Making Mama’s Memorial Ornaments

This will be our first Christmas without Mama. I am making memorial ornaments for me and my sister. They are pink, Mama’s favorite color.

I will share the steps for doing this. You only need plain ornaments, decorative napkins, glue, foam paint brushes, glitter and scissors.

Remembering Mama


I use paper plates to contain the mess.  This is a really messy project. That’s why I love it!

Do not sigh or sneeze PLEASE!


Used yogurt containers, Choboni flip and Qui, are great for glue and water. I labeled my glue containers M for matte and G for gloss. I have used both so you can see the difference.

Peel the back two layers off your napkins. Save these for cleaning up.

Peel off plain ply layers from the back.

Also remove the top hanger of the ornaments. Do not lose these in the mess!

I stick shewers and my fingers in the top holes to hold the balls.

Hold by the hole.

Cut out the central designs to be featured on your ornament. These go on first.  Plan your spacing and arranging.

Sometimes parts get cut off and must be replaced, like little paper Frankensteins.

Soldiers with new hat and new legs.

Then either hang or perch them on something to dry. This means leave them alone for a bit. Repeat again until totally covered.

Hung on a skewer.

If this were a Decoupage Party it would be time for Mimosas and snacks. Since I am alone, I am using the down time to write steps as I go. Pausing is hard for me.

Now use the napkin scraps to fill in the blank parts of the ornament. Overlap as little as possible. Glitter and glue will cover the booboos.

Glue more, hang to dry more.

Lastly, you cover any bare sections with custom cut pieces of plain background from the waste left from the napkins.

Let’s talk glitter. It is possible to do a perfect job of decoupage and ruin it with the wrong glitter. Very detailed designs need white, extra fine glitter. Do not use irridescent unless you want to add color, or there is a simple design, or lots of repetition or you want to cover up some ugly. Some shaggy irridescent glitter totally blocks the design

Fine white rose irridescent on left, mixed sized bling in the middle called party blend /snow swirl, white iris on the right

Party Blend or bling should be used on plain ornaments as a featured texturizer.

Party blend glitter on the left on a flat white. Flat white ornament/ no glitter on the right. Easy enough for children. Ribbon can be glued around the sides.

I usually save all residual glitter and mix it on the last ornament.  I hate the ball glitter. It rolls. Do not buy it…ever.

Let the completed ornaments dry over-night. I usually use clear spray to seal these, but don’t have any here.

Almost done.

Warning, if you sigh alot or sneeze, this may NOT be the craft project for you. I am a sigher and usually send tiny pieces of napkins and glitter all over.

Blogging and decoupaging.

FLOW

A Tour of Our Tree

I am sharing our Christmas tree full of history. My children have their own ornaments, which they put on the tree themselves. Rose’s are hung, but my son is not home yet. He and his ornaments are missing.

He is taking an important exam today. Our son has been preparing for this day a long time. We will be proud, no matter the outcome.
I hope he will see this post during the lunchbreak to take his mind to a place of peace and joy for a bit.

A tiny scene in a walnut.
An exhausted elf.
My grandparents, angels from students and a holiday stein for Mr. Flower.
Rose and some rabbits.
Rabbits and fish are here due to my former pets, New Zealand Lops, Barley and Charlotte.  The family fishes for fun, but all fish are returned to the water.
There will always be a witch here. Ha
Babies First Ornaments 1989 and 1992
Ornaments from Greek Festivals
Glass reindeers were given to my department my first year of teaching.
Mary, made in my 6th grade class with Mr. G

Come home soon Handsome. There are empty spaces for you to fill.

WE LOVE YOU

Mom, Busy Bee, Flower, Seizure Mama…