One of my most favorite memories growing up always started
at the beginning of the holiday: decorating my step-mom’s house for Christmas.
She is the type of woman that used to (and still does) go all out for
Christmas. It always started the same way, every Saturday after Thanksgiving-by
unpacking her Christmas closet… yes, closet.
We were blessed to have a gorgeous home with very tall ceilings, so we always
got a tree that was 9 or 10 feet tall. This, obviously, means that decorating
said tree was a two, if not three person job.
Every year, my step-mom would let my dad and I put on the
lights while she unpacked the ornaments. And every year, she retold the same
stories about who gave her each ornament, and when-sometimes down to the date.
In my childhood years, I never understood her appreciation for her hand-made
collections. And when it came time to put the ornaments on the tree, I always
got the same speech: “Be careful with that one, so and so gave that to me,”
with almost everything I picked up.
Now that I’m older, I have my own tree, and I am starting to
understand what her mild obsession with these ornaments involve; a little bit
of love, for those handmade from family and friends, a special memory, for
those purchased on vacation or a trip somewhere special, and even a little
place in her heart, from the ornaments given to her by relatives who are no
longer with us.
Before my biological mom passed, she made ornaments for her
family and friends, and gave them away each year. In the 20 years since her
passing, some of those friends and relatives have given these ornaments back to
me. Since my mother died when I was so young, their value to me is increased
tenfold-it’s almost like having a part of her with me each Christmas when I go
to hang them on my tree.
So last year, I decided that I would carry on my mother’s
DIY ornament tradition, and I set out to make a special ornament for everyone
on my Christmas list. I, of course, took to Pinterest for some design
inspiration, and that landed me here.
I loved the way these ornaments looked when finished, and
the cool marbled effect it created. But I wanted to take it up a notch, and
make the ornament personal to every family I gave it to. My solution?
Monogramming!
Monogramming!
Monogramming is the best way to give a gift that is 100%
original-it really tells the receiver that you thought about them specifically
when making it. But if you’re blessed with a family large enough to fill a high
school gymnasium, giving a monogrammed gift to every single person can get
expensive. So rather than making one of these little babies for every person in
the family, I gave one to the household, and used their last name for the
monogram initial.
So here’s what you’ll need:
- Acrylic Paint
- Clear Ornament
- (you can use round or flat, I went with flat because I wanted the monogram to lie evenly)
- Sticker or Paint Pen (for monogram)
Start by dripping the lightest color paint into the top,
leaning the opening of the paint lid against the inside of the ornament so you
get as much on the side as possible.
Work your way from lightest to darkest, filling in the gaps
around the top of the ornament. When you have covered the lip of it on the
inside, cover the opening with paper or cellophane (or your fingers, just be
prepared to get paint on them), and start shaking that baby. I turned this one
on its side and tapped it on the table to get the paint to move where I wanted
it.
This was the end result. You can continue tapping until you
get more of a color combination like the original one, but I really loved the
way this one looked.
Then, pick the side you like best, and add your monogram.
I highly recommend
letting the excess paint that is inside drip out before you put the stopper
back into the top of the ornament. I inverted mine into a Kleenex box with some
paper towels in the bottom of it to catch the paint.
When it’s dry, carefully stick the metal top back into the
ornament, and you have a beautiful gift under $5.00. I have already given some
of these to family members we see before Christmas, and the looks on their
faces when I told them I made them myself meant the world to me. This project
is also easy enough to let the kiddos get involved! My 3 year old had a blast
“helping” mommy swirl the paint around.
Now, when they hang this ornament on their tree each year, I
know that they will think of me.
And isn’t that what this season is all about?
1,000 thanks to Jessica for letting me share this with you all! If you feel so inclined, feel free to visit me more often over at my blog (www.things-that-glitter.blogspot.com).
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!
-Cara
And isn’t that what this season is all about?
1,000 thanks to Jessica for letting me share this with you all! If you feel so inclined, feel free to visit me more often over at my blog (www.things-that-glitter.blogspot.com).
I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year!
-Cara
Super cute! I love them!
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