EASY HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS

I've been known to take a can of my trusty Rust-Oleum spray paint and gild any object that comes through our front door. Gold makes everything better, right? Ornaments are not excluded, even though they only grace us with their presence once a year. (See these? Once red.)

My spray paint habit might be just a little out of hand, but what's better than plain gold? Glittery gold, of course. Making these ornaments was super easy, and I love how they look on our tree. The best part is they're completely affordable. Since I have massive amounts of glitter and an industrial size tube of E6000 glue already on hand, my only cost was this little elephant and the jewelry clasps I used to turn him into an ornament. Total cost? Less than $5.

I love the idea of tying one of these to a present for a gift that the recipient can use year after year. (PS - looking for non-ugly gift tags?)

Even novice crafters or kids can do this. Ready, set, go!

Materials You'll Need

Plastic Animal Figurine - Michael's has a great selection and most of them are around $2-$3 each, or here's a set of 6 for $10  Martha Stewart Glittering Glue  |  Glitter - Martha Stewart is my favorite, I used Smoky Quartz for this project  |  E6000 glue   Darice Gold Magnetic Jewelry Clasps  |  Thin Metallic Ribbon

[1] Apply the glittering glue in a thin, even layer. I used a paint brush to get in the corners and crevices since the brush that comes with the glue is a little clunky. To have something to hold on to when working, I did all but one leg of the elephant with the glue and glitter the first round, then went back and did the last leg once it dried.

[2] Shake the glitter all over. Use more than you think you'll need, and make sure to get a nice, thick layer. I let mine dry for 3 hours between steps 2 & 3.

[3] Once it's dry, repeat steps 1 & 2 with the glitter. Let him dry for another 3 hours then shake off all the excess. Let the project dry overnight.

[4] Place a dot of the glue on a piece of paper, then dab one side of the magnetic clasp in this drop. This gets enough glue to make it stick, but not make a huge mess.

[5] Find a flat portion of your animal, closest to center as possible. Make sure to twist the clasp so the hook is open the opposite end of how you want the ornament to hang. For me, this meant turning the clasp parallel to the elephant's head.

[6] Allow the glue to set for an hour, then thread a piece of metallic ribbon or thread through the hook.

See? Easy! Have you ever tried making your own ornaments? I ended up making a giraffe, elephant, and polar bear using this technique. I may or may not have named them.