Handmade Christmas Ornament

Just a few Summers ago, my granddaughter found an easy origami book at the library. One week later, we'd made several new folded paper creations. Our favorite was what the book called "The Color Wheel." We started with a six inch square, and even created one that was a four inch square. In fact that photo above is our first attempt at this craft project.

After we finished our debut piece, we decided that if we cut them down to two inches, they would make a wonderful ornament. So, below you'll find the steps we took to create our Origami Wheel Ornaments.

The first thing you'll want to do is select your paper. You can use just about anything, plain paper, wrapping paper, origami paper, scrapbooking paper or more. You don't want to use cardstock because it will make it difficult to fold.

You can use up to 8 different patterns or colors. I personally think that the most attractive ornaments were made of two or four different patterns. All together you'll need sixteen (16) 2x2 squares. It is very important that they are close to perfect squares.

So, here's what you'll need:

• Sixteen 2"x 2" squares
• Elmer's Glue
• Hot (or Low-Temp) Glue Gun
• Silver or Gold thin cord
• Small beads (2 to 4 mm)

Below you'll see photos with instructions. You'll need 8 or 16 folded pieces, so by the time you get the first one done, you'll be a pro! I think just about anyone over the age of eight can make these ornaments. A younger crafty child might even be able to handle it. Just remember to always have fun!

With 8 folded pieces, you can make a one sided package decoration. You'll need 16 pieces to make a full two sided ornament. Here are the final steps.

By now you should have two wheels that somewhat resemble the one above. At this point, I recommend you use a hot glue gun (low-temp will work) to glue a string loop at the top and then the two pieces together (I prefer to have the matching pieces touching back to back. Finally, take a small bead that matches your ornament and glue in the center of each side.

This finished ornament is obviously not the one I was working on when I created the steps above. Unfortunately, I gave away all of the fifty that my granddaughter and I made before I remembered to take a photo of one. Someone in church was able to take a picture of the one I gave them, so here's a finished Origami Wheel Ornament