DIY New Home Ornament (Housewarming Gift Idea)

Growing up, my favorite part of holiday decorating was seeing all the kids’ yearly ornaments go on the tree. Since Michael and I have started celebrating Christmas together, we’ve kept up the tradition of buying a few meaningful ornaments a year. But dang, a few a year is taking a while to fill out our trees! After 4 years, our tree still only has one side strategically filled out. That’s not enough reason for me to go buy filler sets, but it has inspired me to DIY a few more this year!

We bought our first home this year and I wanted an ornament to remember it by. This would be so sweet to mark the occasion for your own home or to gift to someone who moved this year. Polymer clay is one of my favorite crafting materials for holiday decor since it’s easy to work with and durable!

You’ll Need
polymer clay
house or key cookie cutter
letter stamps
small drill bit
sandpaper
ribbon
black or gold acrylic paint

1. Roll out your clay to an even thickness. Cut out your ornament shape with the cookie cutter. Transfer to a baking sheet.

2. Stamp out your personalized message. It could be an address, “New Home” + the year, or your last name. Whatever means the most to you or your giftee!

3. Bake according to clay package instructions. Let cool completely. Use the drill bit to hand drill a hole for the ribbon.

4. Use a small paintbrush and fill in the stamped letters with paint. Let dry.

5. Lightly sand the ornament all over to soften the edges and remove errant paint. Use a slightly wet cloth to brush away the dust in the letters.

6. You shouldn’t need a sealant since the paint is sitting in the letters, but if you decide to skip the stamping and paint a message onto your house ornament, use this sealant after the paint has fully dried.

7. Thread ribbon through and your DIY new home ornament is ready for hanging or gifting!