DIY Thread & Wood Christmas Ornaments

Is it really less than two weeks until Christmas? I feel so out of sync this year. Usually I'm the one who gets the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, my still mostly undecorated tree is sitting in the middle of my living room, a room with walls awaiting a coat of paint after the two Halloween photo shoots that took place in my home last week (if only I could decide on the right color!). It's a little wacky around here. 

But I've really missed blogging!  I certainly never intended for a month to pass between posts, yet here we are. I had planned to share this ornament idea weeks ago, before trees had been decorated. But I'm going to post anyway. Perhaps you'll use it next year. 

These ornaments are an offshoot of a thread wrapped ornament I created for Better Homes and Gardens this year. They're really easy to make and you can swap out the color palette for one that suits your personal decor. 

Here's how you make them:

 

Thread Wrapped Ornaments

Materials:

Unfinished turned wooden ornaments
Perle cotton thread
White craft glue
Small paintbrush
Scissors

Directions:

Starting at the top of the ornament, brush a very thin layer of white glue around the top edge. Adhere the end of a piece of thread to the ornament and carefully wrap the thread around the ornament in a single layer, applying thin layers of glue as you go. When you've covered the desired amount of the ornament, simply snip the thread and make sure the end is glued down. 

Tip: You can disguise the thread end at the top by covering it with the thread as you're wrapping it around. For the bottom edge, push it up with your fingernail so that it's as close to the line of thread above it as it can be. 

Also, it's easier to work from narrow areas to wider areas, rather than the other way around. Should you find that it's become difficult to keep the thread in place, cut the thread and glue it down. Then turn your ornament over and start where you want the thread design to end and continue wrapping until the two sections meet.

 

Note the bottom of the ornament above. I started with the orange thread in the middle, turned it upside down and worked from the narrow part to the wider part. Then I turned it right side up and worked from the bottom edge of the orange thread down.

 

This ornament didn't require anything more than working from the top of the ornament down.

 

Resources:  

Unfinished turned wooden ornaments available at Michaels (there are also some I like at Cupboard Distributing)

Perle cotton thread available at craft and sewing supply stores, next to the embroidery floss (a wider variety of colors are available at Nordic Needle)

 

 

Comments

[Suzonne]

Thanks, Amy! And I loved your crafts in Parents magazine - have to make that mouse ornament!

[Suzonne]

Thanks, Shalagh. I love wrapping things - it's the yoga of crafting! (And by the way, my tree is still only half decorated. But I give up - I've moved on to dyeing Easter eggs. Ha!)

[Amy @ Living Locurto]

I love this idea! So simple and pretty. Thanks!

[Shalagh Hogan]

These ornaments are really cool. I saw yarn wrapped antlers several days ago and dug those too. And don't you dare complain you were thrown off by Two Halloween photo shoots. If you love what you do, the happiness will follow. Whether the tree is up or not. Although I know about creative expectations and their monkeywrenchedness.
Thanks,
Shalagh