Diamonds & Pearls

This little craft idea couldn't be any easier! In fact these ornaments are so simple to make, you could easily do this project with the kids or grandkids. (When working with kids just make sure to choose large stickers that are easy for little hands to work with.)

The list of materials you need is pretty short in all my examples.

Materials you need for these DIY snowflake ornaments:

• a box of ornaments with a pearl finish 

• snowflake stickers with a diamond-like finish on a transparent backdrop (I found my snowflakes at Michaels)

• a sheet of individual blue diamonds (not shown- also available at Michaels)

• pair of scissors

• ribbon or a metal hook to hang the finished ornament

Step 1: Detach a snowflake sticker from the transparent backing paper. Place the sticker on the face of the ornament, but don't press it down just yet! When a sticker is roughly tacked into position, it is still easy to lift and move. As you build your design on your ball, you may need to lift and adjust the spacing of your stickers. 

Step 2: The fun in this project is creating your own snowflake pattern on the surface of your ornament. Once you are happy with the layout of your pattern, press the snowflakes down with your thumb to secure them in place.

Let your imagination be your guide in creating your pattern. 

To create my ornament, I placed a row of snowflakes around the middle of the ball. On the bottom centre of the ball, I put a full snowflake. At the top of the ornament, I used fan-shaped sections, which I created by cutting up full snowflakes with my scissors.  In between the snowflakes, I filled the empty space with individual blue diamonds. 

For this next group of ornaments, I used small individual diamonds and diamonds in a wave-like swirl.

Materials you need for these diamond swirl ornaments:

• a box of clear ornaments 

• stickers with diamond swirls on a transparent backdrop (I found these at Michaels)

• a sheet of individual diamonds (to fill in any gaps- also available at Michaels)

• pair of scissors

• ribbon or a metal hook to hang the finished ornament

There are an amazing array of stickers on a clear backing available. You can find stripes and swirls as well as individual diamonds and pearls to personalize any plain ornament. 

Materials you need for this ornament with bands of pearls:

• a box of ornaments with a pearl finish 

• stickers with bands of pearls (I found these at the Dollar store)

• a sheet of individual pearls (to fill in any gaps -again from the Dollar store)

• pair of scissors

• ribbon or a metal hook to hang the finished ornament

For this ornament, I used a band of different sized pearls. Around the middle of the ornament I ran one long stripe of pearls ( two bands pieced together). Then I cut the band into smaller sections and used it to add v-shaped lines of pearls that run from the top and bottom of the ornament to the middle. If you have any gaps, fill them in with individual pearls like the ones you see on the righthand sheet.

Letters are a great way to tailor an ornament to a gift recipient. For the next ornament, I used a sheet of pearl letters. 

Materials you need to make the ornaments with a recipient's name:

• a box of ornaments with a pearl finish 

• letter stickers with a pearl-finish

• pair of scissors

• ribbon or a metal hook to hang the finished ornament

To frame the name, I used pearl swirls (see an example of one of the sheet of swirls later in this post).

If you don't care for the pearl letters, there are glittery options as well.

Place your finished ornament on a colorful napkin along with a sprig of fresh greenery and you have a keepsake guests can take home after a holiday meal.

Materials you need for these ornaments with a pearl swirl:

• a box of pearl ornaments 

• stickers with swirls that have a pearl finish (I found these at the Dollar store)

• a sheet of individual pearls (to fill in any gaps)

• pair of scissors

• ribbon or a metal hook to hang the finished ornament

I found that the complicated swirls could be become a bit of a nightmare to deal with once you pulled them off the backing paper, so I cut the swirls into smaller sections with my scissors and pieced the sections back together on my ornament.

Super easy and really pretty, these ornaments are a snap to make!

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Snowy Owl Holiday Wreath

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florist's wire

• 3 eye screws 3/4" in length

• two types of faux snowy branches

• 3 snowy owls (mine came from Loblaw grocery store and were about $6 each)

• snowflake ribbon with wired edge (craft store)

• small blue & silver jingle bells

• 3 large silver jingle bells

• floral pics

Before you start, turn your wreath over and create a wreath hanger with a loop of florist's wire (if there isn't a hanger already). 

I also removed the original bow and pinecones from my store-bought evergreen wreath.

Step 1: I used two different faux snowy branches: one pine and one glittery twigs (seen at the top). Take each set of branches and cut the stems into several smaller sections. (I made mine 6-10" in length. If you cut them much shorter, they will be too short to work with.)

Step 2: Working in a circle, insert the first type of snowy branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. (Tip: Inserting the branches at a low angle helps them to catch best in the evergreens.) 

Loop a length of florists wire through the wreath to hold each branch in position. Twist the wire at the back of the wreath to keep your branch secure.

Step 3: Again, working in a circle, insert the second type of snowy branches and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens.

Loop a length of florists wire through the wreath to hold each branch in position. Twist the wire at the back of the wreath to keep your branch secure.

Hang the wreath to make sure the branches are evenly dispersed and you are happy with them before you move further.

Step 4: Make a bow. I chose a blue and silver snowflake ribbon that I felt worked with my theme.

Turn the bow over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot.

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist them into a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. 

Step 5: (Depending on what you are able to find, you'll have to adapt your method for attaching the owls. The owls I found had a foam backing.)

Turn your owl over. Insert an eye screw into the foam and thread a piece of florist's wire through the eye. Twist the wire with a circular movement to knot it to the eye. (Note: I started with the small eye screw you see here, but found it did not hold well enough. In the end, I went with a much larger screw that was 3/4" long. I thought the method was clear enough, so I didn't reshoot the picture.)

Place all the owls on the top of your wreath to determine placement. Remove two of the owls once you know approximately where you want them to sit on the wreath. 

Now attach the first owl. Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the reverse side to fix the owl in place.

Add back the other two owls, one at a time.

Step 6: Wire smaller blue and silver jingle bells onto flower pics (you can find floral pics at the craft store) and insert the pics into the wreath.

I also used a length of wire to attach a number of larger silver bells directly.

You're done! Just hang up your wreath and enjoy it.

Happy holidays!

Fruit and Berries Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red and faux orange berry branches (I used one large branch of each)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• faux mini red and yellow mini-apples (found at Michaels craft store)

• spool of red satin ribbon (4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length)

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow and red mini-apples (I found mini-apples at Michaels craft store). 

Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it for a minute or so until the glue sets.

Insert the finished apple pics into the wreath. 

Make a bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Berries & White Roses Evergreen Wreath

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• faux stem of white forsythia (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of white silk roses (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of pearl berries (found at Michaels craft store)

• stem of glittery gold eucalyptus (found at Michaels craft store)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length

• 6 pinecones

• spool of white satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Insert some boxwood sprigs and red berries sprigs into the wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

I bought one large stem of white silk roses and a stem of white forsythia at Michaels. I cut the large stem into a number of shorter branches and inserted these branches into my wreath. 

I did the same for a stem of pearl berries and glittery gold eucalyptus- cutting one large stem into several smaller branches.

Finally, I fastened a white bow with some florist's wire. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Red Ladybug Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• Faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• gold glitter branches of assorted lengths 

• ladybugs (I got mine at the Dollar Store.)

• spool of plaid ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

Insert some boxwood sprigs and gold glitter branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length) Add them into the wreath.

Finally, take a single large stem of glittery eucalyptus (Michaels craft store) and cut it into a number of shorter branches. Insert them into your wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry-brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to fix the pinecones to the wreath.

Take a ladybug and apply a dab of hot glue onto the back. Place the ladybug on one of the gold branches. Hold it for a few seconds until the hot glue has set. Continue to add more ladybugs around the circumference of the wreath.

Make a plaid bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. I also tied in a few in bells.

Trim away any excess wire with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so 

you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)

Partridge and Pear Evergreen Wreath How-to

To make this wreath you need:

• basic store-bought evergreen wreath

• sharp scissors or pruners to cut branches

• wire cutters

• light gage florists wire

• floral pics

• white craft paint and small artist's brush

• low heat glue gun and glue sticks

• faux red berry branch (I used one large branch)

• boxwood cuttings about 6" in length (I trimmed a few boxwood sprigs from my garden even though this is not a great time of year to be pruning box. You can also often find swags of boxwood in stores during the holidays.)

• 6 pinecones

• feathers

• clip-on partridge or similar type bird (Michaels)

• mini faux pears

• spool of red satin ribbon ( 4 yard spool of 1.5" wide ribbon)

How-to:

Insert some boxwood sprigs, dogwood branches into your wreath and allow them to catch in the mix of evergreens. 

Take a large stem of faux red berries and cut the stem into several smaller branches. (I made mine 6-10" in length.) Add them to the wreath.

Apply a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the yellow mini-pears. Insert a florist's pic into the hot glue and hold it in place for a minute or so until the glue sets. 

Insert the finished pears pics into the wreath. 

Take some white craft paint and dry brush "snow" onto the pinecones. Allow the paint to dry. 

Cut a length of light gage florist's wire (approx. 10-12"). Wrap the florist wire around the base of your pinecone and twist a knot to close the wire around the pinecone's base. 

Take the extra lengths of wire and poke them through the evergreen wreath. Twist the loose ends of wire at the back of the wreath into a knot to attach the pinecones to the wreath.

Clip your partridge onto your wreath.

Gather two or three feathers together in your fingers. 

Hold them at the top of a florist's pic and wrap the fine wire around and around to create a feather pic. 

Insert several feather pics around the circumference of the wreath. 

Make a red bow. Turn it over and run a length of florist's wire through the bow's centre knot. 

Poke the ends of the wire through the wreath and twist a knot on the wreath's reverse side to fix the bow in place. 

Trim away any excess wire on your bow with your wire cutters. Turn the raw ends of wire back into the wreath so you won't get cut when you hang your wreath. 

Create a wire loop to hang the finished wreath and enjoy the holidays!

(Return to the main blog post.)