20 Homemade Christmas Ornaments for Beginners

You’ll find these 20 easy ornament ideas perfect for a cozy craft session, whether you’re starting from scratch or using stuff around the house. I’ll walk you through simple techniques—salt dough, felt, hot glue, even upcycled sweater pieces—so each piece looks homemade and polished. They’re quick, kid-friendly, and great for gifts or your own tree. Keep going and you’ll pick the ones that fit your style and time.

Salt Dough Snowflake Ornaments

Start by mixing 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt, and about 1/2 cup of warm water until you get a pliable dough—add a teaspoon of oil if it feels sticky. Roll thin, cut snowflake shapes, and press patterns with a fork or stencil. Dry or bake, then paint and add glitter for festive embellishments. These salt dough techniques free your creativity.

Cinnamon Stick Star Ornaments

After shaping and decorating snowflakes, try a cozy, aromatic project that brings a warm scent to your tree: cinnamon stick star ornaments. You’ll bind sticks into stars with hot glue, trim ends for symmetry, and add twine for hanging. These cinnamon stick crafts are simple, rustic, and let you customize size and ribbon. Enjoy the natural holiday scent and creative freedom as you craft.

Felt Christmas Tree Ornaments

Felt Christmas tree ornaments are a fantastic beginner project that lets you mix bright colors, simple shapes, and soft textures to create festive keepsakes you’ll actually want to touch.

You’ll choose easy felt ornament patterns, cut shapes, stitch edges with blanket stitch, and stuff lightly.

Use simple felt crafting techniques, add beads or ribbon, and hang handmade pieces that reflect your playful, liberated style.

Pinecone Glitter Angels

Pinecone glitter angels turn ordinary pinecones into charming, shimmery ornaments you’ll be proud to hang on the tree.

You’ll glue a wooden bead for the head, add a fabric or paper cone for the gown, and brush on glue to sprinkle glitter.

Use simple pinecone crafting techniques and explore angel decoration ideas to personalize wings, colors, and hanging loops for a free, festive look.

Button Candy Cane Ornaments

If you liked making glitter angels, you’ll enjoy the simple charm of button candy cane ornaments next—small, bright, and great for using up spare buttons.

You’ll thread buttons on wire, experimenting with button color combinations and button arrangement techniques to create curved stripes. Bend the wire into a cane, secure ends, and add a ribbon loop.

They’re quick, playful, and free-spirited.

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Popsicle Stick Reindeer

Think of Popsicle stick reindeer as an easy, kid-friendly project that turns plain craft sticks into cute holiday décor.

You’ll glue sticks into a body, add googly eyes, a pom-pom nose, and pipe cleaner antlers.

Paint or stain freely, then string for ornaments.

This quick tutorial lets you create playful reindeer decorations that celebrate simple, creative holiday crafts with minimal tools and joyful results.

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Wine Cork Snowmen

When you glue a few wine corks together and add tiny scarves, painted faces, and felt hats, you get charming little snowmen that make perfect tree ornaments or mantel decor.

You’ll enjoy wine cork creativity: stack, secure, paint, and thread a loop.

Add small snowman accessories—buttons, carrot noses, mini hats.

Let each piece reflect your free, playful style and hang proudly.

Mason Jar Lid Photo Ornaments

Though small, mason jar lids make perfect frames for tiny, sentimental photo ornaments you’ll reach for year after year. Cut small photos to fit, glue into cleaned lids, and seal with clear resin or Mod Podge. Add ribbon, paint edges, or stamp dates for personality. These mason jar lid designs offer simple photo ornament ideas that keep memories visible and let you decorate freely.

Beaded Hoop Ornaments

Beaded hoop ornaments bring bright color and delicate movement to your tree with minimal fuss — you’ll string beads onto small metal or embroidery hoops, add a bit of wire or ribbon, and hang a lightweight, sparkling circle that catches the lights.

Choose bead color combinations that reflect your mood, try hoop size variations for contrast, and secure knots neatly so each piece feels freely crafted.

Twine-Wrapped Mini Wreaths

If you liked the simple rhythm of stringing beads, you’ll enjoy wrapping twine into tiny wreaths that feel rustic and handmade.

You’ll form small rings from wire or cardboard, then snugly wrap twine wreaths, knotting ends invisibly. Add a sprig, tiny bell, or ribbon loop for hanging.

Work freely, experiment with colors, and place them on trees, gifts, or as minimalist festive decor.

Embroidered Hoop Baubles

Pick a small embroidery hoop and imagine a tiny, hand-stitched scene you can hang on the tree—Embroidered Hoop Baubles let you turn simple stitches into charming, personalized ornaments. Choose fabric, play with embroidery techniques like backstitch and French knots, and experiment with hoop sizes for variety. Finish edges neatly, add a ribbon loop, and let your creativity roam free on every tiny canvas.

Paper Quilling Ornaments

After you’ve enjoyed the tactile charm of embroidered hoops, try switching to paper for a different kind of delicate detail with paper quilling ornaments.

You’ll learn basic quilling techniques—rolling, shaping, gluing—and create airy snowflakes, stars, and wreaths.

Work freely, mixing colors and textures, and hang lightweight festive designs from branches or garlands for a handmade, breezy holiday look you made yourself.

Clay Fingerprint Keepsakes

A few simple ingredients and a little patience will let you turn fingerprints into lasting little treasures you’ll want to hang on the tree or tuck into a gift box.

You’ll press prints into air-dry clay, trim shapes, add a hole for ribbon, and bake or cure per clay techniques.

Paint gently, seal, and label — practical keepsake ideas you’ll love gifting.

Pom-Pom Snowball Ornaments

If you enjoyed pressing tiny impressions into clay, you’ll love the quick, cozy satisfaction of making pom‑pom snowball ornaments.

You’ll choose yarn colors, learn basic pom pom techniques, and trim fluff for roundness.

Tie loops, cluster different sizes, and experiment with snowball variations—glitter, layered, or tiny bells—to craft airy, unstructured pieces that let your holiday creativity roam free.

Painted Wooden Disc Ornaments

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Fabric Scrap Heart Ornaments

Gather a handful of colorful fabric scraps and you’ll have everything you need to make charming heart ornaments that feel homemade and warm.

Cut heart shapes from varied fabric types, layer and stitch with simple sewing techniques, then add embellishment ideas like buttons or trim.

Explore bold color combinations, personalization options for names, holiday themes, essential crafting tools, gift ideas, and smart storage solutions.

Melted Crayon Suncatchers

Melted crayon suncatchers turn simple wax scraps into glowing window art you’ll be proud to hang.

You’ll pick colors, scrape shavings, and use safe crayon melting techniques in a silicone mold or between parchment sheets.

Press hooks or ribbon loops before cooling.

Experiment with shapes, layering, and suncatcher display ideas—clustered, staggered, or single pieces—to free your space with playful, luminous charm.

Upcycled Sweater Mittens

If your favorite sweater has a snag or a hole, don’t toss it — turn it into cozy mittens instead. You’ll cut mitten shapes from the sleeve, stitch edges, and add a thumb seam. Trim fringe or sew on buttons for personality. These upcycled sweater ideas make warm, unique gifts and fit right into your list of cozy holiday crafts — simple, freeing, and handmade.

Hot Glue Icicle Decorations

Hot glue icicles are a fast, low-mess way to make glittering decorations that look store-bought without the price tag—just squeeze hot glue into drips on a nonstick surface, let them cool, and peel them up.

You’ll experiment with hot glue techniques to vary length and texture, add glitter or paint, and hang icicle designs from branches or garlands for a free-spirited, custom look.

Hand-Painted Slate Ornaments

After you’ve played with glossy, glittered icicles, try something more rustic: hand-painted slate ornaments bring a calm, natural contrast to sparkly decor. You’ll sand and seal small slate shapes, sketch simple motifs, then apply slate painting techniques with acrylics. Choose seasonal color palettes—muted greens, deep reds, gold accents—drill tiny holes, add twine, and hang them for a liberated, earthy holiday look.