Unique Ideas for Homemade Christmas Ornaments
Making a cork reindeer ornament is a simple and fun craft project. I have made them with my pre-school class and at home. All you need is:
-package of corks (you can find them at most craft stores for about $3-$4 a bag)
-brown pipe cleaners
-hot glue gun
-toothpick or a stick pin
-beads, small buttons, pom poms, or whatever else you would like to use for the eyes and the nose
-ribbon or ornament hook
< Before you start attaching all your body parts with your pipe cleaners, it is helpful to use a toothpick or pin to make holes where the pipe cleaners will go. The pipe cleaners aren’t quite strong enough to stick very far into the corks, so it helps to have a hole already made for them. After I have all the holes where I want them and the pipe cleaners cut, I stick the ends of the pipe cleaner into a hot glue gun to help secure them better into the cork. If kids are making the reindeer ornaments, I would avoid the hot glue gun and use another kind of glue. After I have all the legs, head and tail in place I add my nose, eyes and antlers. Then last if I want to be able to hang it on the Christmas tree I make another hole on top on the body, add some glue and then stick some ribbon down into the whole using a toothpick. Most of my cork reindeer ornaments I leave off the ribbon, the reindeer look very cute just sitting in your tree.
