Frugal & Fun - Ornaments

Today is Halloween and I truly hate to think about Christmas until this day is over.
NOW we can get busy and make some lovely and easy ornaments for ourselves and for gifts.  Super frugal and cute!


CINNAMON ORNAMENTS
1 1/2 C smooth applesauce
2 C cinnamon (buy cheaply at dollar stores)
Mix ingredients together.  Roll out dough to about 1/4" thick - use cookies cutters to make cute shapes.  Improvise and make cute hand or foot cutouts of the kids or grands!
When rolling out and working with dough lightly dust area and hands with cinnamon.
Air dry for 3 - 4 days OR bake at 175* for 2 -3 hours.
Use a small straw to make a hole for ribbon, string, or hook.
**Store in zip-lock bags after Christmas to preserve smell for next year.  THEY SMELL SO GOOD!

These are so cute as tree decorations, added to wreaths, or as a cute addition to a package.


SALT ORNAMENTS
4 C flour
1 C salt
1 1/2 C warm water
Mix dry ingredients and slowly add water while stirring.  When the dough gets too stiff to mix with a spoon, use your hands.  Roll out 1/8" thick. (If too thick it will tend to split and break).  best to roll between 2 sheets of parchment paper.  Use a skinny straw to make a hole.  Bake at 300* on parchment for about 1 hour.  Allow to cool and paint and then spray with poly spray.

Paint and spray for beautiful gifts or gift tags (add a personal touch with painting a name).


WHITE CLAY ORNAMENTS
1 C baking soda
1/2 C corn starch
3/4 C warm water
Mix dry ingredients in a cooking pot - then add water and stir.  Stir over medium heat until bubbling and pulling away from sides of pot.  Cool a bit in the pot - then remove and knead into a soft dough.  IF too wet, add a bit more baking soda.  Roll 1/4" thick and cut into shapes.
*You can add glitter to the dough at the kneading stage if desired.
Push in beads, jewels or other decorations and allow to air dry over night. 
This dough would be cute to add pet paw prints - or kids hand/foot prints in.
These can be painted if desired.

PINE CONE DECORATIONS
Pinecone can be found most anywhere.  If no pine trees in your yard, check your local park or cemetery - most all have pinecones laying all over the ground.
Pinecones can be spray painted, glued and glittered, dipped in wax, etc.  They can be turned upside down and made into trees, can be added to wreaths, made into cute angels, added to center pieces or garland, placed on mantles and on and on.............................

I like making bird gifts with them.  Spread the cone with peanut butter and roll in bird seed to heavily coat.  Wrap loosely in plastic wrap and a ribbon and give to a bird loving friend!!!!

TWIGS AND BRANCHES
Nature gives us so many gifts that we can use in lovely and rustic decorations.  Learn to use what you have.
Twigs can be cut into pieces and glued to the outside of a plain votive holder for a rustic candle holder.
Fill a vase with assorted sizes of branches - wrap a lovely bow around the vase.  Branches can be left plain or spray painted (gold is festive).
Grape vines can be made into wreaths.
You can make all kinds of ornaments with twigs - twigs and a glue gun is all you need.
Spare ribbon pieces or strips of fabric and twigs can be a cute Christmas tree ornament.

Your imagination is your only limiting factor on creating fun and easy FREE ornaments from nature.


You can make so many cute decorations for pennies or FREE.  These are also fun projects for the kids or grandkids - what a fun day it would be.  How lovely to decorate your home with homemade, and how cute these would all be as gifts.  I love homemade gifts - so personal.

Get your CREATIVE BRAIN GOING and have some frugal fun.
Decorating and gifting doesn't have to cost much!