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Wooden block Christmas ornaments make a wonderful addition to any Christmas. They need not only be hung on a tree. You can make them to give as gifts, use on gifts as gift tags, or make a batch and sell them at craft fairs.
To make the wooden block ornaments you will need:
2"x 2" wooden blocks
jute string
3/4" jingle bells
drill with 1/8" drill bit
paper clip
assorted paints (red, white, black, fleshtone, green)
fabic scraps
Unfinished wooden blocks can be bought at craft or hobby stores. If you have a hard time finding them you can easily cut them yourself. Purchase a 6' 2"x2" from a lumber yard. Measure the square on the end (often a 2"x2" is actually 1 1/2"x 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" x 1 3/4"). Using that measurement cut blocks form the 2x2 the same length. Once all blocks are cut, drill a 1/8" hole completely through the center. After drilling holes, sand blocks down with medium grade sandpaper. These block ornaments give a "rustic", old-fashioned impression anyway, so it is not necessary for them to be completely smooth.
Now that you have your blocks ready, whether home-cut or pre-cut, you are ready to paint them. You can paint anything you want on your blocks. You can choose simple words such as "joy" or "noel", or paint Santa or snowmen faces which are a hit at holiday craft shows.
To paint Santa faces, paint 3/4 of one (smooth) side of the block fleshtone, and paint the remainder of the entire block red. On the flesh side, pencil in a Santa face and then paint it on using a fine point brush. It is easiest to start with cheeks and mouth, as beard and mustache layer upon them. Once face is on, stipple white along line where fleshtone color meets red for hat trim, and stipple white along face and sides for beard and hair.
For snowmen, paint entire block white. Paint black on one end of block with hole in it. This will be the hat end. Choose a side for the face (a smoother side if block was home-cut) and paint a hat rim along the top. You can decorate the black hat rim with some green holly and red berries if you wish. Paint snowman face on as desired.
Once paint is dry you can get blocks ready for hanging. Take an 8" piece of jute and string a jingle bell onto one end. Fold jute in half and tie a knot in end to secure the bell. Take the paper clip and straighten one end so that the other end forms a hook. Catch the loop of the jute with the hook end and thread it up through the center of the block. To secure the string, tie a small piece of homespun fabric or ribbon around the string at the top of the block.
You will enjoy making these block ornaments as much as you'll enjoy giving them as gifts or seeing them hang on your tree for years to come.
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