Two Ways To DIY Christmas Tree Ornaments

If your tree's looking a little... naked, try these ideas before you go out and spend money on decorations.

In this installment of Craft Wars, two DIY bloggers show how to make two kinds of ornaments for your tree. Or just perch them on a wine glass if your tree is full. Everything looks good in a wine glass.

First up, Alessia from Matter of Style makes Faberge Egg-inspired ornaments.

Colorful and, perhaps more importantly, sparkly — you can make them too!

First, gather your supplies. You'll need three round glass ornaments of different colors, a brush, white glue, super glue, glitters, crystals, ball chain, pearls,and tapestry nails.

Use a stick to hold your first ball. Draw a fish scale pattern with white glue.

Poor glitter over the glue. Shake off excess glitter and allow ornament to dry.

Decorate the ball with pearls. Use glue to set a pearl in each empty spot.

Decorate your second ball. Use white glue to draw baroque curls over the ball, then draw some comma shapes connected to each other.

Again, spread glitter over the ball and let it dry. Glue some crystals here and there to finish.

For your final ornament, use glue to draw gentle curves along the ball. Cover with glitter as before, and once the glitter has dried glue a ball chain next to the glitter.

Finish the decoration with gold beads or tapestry nails. Take away the nail with pliers before gluing it to the ball.

And your done! An ornament trio all your own.

Next, Cathy from Trinkets in Bloom creates a pair of country chic ornaments.

Follow her easy steps:

Collect your materials. You'll need coffee sacks or burlap fabric, stencils, glitter, Baker's twine or thread, paint, fabric glue, scissors, a paintbrush, and paper.

Make a pattern for your ornament shape by tracing it onto paper. The ornaments shown used a star and a heart. Trace the pattern onto your burlap — you'll need to trace two of each pattern for the front and the back of your ornament. Then cut out your pattern.

Decide which areas you want solid paint on and which areas you will want to add glitter to. Paint the solid areas first and be sure to let them dry completely. Once your paint is dry, paint through your stencil in areas where you want glitter. Before your paint dries, sprinkle glitter on top. Shake off the excess glitter.

When your paint is all dry you are ready to glue your two sides together. Lay your back piece on a flat surface and put your fabric glue all the way around the edge of your fabric, leaving at least a 2" space that you will use to stuff your ornament. Place the top piece on the back. Let your fabric glue dry.

Stuff your ornament gently (don't overfill it) using either stuffing or loose threads from your burlap. Cut about an 8" piece of baker's twine and fold it in half. Add fabric glue to the ornament opening, and place the ends of your folded baker’s twine inside your ornament on the glue. Press your ornament together and let dry.

And you're ready to deck the halls!

Which ornament do you like best?

Leave us a comment and let us know!

Pippa Armbrester is a quilt maker and designer. Follow her adventures in quilting and life on her website.