[make] ornaments

I managed a few homemade ornaments this year.  Simple but really pretty.  The first is the simplest.  Remember the sweater pumpkins?  A tiny embroidery hoop plus some of the red sweater leftovers equals a super cute little Christmas "ball" perfect for my woodland tree.

A thrifted men's plaid shirt yields a different but equally cute version.  I didn't even hot glue them or put a string on them.  I just nestled them in the branches. Done.

The next was more involved but the concept just as simple.

Terrarium Ornaments:

1.  Gather up moss, plants, sticks, rocks, you name it.
2.  Get a clear glass (or plastic) ornament and remove the cap.  
3.  Start with soil, about two tablespoons will do it.
4.  Put your plant(s) in.   I used Creeping Jenny.
5.  Then add about the same amount of mulch as soil.
6.  Pack it all down with a cotton swap or chopstick.
7.  Start adding your moss.  You may need to add a little more mulch to even things out.
8.  Now the fun part, add sticks, berries, stones, beads or even tiny little ornaments.
9.  Add a little water to keep everything growing.
10. Use a cotton swab helps helps clean off the inside of the glass. 
11. Use a little twine to tie them on the tree.

All finished!

The kids helped me gather the plants, moss and mulch from our yard and we had the clear glass ornaments left over from Christmas's past so our craft was FREE!  We even packed a few up for teacher gifts with the caption "thanks for helping us grow".  A brown kraft box with some paper shreds kept them safe and sound for transport.

Now to see if we can sneak in a few others before Santa comes!