March 28, 2024

Christmas Ornaments

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It’s that time of year again, when Christmas decorations go up and we begin to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. On our tree, we have ornaments with different sayings, initials, or ones with our names on them but I realized this year we didn’t have any Christian themed ornaments. So I decided to make some. Here is a way to do just that:

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  • Round Ornaments
  • Paint Markers – various colors.

 Directions:

First decide what you want to write or draw on your ornament. I made two different ones. The first one I wrote: “Glory to God in the highest and Peace to His people on Earth.”  The second one I made an ornament just for Jesus with His name on it.

Take your paint marker and shake well. If it is new, you will have to prime it to make sure the paint is all the way to the tip. You do so, by placing the tip on a piece of paper and push it up and down until the paint colors the tip. Now, you know you are ready.

Now just write your bible verse or Jesus’ name on the ornament with the paint marker. You can paint other things on your ornaments as well. I did polka dots on one of mine, but you could add stars, swirls, or whatever you like. The great thing is that the paint markers dry really quickly.

Hang it on the tree. Instead of using a hook, you can use a tiny ribbon and tie it together to make a loop. You can purchase these premade in the store as well.

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Happy Crafting!

Amy

Saturdays with Shandy: Christmas Edition! Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments

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I have such fun decorating our family’s Christmas trees. Yes, TREES. Plural. We have our big tree that is beautifully decorated in our front room, and we have two smaller trees… a Norwegian and Swedish tree in our dining room, and our kitchen tree, decorated with miniature kitchen utensils and cinnamon applesauce ornaments – which I am going to teach you how to make today! They are very simple, last for years, and make the house smell wonderful! And who doesn’t love a spicy aroma wafting from the kitchen this time of year? It just shouts Christmas! By the way, kids of all ages will have fun joining you in the kitchen to make these, so let them help, and make some memories together!

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Here’s what you may need to pick up at the store if you don’t have them on hand:

Applesauce. Cinnamon. Cookie Cutters. Material Scraps or Twine.

Easy, right? Let’s get started!

Directions,  adapted from McCormick.com:

  • Preheat oven to 200° F.
  • In a bowl, mix together 3/4 c. applesauce and 1 cup + 3 T. cinnamon until well incorporated and smooth.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon on a cutting board, and roll out dough to 1/3″ thickness.
  • Cut out with small cookie cutters.
  • Carefully place cut outs on an unprepared cookie sheet.
  • Using a straw, poke a hole at the top of each ornament, as shown in the picture at the top.
  • Bake in oven for 2-1/2 hours, until hard. I kept mine in for an additional 15 minutes.
  • Cool on a wire rack.
  • Cut or tear strips of muslin, homespun, or twine for each ornament. I used coffee-stained muslin. Mmmm, smells delicious!
  • Place a strip through the hole of each ornament and knot at the top.
  • Hang on tree!
  • These will last for years if stored carefully in an airtight container!
  • Note: even though these are made with just applesauce and cinnamon, they are not edible. Trust me 😉

Here is a picture of my kitchen tree. It’s a work in progress… needs primitive grungy lights, another strand of red beads, and a few more handmade ornaments yet, but I wanted to give you a peek at what I do with my applesauce cinnamon ornaments!

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Love & {Christmas} Blessings,

Shandy

Be sure to visit Shandy’s personal blog Aprons ‘n Pearls for crafts, recipes, homekeeping tips & more!