10 DIY Milestone Christmas Ornaments
Celebrate all of life's firsts, and hang onto memories with handmade keepsake ornaments.
A Unique Memento for the Newlyweds
Upcycle decor or accessories from your wedding, and repurpose them as ornaments in celebration of your first Christmas as a married couple. This cake topper now sways happily on a "swing" beneath DIY mistletoe.
First Anniversary Crossword
Buy a game of Scrabble, and attach the tiles to a piece of cardboard to create crossword messages of love.
Home Sweet Home
Nomadic family? Map your new home, and create a keepsake of your current (and past) dwellings. To make, download a map of your state online (I found many free options licensed for personal use), and print out. Draw a star or place a sticker on your town, and attach to wooden trim. Attach a loop of twine or string to hang.
Love Thy State
Jaime Costiglio of ThatsMyLetter.com had the right idea with these DIY pendant ornament gifts. Crafted durably in wood and meticulously cut with a scroll saw, they're classically cool and certainly a memorable gift for friends celebrating their first holiday in a new home or state.
Annual Family Ornaments
Craft a new ornament every year using a photo of the kids on Christmas morning. You'll go down memory lane each year as you celebrate the expansion of your family and the children's growth year-to-year.
Cherish the First Year With Baby Silhouettes
Celebrate baby's first Christmas with silhouette ornaments. Sherry and John Petersik of YoungHouseLove.com show how to make digital silhouettes using photographs of your subject and rescaling those silhouettes to attach to small ornaments. Get the full instructions here.
Make a Keepsake Using Old Clothes
Use embroidery hoops to display small circles cut from your children's old clothes, and enjoy the memories long after they've outgrown them.
Get Crafty With Photo Ornaments
Baby's first Christmas ornaments can take on any shape, size, and number of variables, but as a new parent, the easier the better. Bake a stamped clay ornament or use quick-dry paper clay for a keepsake you'll cherish for years to come.
Gift a Tiny House Ornament
A new home in which you'll create happy memories in is a milestone worth celebrating. Create a DIY keepsake ornament from oven-baked clay or wood for yourself or friends who've recently moved into a new home. Add an extra touch by etching the family's name with a wood-burning tool or hand-painting the ornament to match the exterior of the home.
Remember the Christmas Tree
When you trim the end of your Christmas tree trunk, save the slice of wood to display as an ornament for future Christmases. Use a scroll saw or a router to scribe the year into the ornament, or use a wood-burning tool or paint to add your own touch in remembrance of the holiday season.
