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Last Minute Ornaments for Christmas Tree or Chanukah Bush

By
Real Estate Agent with Better Properties Seattle

I have given out some of these ideas to people in financial distress, or families who just got snowed in and couldn't get out to buy Christmas Ornaments this year.  The younger you are, the more you may need "fillers" in the early years as you grow your collection of ornaments.

These are all very low cost ideas you can make between now and tonight using things you may have around the house.

The above is a simple hand made fan that you can sit right on the tree without a hook.  This one is many years old and is made from left over scraps of foil wrapping paper.  It's double sided with two pieces of paper glued together, so it is heavier and colored on both sides.

You can use any wrapping paper, or even copy paper that you paint green and red stripes on.  Get creative!

If you have plain ornaments that were economical, and the tree just looks a little to "plain", try painting a few stripes in different colors on the plain ornament.

This one was done on colored cross stitch cloth, but you can create the same affect pretty quickly with any colored cloth.  Great idea for people who like safe ornaments that won't break.

If you just opened your ornaments and find some that have peeled or as my Mom would say "have seen better days", you can usually wash off the color altogether and paint them.  Sometimes they will be clear underneath like this one.  Sometimes they will be silver underneath.  Either way, a little paint and glitter on the washed off ball will look better than one that with peeled off color.  Fun idea for the kids to get creative with as well.

These are really, really old.  My sister and I doctored these up with some glitter and paint twenty years ago, and they were at least 20 years old then! LOL.  On the right you can see the satin balls with sequins and pinned beads.  If you have plain satin balls, letting the children who are old enough to handle pins make their own special ball is something they will treasure years later.

I made this one from glass back when I was a teenager, but you can make something similar out of cardboard. I painted two different pictures (the paint is on the inside) and put a piece of tinfoil in the middle and glued them together.  Opague paint on the faces and background, stained glass paint where you want the foil to sparkle from the lights.  A wrapped present, a toy soldier, many different designs that don't involve face painting :).  I'm surprised these are still around after 30+ years.  A piece of gold brick-a-brac glued to the edge.

Andrea, who is now 20, made this in kindergarten.  A child's block with the initial of their first name and some felt and puffs glued on.  One of my most prized possessions :)  Could be a little too late to put this one together by tonight without the materials.  But I wish I had one for each of my children, so here's an idea for future Christmas craft.

This star is cut from thin styrofoam, but you can use cardboard and glitter.

Now the the Chunukah Bush ideas.  Easy.  Just make the fans out of Blue and Silver foil paper.  Make the Star a six-pointed star with blue glitter on the circle and gold or silver glitter for the star.  Or paint.  Whatever you have around.  The little felt man can be made of blue and gold or silver or blue and white.

My Mom was Jewish and we were all raised Catholic.  My Mom worked in a Pizza Parlor when we were kids and a man came to pick up his Pizza with his very young child who hadn't seen a Christmas Tree.  My Mom knew the man and knew he was Jewish.  The little boy pointed at the Christmas Tree my Mom had in the store and asked his father what it was.  He seemed a little stuck for an answer, so my Mom quickly said "It's a Chanukah Bush!" to the man's great relief. 

Never disappoint a child.  Make a Chanukah Bush.

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Comments (15)

Neal Bloom
Brokered by eXp Realty LLC - Weston, FL
Realtor CRS-Weston FL Real Estate

Ardell,

We used to make the bush when I was younger...Happy Holidays to you my friend.

Dec 24, 2008 09:32 AM
ARDELL DellaLoggia
Better Properties Seattle - Kirkland, WA

Happy, Happy back at ya, Neal.  Someday we'll meet face to face.

Dec 24, 2008 10:26 AM
Cheryl Johnson
Highland Park, CA

Love the ideas!  And I'd add: Many small, unloved stuffed toys can become tree ornaments (unstuffed toys can work too).  Just dust them off and set them on the branches.  :-)

Dec 24, 2008 12:06 PM
ARDELL DellaLoggia
Better Properties Seattle - Kirkland, WA

Merry Christmas to you CJ!

Dec 24, 2008 12:14 PM
Randy L. Prothero
eXp Realty - Hollister, MO
Missouri REALTOR, (808) 384-5645

Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawaiian)

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou (Happy New Year)

Dec 24, 2008 02:28 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

I second Randy's wishes :) :)

Happy Holidays Ardell...and a very happy, healthy and proseperous 2009!

Dec 24, 2008 03:03 PM
Mesa, Arizona Real Estate Mesa Arizona Realtor
Homes Arizona Real Estate LLC - Mesa, AZ
AzLadyInRed

Ardell, LOVE your display of ornaments. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Stay warm, if you can. ;-)

PepperWreath

Dec 24, 2008 03:44 PM
Midori Miller
Talk 2 Midori, LLC - Daytona Beach, FL
Online Marketing For Real Estate Professionals

Ardell-there are beautiful..all that I have on my Christmas Tree are homemade ornaments dating back to 1980..it is a tradition.... my mom makes all of us an ornament each and every year..out of all the things she could give me...my ornaments are my favorite....wishing you and yours a very special holiday! 

Dec 24, 2008 09:31 PM
Patty Carroll
Vancouver, WA

I love the santa with the block that your daughter made. Maybe you could get all of your loved ones to each make one to represent them that you could add to the tree for next year. Scott and I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful holiday season with all of the joy and love that it brings.

Dec 24, 2008 11:13 PM
Anonymous
jfsellsius

One of the joys of Christmas is hanging the ornaments-- each has a memory attached.

Wishing you & Kim a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Dec 25, 2008 03:45 AM
#11
ARDELL DellaLoggia
Better Properties Seattle - Kirkland, WA

A Merry Christmas to you all.  Joe, Kim sends his very bet to you today.

Dec 25, 2008 04:58 AM
Sonny Kwan
Quantum Group Commercial - Residential - Lease Seattle, WA - Mercer Island, WA
206-819-8228

Thnaks for postiing the ornaments since I don't have a tree this year,

Dec 25, 2008 05:00 AM
Steven L. Smith
King of the House Home Inspection, Inc. - Bellingham, WA
Bellingham WA Home Inspector

Great photos Ardell. Hope you have a good holiday season.

Dec 25, 2008 08:21 AM
Debbie Summers
Charles Rutenberg Realty - New Smyrna Beach, FL

Ardell... My husband has a collection of old fishing lures, they are some of my favorite ornaments. 

Dec 26, 2008 08:31 AM
ARDELL DellaLoggia
Better Properties Seattle - Kirkland, WA

Debbie,

I truly cannot picture that.  Can you post a photo of one?

 

Dec 26, 2008 09:27 AM