Christmascorns

As we've rescued boxes of old ornaments from yard sales, from time to time, we find kindergarten-made treasures. I smile when I see those glittered pine cones and plastic cup snow globes, imagining the maker's pride as he carries his masterpiece home from school to be admired by loving parents and displayed on the the tree for all to see.

In homage to kindergarten ornament makers everywhere, Christmascorns are cute little "miniments" great for the tree or a nice added touch to your gift wrapping. They're easy enough to make with the kids and fast enough to make a bunch in no time. Enjoy!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Acorn Caps
• High Gloss Shellack (I used Martha Stewart)
• String for the hanger
• White Pom Poms (I used 1" pom poms for these but choose any size that fits your acorn caps)
• Glue (I used Gorilla Super Glue but any kid-friendly glue should do the job)
• Dimensional Fabric Paint in Black and Red or Orange (I used Tulip brand paint)
• Glitter

JUST THE CAPS, MA'AM

Look for caps that have a long stem, and even better, a stem with a curve. This makes it easier to tie on the string. Prepare your caps with a glossy shellack. The shellack gives them a nice shine and brings out their warm tones. (You could also paint them if you'd like.)

HANGERS

Tie a string around the stem and tie a knot to hold it in place. Tug gently to be sure it's secure. Then, draw up both ends of the string and tie a double knot to create the hanger.

For caps that have small or straight stem, use a dab a glue to be sure it will hold. But note, when I added glue, it left a bit of residue so I covered the spot with a tiny red pom pom.

JUST ADD SNOW!

Glue a white pom pom into the cap. Be sure to press the pom pom up into the cap and hold it for a bit to be sure it sticks. The pom pom will relax and fluff out when you let go.

And how cute is this! I had a few double caps in my stash... Christmascorn Twins!

And see. These are so fast and easy to make, I made a bunch all at once!

FACE IT!

Dimensional fabric paint makes it fast and easy to create the face. I pressed the tip of the bottle into the pom pom a bit to be sure the paint wasn't just sitting on the surface. Squeeze gently and you'll see the paint seep into the pom pom and rise to the surface. You might want to practice first to get a feel for it but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy.

THE FINISHING TOUCH

And it wouldn't be Christmas without a little glitter! I added a tiny bit more shellack to the cap and sprinkled it with glitter!

Don't have time to make them? You'll find Christmascorns in our Easy Shop beginning in August. And remember, all proceeds go to benefit Hasbro Children's Hospital!

Merry Christmas!

Cheryl

Ornament Rescuer