Making handmade Christmas ornaments can be a great way to spend time with your children while teaching them some valuable lessons. It can be a great way to bring those same children home to spend time with you after they have grown up and moved out, or an inexpensive way to decorate a tree when you are on a limited budget. Handmade ornaments can also make wonderful gifts for friends, family and co-workers. You can even try using them on your packages in place of the bows.

When I started to think of the many ornaments over the years that my mother and I have made together I realized I could probably fill a book with ideas. I have chosen some of my favorites to share with you.

Glass Ball Ornaments

Supplies
Clear glass balls (found at your local craft store and in several sizes, the medium and large work best)
Color glass balls
Rubbing Alcohol
Acrylic paints (any paints you like, pearls, glittery, pastels be creative and don't use just Christmas colors)
Craft glue (with a fine tip and clear drying)
Fine Glitter (assorted colors)
Transparency paper
Transparent marker pens (Enamel paint pens)
Mod podge
Wrapping paper, ribbon, or rubber stamped white tissue with Christmas symbols (poinsettias, trees, teddy, and toys, anything you like as long as the picture is small and will fit on the glass ball you are using)
Paper cups or empty egg cartons
Soft bristle paint brush (an oval sash or a small round wash brush works best, can use an oval wash (looks like a small blush brush) or a 3/8 stencil brush)
Small Sponge brush
Brown crafting paper to cover your area and collect glitter.

With the above supplies you can make a variety of Christmas balls. Your first step for all projects will be to remove the top on the ball and clean them inside and out with alcohol and allow to dry.

Marble Effect Balls
Use the assorted acrylic paints, drop a few drops of several coordinating colors inside the ball and swirl it around until the inside is covered. Allow the balls to drain into paper cups for a few minutes, then set them open side up in the cups and allow to dry for at least 24 hours before you put the tops back in. You can also fill these with clear drying crafts glue, swirl around until covered inside, pour in about 1 tsp of glitter (iridescent glitters work best for this, and shake until well coated. (Tip: dump the glitter out onto a piece of the brown crafting paper you use to protect your work area; this makes it easier to pour the excess

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