Five Mixed Media Christmas Ornaments to Make

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It seems like this time of year brings out everyone’s creativity and we get a chance to show off our crafting skills by making greeting cards, Christmas decorations and Christmas Ornaments. This lets us share our passion with friends and family. I have been scouting the internet to find ornaments that we can make with our mixed media supplies and put all of those mixed media techniques to good use!

Here are my Top 5 Mixed Media Christmas Ornaments:

1. Paper Ephemera Ornaments

Being avid mixed media artists, we all have a huge collection of paper ephemera, old book pages, painted backgrounds and maybe even a few Gelli plate prints lying around. This tutorial by Shelley Detton, over at 7 Layers, shows us how to make these Christmas Ornament Spheres using sheet music, red ribbon and some sparkly glitter. She has also included the wordstrips for you to print ~ Thanks Shelley!

Shelley Detton from 7 layers

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2. Cookie Cutter Ornaments

These cute ornaments, featured by Martha Stewart can be made as simply or as lavishly as your creativity dictates. While the glueing will need to be done with care, this is another project to put those lovely ephemera sheets and lovely background on display. You can also use your embellishments to add a little sparkle.

Cute Martha Stewart design

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3. Button Tree Ornaments

For those of us that may have a bit of a button fettish, this Button Tree ornament is a “must-try”! Penelope has put together this tutorial to make sure we can all create a lovely little tree.

Use your button collection to make this cute christmas tree decoration

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4. Paper Origami Flower Ornaments

If you still have any paper ephemera or gelli prints left over after the previous paper ornament tutorials, Jenn, from Origami Twist has done this video showing how to fold and glue this gorgeous flower ornament. I’m not quite sure if your papers need to be two sided but I am giving this a go soon, so I’ll report back.

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5. Beading Mini Wreath Ornament

If you are looking to use more of your jewelry making skills, Stacy from Beads Direct, shows us how to create these cute little Christmas Wreaths.

Use your jewellery skills to make these lovely beaded ornaments

You will need some jewellery wire, a collection of beads and some ribbon. Alternatively if you don’t have these materials at hand, you could substitute pipe cleaners for the wire to make the support ring and replace thinner wire with thread to tie the beads into place. You could even mixed beads and buttons to create an interesting wreath.

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Zentangle Inspired Sketches

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Trudy Thayer is a regular contributor to Mixed Media Art and here she shares her story of how she discover the inspiration behind these Zentangle sketches.

Trudy Thayer's zentangles

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I found zentangles when I was searching for something else online.  They instantly captured my attention with the detail and colors.  I find the level of concentration extremely relaxing  and try to better my skill daily.  I have lots of stencils and some of the art I’ve seen using this is out of this world.  I also use some ideas from these in my quilting and fabric art.

Trudy Thayer's zentangles

I use Micron Ultra Fine point for hair-like tiny tiny work; and Micron Fine for most outlining.  I get my paper in the kids craft section of the stores, a pad with three different types of papers is really cheap and the quality is fine for what I do.  For coloring I use Bic “Mark it”s. The tip is a bit on the fine side which I love.  I use colored pencils for shading and to fill in and make the color seem richer and more full bodied.  And yes, yes, yes…..this is so “zen-like” .

You can read more about Zentangles here

Trudy Thayer's zentangles

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Trudy Thayer is a 65 year old mom, gramma, veteran, and late-in-life college with a BFA  specialty in graphic design. She lives in Vancouver, Washington and loves the area and the artistic stimulus that abounds there.

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Trudy Thayer's zentangles

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Quick Handmade Mothers Day Gift

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If you are in need for a quick Mothers Day gift, here is a simple project to give your Mother, and other significant women in your life, a handmade gift from the heart. If you need to pop it into the mail, this bookmark can be easily added to your handmade greeting card. Your Mom will love you for it!

Quick and simple mixed media handmade gifts

Materials & Tools

Instructions

1. Cut our your sheet of cardboard

Using cereal box cardboard to make handmade gifts

2. Add a layer of gesso and use a skewer to draw shapes or words into the wet gesso. Leave to dry.

use gesso to create a good base

3. Choose acrylic paints in two colour and splash around some paint onto the gesso’d cardboard

Use two coloured acrylic paints

4. Use your found objects and foam stamps to add interesting shapes to your background. Apply the paint with a paintbrush and don’t worry about mixing colour – this all adds interest.

add interest with these patterns

5. Cut into shapes; you can use this background to create many different items:

  • Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) – 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″
  • Postcards – 4″ x 6″
  • Bookmarks – 1 1/4″ x 5 1/2″

5. Stamp onto your chosen item. I like using black ink so that the coloured background isn’t over-shadowed by the images. Here I have used the Wildflower set by Darkroom Door. Edge with gold pen and seal with spray varnish.

Simple bookmarks to pop in with any card

Happy creating!

 

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Using your tidbits for a wall-hanging

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Trudy Thayer has found a way to use up those “tidbits” that you have lying around, along with a few found objects to make this little wall hanging.

“It’s a 4 1/2″ wall hanging,” Trudy tells us.  “I use found objects, here the twig and feather,  left over yarns, and beads or beading.  Plus some quilting.”

Mixed Media wall hanging

Trudy sells some of her craftwork at local markets and she saves these tidbit wall hangings for kids to purchase for their friends and family when there is  an upcoming birthday, other event and the holidays.

“I only sell these to kids; I feel strongly it’s important for them to have the opportunity to buy special things on their own,” says Trudy.

To make your own Tidbits wall hanging, gather up scraps of material and arrange them into a mini quilt, about 4″ square. You can add batting into the inner layers, if you have it on hand. Sew these layers together using a sewing machine. Here you can also sew on features and trimmings.

Attach the stick to the hanging at the outer edges, using a needle and thread. Add a thread hanger in the middle of the twig, so your wall hanging can be hung. Add beads and other threads to complete the design, tucking in the feather as you go.

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Trudy Thayer is a 65 year old mom, gramma, veteran, and late-in-life college with a BFA  specialty in graphic design. She lives in Vancouver, Washington and loves the area and the artistic stimulus that abounds there.

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