Easy Cheap Christmas Holiday Craft Idea

The next time you bake a pie in a disposable tin pie plate, don't toss the pie plate into the trash or recycle bin. Instead, keep it to make some quick and easy Christmas ornaments with your kids. These easy inexpensive crafts would be fun entertainment at a child's holiday party, in daycare centers, or school classrooms. They would also make excellent homemade crafts to sell at a church fundraiser.

All that's needed is a disposable tin pie plate, a pencil or something to draw a design with, scissors, a nail or small tipped screwdriver, some string or ribbon, sequins or beads (optional), and a sturdy work surface.

First, clear a space to work and be sure to protect any surfaces you don't want damaged by sharp or pointed objects. It might be a good idea to cover the surface with a piece of cardboard.

Next, think of a Christmas holiday design for the ornament, such as a snowflake, snowman, star, bell, or seasonal words such as "Peace" or "Joy to the World". Make the ornaments as small or large as you want. Use a pencil, crayon, or small marker to draw or trace the design onto the aluminum pie plate.

Now it's time to cut out the piece. If the design is in the form of words, it's probably easier to simply cut a large circle around the words instead of trying to carve around each letter or word. Be sure to leave room at the top for a hole to hang the ornament.

The next step is to take a nail or small tipped screwdriver and make evenly spaced indentations all around the edge of the ornament. Create as much detail as you want. The indentations and shiny metal of the tin will catch and reflect light, making the ornaments a beautiful addition to a Christmas tree. An alternative to the nail marks would be to glue colorful sequins or small beads around the rim to decorate the piece.

To finish the craft, use a nail or hole punch to make a hole toward the top of the ornament and thread some string, yarn or ribbon through the hole for hanging. Smooth any rough or sharp edges with the edge of a pencil and your homemade craft creation is ready to hang on the tree.

Word of caution: Be sure there is adult supervision because this craft requires the use of scissors and other sharp objects, and the tin itself could have rough edges.