Ormanent Reprise

Link to instructions with slide show.

I am making ormanents again this year, in memory of Michelle Young. Last year, I made the slide show with instructions, and have been asked to repost it. For some reason, it works in its original entry, but doesn't want to be reposted; hence the link.

This year, I'm making them out of Christmas cards, rather than the poster board and stickers. Cards are fun, because you can theme your ormanents. They can be all blue, or all birds, or all Santas, etc. Especially if you have lots of cards to work with. This year, several people have contributed many cards, so I am enjoying the project.

A couple of words about construction: the "hedge clipper" style scissors pictured in the slide show are the best to use, because there is a lot of cutting involved. Use regular scissors and blisters will ensue.

Fiskars® makes a circle cutter that I would seriously consider if you are making a lot of them. You can set it for whatever sized circle, and it cuts them perfectly every time. Still, making ormanents is the only use I would have for the circle cutter, so I've been using scissors. Besides, I can't find the new blades for the cutter.

Glue sticks are your friends. I've used white school glue, but the pastier texture of the glue stick is much easier, sticks faster, and there is less waste and mess.

You do not have to be very precise about the glitter paint for the edges. As you can see in the photo, this year I have not trimmed the edges, just glittered them.

A spot of contrasting paint at the joins is pretty, too.

Don't forget the ribbon for hanging...

One year, I made some for the girls to take to their teachers as Christmas gifts. The very next year, I was asked by Chandra's TAG teacher for instructions. The whole class made them and took them to help decorate trees at a local institution for the care and storage of the extremely elderly.

Go play, go play.