DIY Keepsake Christmas Ornament

I love giving gifts just as much as I like receiving them. As you might have noticed, one of my favorite aspects of gift giving, is finding ways to personalize them, and make it meaningful for the recipient. 

Last month, I received an email from Tiny Prints that reminded me of this project. I wanted to share these keepsake ornaments with you, since it's such a simple and thoughtful gift.

I am a sucker for anything sentimental. I find a reason to keep everything, and love looking back on keepsakes to remember specific times and places throughout my life. One of my favorite Holiday traditions is decorating the Christmas tree. Every year, I put on my favorite movie, White Christmas, and decorate the tree. In years past, I've especially loved decorating with my parents. As we pull out each ornament that has been carefully packed away, we stop to remember who bought it, or during which vacation it had been purchased. My parents have a particular set of wooden ornaments that were hand painted during their first years of marriage. Because they were newly married, and only had a handful of ornaments,  they had family members paint ornaments at Thanksgiving. I love listening to my parents as we trim the tree, "Did Jay paint this one? Or was it this one?" It's part of what makes the tradition so special. Ornaments are like a road map to your life, representing the various stages, people, and places.  

This was one of my very first pins on Pinterest a few years ago. With my love of Christmas and everything sentimental, it was the perfect project. I've since made many of these for friends and family, and they're always a big hit!  What I love about these keepsake ornaments is that they're so personal. It's a reminder of one of the most special times in someone's life. And will be a treasure to have, and hang on the tree for years to come. 

I've made many of these using wedding invitations to include with my gifts when friends get married. Or use a birth announcement for an updated version of a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament. You can personalize them in so many ways. Since my sister was married in Maui, I hung a little starfish charm on her wedding ornament with the ribbon. For a birth announcement, you could add an initial charm for the baby's name. And using fun ribbon adds texture and color.

These really could not be more simple to make, and only require a few supplies...

One of my closest friends, and college roommate, is expecting her first baby in February! I couldn't be more excited for her, and I thought I'd make her a keepsake ornament using the baby shower invitation and create a tutorial for all of you. Don't you love her invitation? Tiny prints has so many cute options! 

First, gather your supplies. You'll need the invitation, announcement, or whatever you'd like to use as filler. In addition to that, you'll need a clear glass ornament, ribbon, scissors, and a round tool such as a pen (I've even used a screw driver before). I happened to have this little tool lying around which worked great this time.

First, cut your invitation into skinny strips. I like to leave things like names or dates that are meaningful, so they show through on the finished product.

Once you cut your strips, it's time to start curling. Tightly wrap the strip around your tool, creating a ringlet. Hold it in place for a few seconds to set the curl, then set it aside. 

Once all your strips are curled, you can stuff them inside the ornament. There is really no wrong way to do this, but if there is a word or date I want to show, I use my tool to help adjust the curls into place.

Once you've filled the ornament, place the top back on. Using the ribbon of your choice, create a loop to hang the ornament from. I also like to add a little decorative ribbon. I chose a light blue velvet ribbon since my friend is having a boy, and it looked nice with the colors of the invitation. 

It's such a simple ornament, but so meaningful. I'm sure anyone would love to receive it! My sister says it's always one of her favorite ornaments to put on the tree, and reminds her of her wedding in Maui. This year, she has a new one to add to her tree, a keepsake for Phillip's first Christmas. Two ornaments that represent the two of the most joyous days of her life.

I hope you'll keep this little Christmas DIY in mind, I promise anyone would love to receive it. Or make one for yourself!



Thank you, to Tiny Prints for inspiring this post!