FUN CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT: Recycle Crafting

This is the time of year that we pull out boxes and bins of decorations.  Over the years my fragile glass ornaments, silver sparkle treasures, glittery icicles have had to make room for the popcicle stick creations of pre-school.  My tree is now filled with precious ornaments made by tiny little fingers. 

This season as I was hauling a huge plastic bin up from the basement, I overheard my middle child complaining about how I won't ever let them play with the ornaments.  True.  Guilty.  Can't risk breaking the Elmer's glue snowman or the paper clip angel.  Priceless ornaments that just can't be replaced.

But her comment started me thinking and this is the finished product.  The ornament you CAN play with.

Step 1: SUPPLIES:

SUPPLIES:

 Old lotion or make-up plastic jar
 Sand paper
 primer
 acrylic paints and brushes
 gloss spray sealer
 used lip balm containers
 black and yellow felt
 hook & eye
 yellow feather
 plastic container lid
 snow glitter
 glue
 Jewelry findings - eye pins, earing components, jump rings
 fishing line
 tooth pick
 needlenose pliers
 cereal box cardboard

Step 2: PLASTIC JAR:

For this project I used an old lotion container.  Give it a good cleaning and then do a light sanding so that the paint has something to stick to.  Prime it.  I used a base coat of a light gray and then with a chisel paint brush, paint rectangles to look like ice blocks.  I added a door and a few holly leaves.

When the paint dries, give the igloo a coat of clear gloss sealer.

Screw in the eye hook.

Lastly, I added a little snow glitter to the base of the igloo.

Step 3: IGLOO CAP:

The cap becomes the fishing hole.  I used a small piece of aluminum foil, crunched up and smoothed out, to look like water.  Glue it to the inside of the igloo lid and add some blue paint.  I added a little clear glue over the top.  Just be careful not to get any glue on the threads of the cap.

Step 4: PENGUINS:

With black spray paint made for plastic, give the lip balm containers a good coating.   Decorate the penguins any way you want.  Use the clear sealer.  I made little feet and a beak with the yellow felt and penguin wings with the black.

Step 5: FISH:

I cut the fish out of the plastic container lid.  Light sanding, primer and then painted the fish.  When the paint dried, I added a clear sealer.  Finally, with a pin punch a hole through the fish and add a jump ring.

For the pole, I glued an eye pin to the tooth pick and painted it for a finished look.

The hook is an earring finding that I just trimmed.  Attach the hook to the eye pin with fishing line.

Step 6: ICEBERG & ICE BLOCKS:

For the floating iceberg, cut a wavy circle out of your white fabric.  I used an old blouse that had a stain.  A little glue on the edges and some snow glitter to finish.

The ice blocks are made from recycling cereal box cardboard folded into small cubes.  They are open on one side so they can stack inside the igloo.  Prime the cardboard, paint with white acrylic gloss and then add some snow glitter.

Step 7: PLAY TIME:

The penguins can slip and slide, dive over the edge of the iceberg and catch their own dinner.  Whatever your little one can imagine.

Step 8: HANGING ON THE TREE:

And when you are done with your polar cap adventure, all the play items fold into the igloo for storage until next season.

Peace be with you and your family this season.