Make these DIY photo ornaments with your kids for easy, sentimental ornaments that you can gift or keep to look back on every year!
Hello! I’m Amy and I blog over at amylanham.com. I love a simple and fun craft. Bonus points if it’s relatively inexpensive. This one is all three!
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I love to DIY ornaments. There’s something so special about seeing handmade ornaments hanging all over the tree or garland.
We make ornaments every year, and I always try to make one photo ornament, but I always struggle. I don’t want them to be too big or too small. And I don’t want them to take a ton of time.
These DIY photo ornaments are simple and can be customized to your hearts content. I love being able to change up my decor and use fun colors. As long as you can find the paper, then you can use any color you want!
How To Make DIY Photo Ornaments
Use patterned paper to make these DIY photo ornaments in any color palette you want!
What You Need:
Here’s what you’ll need from the store. The exact amounts are in the printable craft card at the bottom of this post.
Craft Tools Needed:
Supplies Needed:
DIY Photo Ornament Tips
What is a crop- a-dile?
Crop-a-dile is an amazing crafting tool. It has two sized hole punches and then has an eyelet setter. It makes creating holes and reinforcing them with eyelets so incredibly easy.
It’s a tool I don’t reach for often, but every time I need it I’m so glad I have it! It’s perfect for these DIY photo ornaments because the eyelet reinforces the hole and makes much less likely that the string will rip through the paper.
If you don’t have a crop-a-dile, no need to run out and get one. Just use a hole punch to make a hole at the top of your photo ornament. Be extra careful hanging your ornament and you shouldn’t have any problems.
Use Elmer’s Tape Runner
Find Elmer’s Tape Runner in the scrapbooking section, or online. I bought it at Walmart, it makes these kinds of crafts so much easier!
It’s photo safe tape and permanent. It’s also really easy to apply. No need to get your fingers all sticky trying to use other double sided tape or glue. And there’s no dry time like with glue.
This type of tape runner is also easy for kids to use. It makes this craft go so much faster.
Do all the cutting beforehand
If you have young kids, there will be a bit of prep involved in this craft.
I cut out all the patterned paper and photos before hand and then invited my kids to help.
They’re 5 and 7. They could definitely have helped cutting or with the Cricut, but it was easier to do those while they were away so the cuts would be nice. If you have older kids, definitely allow them to cut some photos out too.
Once everything was cut, I let the kids pick the patterned paper they wanted for the ornament and the photo they wanted to go on. Tape the photo on, use the crop-a-dile, and pick their color string. There’s still plenty for them to do even after everything is cut!
DIY Photo Ornament
Equipment
- 1 Pair of scissors
- 1 Cricut or other cutting machine optional can use scissors
- 1 Crop-a-dile or hole punch
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Patterned Paper coordinating colors (can use more if wanted)
- 1 piece Letter size Matte Photo Paper
- Tape or Glue Elmer's Tape Runner works great
- String
- 2 Eyelets
Instructions
- Use a Cricut to cut the patterned paper into scalloped circles approximately 3.5 inches round. Cut 2x the amount of ornaments. So if you want 16 finished ornaments, cut 32 circles.
- Print out photos sized at 2 inch rounds. I fit 16 round photos on one 8.5×11 inch paper.
- Use tape or glue to attach the 2 inch photos to the 3.5 inch scalloped circles.
- Use a crop-a-dile to punch a hole and set an eyelet into the top of 16 of the scalloped circles.
- Add a string through the eyelet at the top. Tie to create a hanger for the ornament.
- Use tape or glue to attach another piece of patterned paper to the back of the ornaments.
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What’s Next?
If you liked this DIY photo ornament, here are some other ornament crafts you might enjoy:
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If you enjoyed this DIY photo ornament then you will love these winter craft ideas:
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