This craft is perfect for kids of all ages to make around the holidays! And the best part?! It’s super simple. This eco-friendly craft will help preserve a part of your special Christmas tree forever! All you need are a few basic supplies, some pine needles collected right off your tree – (or floor for that matter!) Read on and learn how to make these Beautiful DIY Nature Keepsake Ornaments!
I love using natural elements when crafting. There is so much raw beauty found right in nature! The natural pine needles look stunning and festive in contrast against the white clay. I guarantee you will love how they look. These ornaments will be great for decorating your own tree, or given as thoughtful gifts!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR BEAUTIFUL DIY NATURE KEEPSAKE ORNAMENTS:
Pine Needles
Straw
Modge Podge – I linked a starter kit to see which kind you prefer – it comes with a matte and glossy finish. In my opinion it’s really nice to have both depending on what ornament crafts you are making.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1 // Roll out some air-dry clay on a piece of parchment paper
2 // You can use a simple circle or oval cookie cutter like we did, but just think of all the fun Christmas cookie cutter shapes you could utilize as well — stars, Christmas trees, etc!
3 // Grab your pine needles and gently press them down into your dough, making sure not to ruin your cut-out shape! You could also break apart the needles and have your children arrange them however they’d like. I personally like how they look while still intact on the branch. Another lovely variation of this DIY ornament would be using pine needles and other natural materials to press into the dough like a stamp – removing them while leaving an impression on the cut-out shape, and once completely dried painting them with watercolors!
4 // Use a straw to push a hole through the top of your ornament for stringing up later
5 // After completing these steps, next you are going to brush your ornament with the modge podge. This is going to complete your ornaments and seal in the pine needles so they don’t fall off!
6 // Air dry clay usually takes a few days to dry out – the packaging usually says around 2-3 days but most times I find it is done in about 48 hours.
Enjoy your ornaments! Gift them, treasure them – this is one way of keeping a part of your special tree for many years to come – not to mention the sweet memories of crafting beautiful things with your kiddos!
As always, you can find more Fern kids crafts, projects and home education inspiration right here!
Leave a Reply