It is only day two and twelve ornaments have been destroyed so far. The adults are going to pack away all glass ornaments until Taz Evan is in kindergarten. The box will be sealed with a lock that won’t open until Christmas 2010. That’s the same year we will finally get to have a new school board representative, so it will be a very celebratory year. The girl children will not like this decision. Amy lovingly decorated the tree with lots of “oohs” and “aahs” about the “cuteness” of each ornament. I need ideas for unbreakable holiday decorations. Please send me a link to any unbreakable ornament pictures or patterns that don’t take forever to craft. Something simpler than Martha Stewart, but nicer than toilet paper tubes. I know it’s Friday and everyone is preoccupied with shopping lists and football games, but I’m really tired of sweeping up glass shards.
Here’s a good place to start … http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=96.0
We did lots of stuff with colored felt and glue, pine cones and pasta shapes, that kind of thing. Shrink-a-dinks … do they still make those? AC Moore has lots of ideas in the store. I put a link to my Christmas tree that shows lots of homemade ornaments over on Doug’s post about the breakage. Check that out for some ideas too!
Do you mean to tell me you have had no lighting issues so far this year? 😉 That’s GREAT. I sent you an email of a craft and the Family Fun website. They always have some cute ideas. Good Luck.
At K-Mart, Martha Stewart has glitter balls that are shatterproof. Trust me, in a house with four cats, that’s what is on our trees now.
Small -http://giftregistry.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_009W560696110001P?vName=Tools+%26+Outdoors&cName=Christmas+Trees+%26+Decorations&keyword=martha+stewart+everyday+sugarplum+dreams
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_009B579285110001P?vName=Tools+%26+Outdoors&cName=Christmas+Trees+%26+Decorations&keyword=martha+stewart+everyday+first+snowfall
Last year they had some larger ones, but I can’t seem to find them on the website.
I really like those felt ones also, but I guess we should have started in June to make enough for the whole tree. 🙂
Bead red and white pony beads onto a pipe cleaner (or chenille stem as the fancier folk call them). Curl into a candy cane and voila. (We put a little turn in the end and hide it in the end beads. You can also use a dab of glue.) This might pose a choking hazard if he insists on putting them in his mouth to destroy them (but I’m assuming that he tosses them rather than eats them).
We also do brown bag ornaments. The kids trace cookie cutters (craft foam works also if you want it less involved). For the brown bags, decorate (like a gingerbread cut out – give him clothes) just by drawing the stuff on. Glue most of the way around, fill with cotton balls, and glue the rest of the way. They look like puffy, old-time ornaments.
Glue popsicle/craft sticks into a snowflake shape (hot glue works best, so that’s your part). Basically I make two crosses and set them on top of each other for eight arms. Then I let the kids decorate with glitter glue or markers. Drill a tiny hole in one of the sticks to put gold thread through for fancy hangin’ (drilling or doing it with an awl is best done before you glue it all together).
Or an easy peasy one even Evan could do is to take old Christmas cards, cut out the cute part, punch a hole, and put ribbon through for a hanger. Voila.
Do you have a Big Lots by you? If so, they have shatterproof ornaments on sale this week. Something like 48 count for $8 – various sizes, shapes, and colors.
I have seen the old Christmas cards cut out and hung with yarn or ribbon…it’s really cute. I think I saved my cards from last year if you are interested.