How To Make Easy Wood Reindeer Ornaments
Our Christmas tree was looking a little bare this year. It just needed a little something extra. Rather than going and buying ornaments, I came up with these reindeer ornaments to craft. Not that I don’t already have a million projects to finish before Christmas. Sometimes I get side tracked, you know? I am loving these reindeer ornaments though. The reindeer head silhouette is just adorable.
They would fit into any tree decor. Rustic, lodge, traditional or eclectic like mine. I don’t have any theme going on with my tree. We just put every ornament we ever bought or made. Our Christmas tree is full of memories. These new reindeer ornaments fit in perfectly.
Crafting these little reindeer ornaments has been so much fun. I have spent a good portion of my week end on these little guys. Well, just bits of time here and there. This is a very simple project that can be mass produced in assembly line fashion. Or one by one. They are inexpensive to make and would be a great activity to do with the kids. The supplies are available at your local craft store. They take very little time to complete. They make a great addition to a Christmas tree or wreath. Or even a gift tag.
Reindeer Ornaments DIY Supplies
I cut the reindeer sticker heads with my Cricut Explore. I cut them at 2 inches high from Contact paper. If you don’t own a Cricut you could use any sticker.
- Reindeer head stickers
- Red craft paint (I used tomato red)
- Small disposable foam brush
- 1 package 3 inch wood circles
- Drill
- Twine
Directions To Make The Reindeer Ornaments
To begin, I applied a reindeer head sticker to each wood circle. Using my scraper, I smoothed the reindeer head sticker to the wood. Trying to get out any air bubbles. The more the sticker adheres to the wood circle the less likely the paint will bleed through.
Painting
Time to paint these guys.I used a scrap piece of paper to lay my ornament on for the painting. I just slapped some craft paint all over. Right over that reindeer head sticker and all over the wood circle. I am not after perfection here. It is handmade after all. Not machine made. Have fun and slap that paint right on. You get points for sloppiness. Just keep the paint on your scrap paper. No sense in creating more mess to clean up.
I also painted the edges but not the back. No one sees the back anyway.
Set aside the painted ornament to dry. Takes only about thirty minutes to dry.
Once dry, it is time to remove the reindeer head sticker. Using a pick or tweezers, carefully lift off the sticker. This is my favorite part. The big reveal. It never ceases to amaze me. These reindeer heads are just adorable. Have I said that already?
Drill A Hole
Now it’s time to get out the drill. Using a 5/32 drill bit, carefully drill a hole in the top of the ornament. The wood circles are thin so use caution when drilling. You don’t want to split the wood. Remember safety first when using power tools. Adults only are to use drills.
Tying The Ornament
I used jute twine I got at Marshall’s last year but you could use any jute or baker’s twine. Cut 10 inch lengths of twine to thread through the reindeer ornaments for hanging on the tree. Fold the twine in half and insert the looped end through the front of the reindeer ornament. Then thread the tail of the twine through the loop and pull taut. Knot the loose ends of the twine together. Tying this way will make your ornament hang straight.
There you have a rustic handmade reindeer ornament. Yet, looks lovely hanging on the Christmas tree. I see myself crafting many more ornaments but perhaps using a different silhouette.
One more project completed. And how many more to go before Christmas?
Using a Cricut to make your Christmas more personal, see how to create a monogram gift tag. So cute and everyone loves their initial on presents.