This Year We Make Our Handmade Christmas Ornaments Together

Every November, our home starts to feel different. The weather cools, the evenings come earlier, and the small routines in our day feel a little cozier.

Normally, this is the time when I visit stores to look at holiday decorations. I pick up boxes of shiny ornaments, compare colors, and wonder what theme might look nice on our tree. But this year, while walking through the holiday aisle with my baby in the stroller, I didn’t feel the usual excitement.

Everything looked pretty, but nothing felt personal. I kept thinking about how fast we go through holiday items and how quickly they end up in storage or in the trash when the season ends.

So this year, we decided to handmake our ornaments. I told Evan my idea, and he smiled because he loves sentimental things. We chose five types of ornaments, and each one became a small memory on its own.

1. Angel Ornament Made from an Old Music Sheet

I had an old music sheet tucked in a drawer from years ago. The edges had softened, and there were small creases from being folded again and again. Instead of letting it sit untouched, I decided to turn it into an angel ornament.

I cut a small rectangle and folded it back and forth until it formed tiny pleats. The paper crinkled softly with each fold, and my baby reached over to touch it, fascinated by the sound. They kept patting the strip of paper until one end bent a little unevenly. I kept that bend because it felt honest.

Evan helped me glue on a wooden bead for the head while my baby explored the leftover scraps on the table. The scraps made soft rustling noises, and every time they picked one up, they looked at me like they had discovered something new.

2. Old Baubles With My Baby’s Photo Inside

We had a box of old baubles from the years before becoming parents. Some were chipped, and others were scratched from being packed away too quickly during past holiday cleanups. I almost threw them out last year, and I’m glad I didn’t.

I decided to turn them into keepsakes. I chose a few small photos of my baby, little snapshots from this year: their first messy breakfast, a moment in the park holding a leaf, a picture of them sitting on Evan’s shoulders. I printed them in miniature size and trimmed the edges so they would fit inside the baubles.

However, opening the baubles was a bit tricky. One lid got stuck, and another one creaked loudly as I twisted it. My baby watched with big, curious eyes, trying to grab the photo rolls before I slipped them inside. When I held up the first finished bauble, they tapped their own face through the clear plastic and giggled.

Evan hung one on the tree and said he hoped we made these every year. These ornaments shine differently from store-bought ones because they hold pieces of our family instead of patterns or glitter.

3. Popsicle Stick Ornaments

Popsicle sticks are a comfort craft to me. They’re simple, lightweight, and perfect for small hands. I set them out on the living room rug, and my baby immediately tried to stack them like building blocks.

Next, we arranged a few sticks into star shapes and small snowflakes. My baby kept placing their hand over mine, which made some shapes a little crooked, but I didn’t fix them too much.

We painted the ornaments together. I used a small brush, while my baby dabbed paint with a sponge. The colors blended in unexpected ways – bits of gold mixing with soft blue and tiny marks made by their fingertips.

4. Dried Orange Slice Ornaments

These were the easiest ornaments to plan and the most rewarding to make. One afternoon, while preparing lunch, I noticed I had a few oranges that were starting to soften. Instead of letting them go to waste, I sliced them into thin circles.

My baby sat on the kitchen floor with a mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, hitting the bowl gently while watching me. The smell of fresh oranges filled the kitchen, and some juice dripped onto the cutting board. I placed the slices on a baking tray and dried them slowly in the oven.

As the oranges warmed, the scent spread through the house, it felt like the beginning of Christmas even though it was only November. When they finished drying, the slices looked like tiny stained-glass windows.

We added twine and hung them on the tree. The warm orange color stood out beautifully against the green branches. They made the room feel comforting like a small reminder that Christmas doesn’t have to come from a store to feel special.

5. Painting Wine Corks

I had saved wine corks from dinners, anniversaries, and a few moments Evan and I celebrated quietly at home. They sat in a drawer for a long time, waiting for a project. This year felt like the right time to use them.

I placed the corks on a tray and poured a few paint colors into small dishes. My baby dipped a brush into the paint and tapped the corks with small, uneven strokes. Some strokes landed on the tray, some on their own hand, and some on my knee.

We painted simple designs such as dots, tiny lines, little faces. Evan joined us and drew a tiny crooked smile on one cork that became a favorite. The finished pieces looked cheerful and familiar, like decorations made in a family kitchen, not in a store.

A Tree That Tells Our Story

When we finished all five types of ornaments, our living room felt different. The tree didn’t match in color or style. Some ornaments leaned a little, and some had visible glue marks. But the tree felt warm, real, and full of our life this year.

Crafting these ornaments together reminded me why handmade things matter. They slow us down, bring us closer, and even turn ordinary afternoons into memories we can hold onto.

I hope that as my baby grows older, they’ll look at these ornaments and see parts of their childhood woven into the branches. And I hope they learn that you don’t need perfect decorations to create a beautiful holiday.