Five ornaments, one bag of wood beads, and nothing here takes longer than about ten minutes.
This walkthrough follows Shannon at The Cozy Christmas Cottage making a beaded wreath, a drop, a yarn tassel, a snowman and a burlap angel. They are worth doing as a set rather than picking one, because the same beads run through all five and that is what makes them look like they belong on the same tree.
None of it needs a craft room. Wood beads, jute, some yarn, a length of ribbon, a marker and a glue gun covers every project on this page.
What you need
Unfinished wood beads in a few sizes, jute twine, floral wire, yarn, wired ribbon, a black and an orange marker, a hot glue gun, scissors and a large-eye needle. White craft paint and a tassel maker are both optional.
Choosing beads and cord
Most wood bead ornaments use three sizes: 16mm and 20mm for wreaths and drops, and 1 to 1.5 inch for snowman bodies and angel heads. Check the hole before you buy. You want at least 4mm so doubled jute passes through without a fight.
Jute gives the farmhouse look and grips the beads so they stay put. Thin satin or velvet ribbon looks dressier but slides, so knot under the bottom bead. Baker's twine in red and white is a good middle ground.
Painting or staining the beads
Bare wood is fine, but a little color pulls a set together. Thin craft paint with a drop of water and dab it on with a foam brush so the grain shows. For a darker, older look, rub on wood stain with a rag and wipe it back after a minute.
Push the beads onto bamboo skewers stood in a jar or a lump of foam while they dry. Give paint a few hours and stain overnight before any cord goes through.
Making them with kids or a group
The drop ornament is the one for small hands. Wrap a bit of tape around the end of the jute to make a stiff tip and a five-year-old can thread it without a needle. Keep the glue gun at an adult station.
For a class or a craft night, sort beads into muffin tins by size and pre-cut the jute to length. Everyone can make a drop and a snowman in half an hour.
Gifting and packing ornaments
Tie two or three onto a gift instead of a bow, or slip a set into a small kraft box with shredded paper. A tag with the year written on the back turns a ten-minute craft into a keepsake. For storing, wrap each one in tissue so the wreath rings do not bend out of round.
Common mistakes
- Beads splitting. Forcing a thick cord through a tight hole cracks cheap beads. Size up the hole or use thinner jute.
- Glue showing. Hot glue strings and leaves blobs. Use a small dot, press for ten seconds, and pull the strings off once it cools.
- Too heavy for the branch. A snowman of three 1.5 inch beads droops a thin branch. Hang big ones near the trunk.
- Loose knots. Jute knots work loose in storage. A dab of glue on every bottom knot stops that.
More ornaments to make
If you want ornaments that smell like Christmas, cinnamon ornaments are no-bake and take one afternoon. Salt dough ornaments are the ones you cut with cookie cutters and can hand-paint, and pinecone ornaments cost nothing if you have a tree nearby. Clay Christmas ornaments take stamps and last for years.
For the rest of the tree, there is how to make paper snowflakes and how to make a Christmas wreath for the door.
