon.

Grape Leaf Vine Ornament

When dried, grape leaf vines can be used to make mini-wreath ornaments to hang on the holiday tree. Also, the dried vines can be used to make many different shape ornaments such as stars or candy canes. Just use fine wire to wrap around the vines to hold them in the shape you want.

Then decorate the vines by putting some glue on them and covering with glitter or sequins. You may also wish to spray paint the vines in colors like red, green, gold or silver. Then wrap a ribbon at the top of the ornament to hang it on the tree.

Seed Packet Ornaments

Martha Stewart suggests hanging images from seed packages on the holiday tree. To see more about that idea go HERE. This idea would give the tree a feel of being from the garden.

Another idea is to hang actual packets of flower, vegetable or tree seeds on the tree. You could make the small packets from dried seeds from the garden or from nearby trees. Place the seeds in small, colorful envelopes. Then punch a hole at the top of the envelope and run a ribbon through the hole to hang the ornament.

Most dollar stores have some tiny envelopes that could be used for this project that would not cost much. The packets of seeds would be hung on the tree and then given away as gifts as visitors arrive.

Sources:

Personal experience making holiday ornaments

Martha Stewart