Art Lesson Plan: 12 Christmas Ornaments

#1 Clothespin Rudolph Ornament:

Materials for each reindeer ornament:

1. 3 old-fashioned clothespins
2. 6″ piece of 1/4″ wide red ribbon
3. decorative cloth holly applique (craft or scrap booking store)
4. 2 small googly eyes
5. tiny red pompom for nose

Method:

1. Glue two clothespins together for the legs, with the third clothespin upside down for the head and antlers.
2. Glue on the holly applique on his forehead, two googly eyes in the middle of clothespin, with the small pompom at the bottom for the nose.
3. Glue ribbon behind head and antler clothespin, balancing the ornament for hanging.

#2 Popsicle Stick Tree Ornament

Materials for each tree:

1. 4 wooden popsicle sticks
2. green paint
3. one gold, silver, red, or blue pipe cleaner
4. hanging cord or ribbon
5. paintbrushes
6. white glue

Method:

1. Glue popsicle sticks into a triangle shape.
2. You may have to break a popsicle stick into a length long enough to balance the triangle shape.
3. Paint the tree green and let it dry.
4. ‘Decorate’ the tree by bending the beginning of the pipe cleaner at the top, and zigzagging it down the tree, back and forth, hooking the end around the wooden tree.

#3 Pine Cone Skiier Ornament

Materials for each skiier ornament:

1. one pine cone
2. one large pompom
3. small but long triangle of red felt
4. head ball (craft store, they come face painted on)
5. small green piece of felt cut long and skinny in scarf shape
6. two paper corrugated bulletin board paper, cut into 2 skiis
7. white glue

Method:

1. Cross skiis and glue together.
2. Glue pine cone onto skiis.
3. Glue head on top of pine cone.
4. Glue scarf around head.
5. Glue red triangle into long hat shape and glue on top of the ball head.
6. Attach big yellow pompom by gluing on top of hat.

#4 Foam Star Ornament

Materials for each star:

1. 2 foam stars
2. 2 small googly eyes
3. 2 small pink pompoms
4. multi-colored glitter
5. red fine-tipped marker
6. glue gun and glue sticks
7. ribbon or string hanger
8. white glue

Method:

1. Glue 2 stars together with glue gun (teacher can do this ahead of time if desired) attaching the hanger in between them.
2. Students use white glue to add the eyes, cheek pompoms and glitter at the corners of the star.
3. Use the red marker to add a cute little smile.

#5 Felt Ornaments

Materials for one ornament:

1. 2 pieces of felt cut in circle shape
2. scraps of felt for stuffing
3. fabric paint (red, white, blue, black)
4. paintbrushes
5. tree ornament hook
6. glue gun and glue sticks

Method:

1. Teacher piles felt scraps in centre of one circle, puts ring of glue around outside edge of that circle, places a tree ornament hook at the top, then presses the second felt circle to that first circle (this makes the basic ornament).
2. Student decorates with a Christmas greeting (Merry Christmas, or I Love You), or a candy cane hanging on a tree branch, or any design.

#6 Melted Plastic Cup Ornaments

Materials:

1. plastic Solo drink cups
2. permanent markers in red, blue, green
3. ribbon or string hangers
4. access to oven
5. baking trays

Method:

1. Students decorate plastic drinking cups with permanent markers. Any design will do. Try writing messages if you like, or drawing Christmas trees or wreaths and stars.
2. Teacher places ornaments on tray at low temperature, watching until they shrivel down. This doesn’t take long. Let them cool.
3. Attach hanging string.

#7 Candy Canes and Icicle Ornaments

Materials:

1. red or white or green pipecleaners
2. Y-shaped beads that interlock (white and red ones) for candy canes and for the icicle: flower-shaped thin-finned beads 3-5 for the top and about 8 Y-shaped beads that interlock, then 7 faceted round beads for the bottom of the icicle.
3. scissors

Method:

1. For the candy canes, thread on the Y-shaped beads, 1 or 2 red, then white beads, alternating, bending down the pipe cleaner at the beginning and end of the threading.
2. For the icicle, thread on the flower-shaped, 3-5 thin-finned beads, then the 8 Y-shaped beads, finishing with the 7 round faceted beads, remembering to bend the pipe cleaner at the beginning and at the end. Pipe cleaners will need to be cut to size.

#8 Bead Wreath and Candle Ornaments

Materials for one wreath:

1. multi-colored faceted round beads
2. pipe cleaners, any color
3. scissors

Method:

1. Using 2 pipe cleaners, thread 3 beads on each pipe cleaner, then twist together making a small circle*, then thread on 3 more beads on each pipe cleaner, twisting again. Continue until you have made a small wreath.
2. Twist the end of the pipe cleaners to the space between the 2nd and 3rd small circle (noted by a * above in #1.) This is the hanger at the top of the wreath.

Materials for one candle ornament:

1. 22 clear faceted round beads for circle
2. 10 red and 2 clear Y-shaped, interlocking beads for the candle and flame
3. 6 green flower-shaped thin-finned beads for the green base of the candle
4. pipe cleaner
5. scissor

Method:

1. Thread the clear round beads on a pipe cleaner. Don’t bend the ends yet.
2. Add 3 of the green finned beads on each end, moving all the beads near one end, then twist the pipe cleaner together, making a circle at the end of one side of the pipe cleaner.
3. Bend the remaining end of the pipe cleaner up into the center of the circle, then thread on the 10 red and 2 clear interlocking Y-beads making the candle.
4. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner to make a flame. You can cut the pipe cleaner now or attach it to the top of the circle to keep the candle centered.

#9 Bead Star Ornaments

Materials for one ornament:

1. Blue star: 48 round blue beads and 2 gold pipe cleaners
2. Spoke star: 3 gold pipe cleaners, twisted together in the middle, making a 6-spoke wheel, variety of round beads, Y-shaped interlocking beads

Method:

1. Blue Star shape: Twist pipe cleaner ends together at the top. Thread faceted round beads on each side, leaving some spaces between beads, bending pipe cleaner into star-shape, then twisting the 2 pipe cleaner sides together at the bottom.
2. Star Spoke shape: Thread beads on spokes, starting with faceted white round beads, then thin-finned beads, followed by Y-shaped interlocking beads. Bend pipe cleaner over at the end of each spoke.

#10 Felt Stocking Ornaments

Materials:

1. Felt material
2. white glue
3. fabric paints

Method:

1. Cut out small stocking shape. Glue cuff and heel and toe patches.
2. Decorate with fabric paint.

#12 Woven Heart Ornament

Material:

1. red and green paper
2. scissors
3. white glue
4. ribbon or paper hanger

Method:

1. Fold red paper in half. Place a green piece of paper underneath. Cut out heart, leaving fold on left side. Put green heart aside.
2. On red heart, on the top side, cut 3 strips diagonally from right side to left, cutting off the right part of the heart, but leaving a 1/4 percent uncut red at left side. Cut 3 diagonal strips in the green heart, cutting off the left side.
3. Have students weave the green and red strips together. Attach a ribbon or paper hanger between the 2 sides then glue it in and also glue down the woven strips unto the solid red back of the heart.

Tags: christmas, decorations, ornaments