Amanda Hawkins

block ornaments

Make your own!

These ornaments are super simple to make, you just need a wooden block, an eye hook, gluestick and whatever else you want to glue or stamp on!

Decorate your block first, don’t put anything too special on the top because next you screw the eye hook into it! My first layer was lined writing paper or a dictionary page, then I glued on little pieces of bright tissue paper.

A note about tissue paper – it’s one of my favortie materials for collaging. It comes in a million colors and you don’t ever have to buy it cause you can just collect it from trashcans at birthday and holiday parties.

A secret technique of mine is to type on white tissue paper with the typewriter then glue it on top of a collage – it makes it look like you just typed right over the art. And because tissue paper is transparent (especially when loaded up with glue) it adds a ton of texture to a piece. Even if it’s super bright or patterned you can always faintly see whatever is underneath.

The last step is to screw the eye hook into the top of the wooden block. I used a hammer and nail to start the hole and it goes in easily from there. After doing several of them my fingers were very sore though so I started using needle nose pliers to twist them in. Tie some ribbon on to hang the ornament and you’re finished!

I made these ornaments a couple years ago for an ornament swap I was doing. Here’s a lovely photo of the ornament on a fellow swapper’s tree – by mommyishome on flickr