Initial Ornament Tutorial

Written by Published on Updated on March 12, 2014
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I’m in the process of making a real family tree and needed an initial ornament for each member of our family. So I headed to the craft store to see what I could come up with…

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…I ended up with these glittery initial ornaments! They turned out so great I wanted to share an easy tutorial with you. These would be great for home decorations, could be used as gift tags, or will make an excellent addition to your Christmas tree next year!

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Here’s what you’ll need to make your own:

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Materials Needed:

  • Wooden letters
  • Sand paper
  • Ruler
  • Pencil
  • Drill (with an 1/8″ bit)
  • Acrylic paint
  • Glitter paint
  • Paintbrush
  • Ribbon

Step One:  Start by sanding your wooden letters. This is always my least favorite part, but it’s worth the time and energy in the long run!

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Step Two:  Using your ruler and pencil, mark an “x” in the center of each ornament about 1/2″ down from the top. This is where you’re going to drill.

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Step Three:  Drill a hole in the top of each ornament where you marked an “x”.

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Step Four:  You may have rough edges around the hole you drilled.

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Use a little sand paper to smooth out any rough patchess… Much better!

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Step Five:  Gather your paint supplies (acrylic paint and paintbrush). Lay down a paper bag or painting canvas to protect your table top.

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Step Six:  Paint the bottom and sides of each letter. Let dry. (I always paint two coats for maximum coverage.)

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Step Seven:  Flip each letter over and paint the front. Let dry.

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Step Eight:  Paint the sides and back of each letter with glitter paint. (Note:  Glitter paint is usually transparent, that’s why it’s important to paint with a solid color first.) Let dry.

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Step Nine:  Flip over and paint the front of each letter with glitter paint. Let dry.

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Step Ten:  If you want a little more sparkle, paint a second coat of glitter paint. (I always want more sparkle!) Let dry.

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Step Eleven:  Cut a piece of ribbon (about 8″ long), fold the ribbon in half and string through the hole of each letter. Leave a loop at the top.

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Step Twelve:  Take the bottom two pieces of ribbon and pull through the top loop.

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Step Thirteen:  Tighten the ribon to secure to each letter. Tie a small knot in the top of the ribbon.

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Step Fourteen:  Enjoy your sparkly creations! (Need a place to hang your initial ornaments? Check out our Manzanita Tree Tutorial!)
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The pictures don’t really capture the sparkle, but these letters look amazing in the sunlight! Enjoy!

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