Creating Heirloom Christmas Ornaments

Creating ornaments can be fun and relaxing. Sharing the process with friends and family can make the process even more meaningful. This beautiful ornament would be perfect to give as a gift, or to pass down through your family members for years to come. The style of this ornament is similar to Chrismons ornaments you might see on a church tree. (Check this link to see the origin of Chrismons trees.)

1.Take two small craft or popsicle sticks and take off approximately 1/3 the length of one of the sticks. I used a serrated kitchen knife to accomplish this task.

2.Glue the sticks together using Elmer's, wood, or craft glue. You could also use a hot glue gun if you are in a hurry and want to skip dry time with the glue. It's not usually worthwhile to heat up the gun for one item, but would be great if you were doing several.

3.After your glue has dried (I waited for an hour on my Tacky Glue) Spray paint the cross gold. Wait a few minutes till the item is dry to the touch, flip and repeat. (You don't have to spray paint the ornament at all; I just like the extra touch of gold peeking through among the beads. You could also paint it by hand. Black would also work well.)

4.Next clip off about an 18" piece of 28 gauge gold toned wire. I wrapped the wire in loops and figure eights around the center of the cross until the wire held firm. (Thread could also be used if you don't have the wire available, but you will need to use a small beading needle.)

5.Take large and small beads in random order, threading about an inch worth and then wrapping the beads around the cross in a serpentine manner. I worked my way down the longest length first. Don't try to wrap too many beads at once, allow some gaps between your rows, and because it is much easier add beads strategically toward the end for maximum effect.

6.The amount of beads is a matter of personal preference. You can use many or few depending on what look you wish to achieve. You could also vary the amount of wire used and visible between beads.

7.As you wrap the cross, occasionally double back and wrap over and around one of the previous beads. This will help keep the design from sliding up or down on the object.

8.As the cross nears completion, remember to include a loop at the top of the ornament for hanging.

9.Give the ornament a final look on both sides, keeping in mind that ornaments sometimes get viewed from the back as well.